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From Feedback to Game Plan:
Building a Better Open Enrollment Strategy

April 28, 2025

You’ve collected employee feedback—great! But now what? 

Think of feedback like a GPS. It’s not enough to know where you are; you need to know where you’re going and how to get there. That’s where your Open Enrollment (OE) planning process comes in. And just like a road trip, the smoother the route, the better the experience for everyone involved. 

In a recent blog, we explored why employee feedback is the secret sauce for higher benefits engagement. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and put that intel to work. Because insights without action? That’s like asking for directions and still ending up lost. 

Here’s how to transform employee feedback into a sharper, smarter, more personalized OE plan. 

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Step 1: Map Out What You Learned 

Before you can plot your next move, revisit the feedback you’ve gathered. What themes stand out?

Common roadblocks might include: 

  • Confusion around certain benefits (like HSAs or voluntary coverages) 
  • Frustration with the OE process (too many steps, too little time) 
  • A lack of communication or reminders 
  • Missing or irrelevant benefit options 

Use this as your starting point. The goal isn’t to fix everything overnight, but to prioritize the potholes that are slowing your team down the most. 

Pro Tip: Organize your feedback into categories—understanding, satisfaction, communication, and suggestions—to make it easier to see patterns and prioritize improvements.

Step 2: Plug Feedback Into the OE Roadmap 

This is where strategy meets action. The Open Enrollment Roadmap you downloaded? It’s not just a checklist—it’s your playbook for building a smoother, more employee-centered OE experience.

Here’s how to make it work with your feedback:

  • Update your timeline to include time for a pre-OE feedback review session.

  • Reframe your communications plan to address the most misunderstood benefits.

  • Tweak your OE tech if employees said the platform was clunky or confusing.

  • Add new decision support tools based on common questions or pain points.

Your roadmap should evolve as your people do. Feedback helps you iterate and improve every year—so OE doesn’t feel like Groundhog Day for your team or your employees. 

Step 3: Personalize the Ride

Open Enrollment shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Use what you’ve learned to offer a more tailored experience. 

Consider creating:

  • Role-specific guides (What benefits do managers or remote workers care most about?) 

  • Scenario-based tips (e.g., “Just had a baby?” or “Paying off student loans?”) 

  • Age-based communications (Early-career employees vs. those nearing retirement) 

The more personal the message, the more likely it is to resonate—and drive action.

Step 4: Keep the Conversation Going

Too often, OE feedback is collected and forgotten until next year. Don’t fall into that trap. 

Build feedback loops into your year-round benefits strategy:

  • Run quick pulse surveys after OE closes.

  • Monitor benefits utilization metrics to spot new trends. 

  • Host quarterly check-ins or “Ask HR Anything” sessions. 

Employees don’t just want better benefits—they want to feel like their input shaped them. Show that their voice matters beyond the survey.

Step 5: Measure and Adjust

Once you’ve implemented changes, it’s time to measure their impact. Did satisfaction scores improve? Were fewer employees confused? Did enrollment rates go up for underused benefits? 

Use this data to fine-tune your next OE plan. And don’t forget to share wins with leadership—because showing ROI on engagement efforts makes it easier to secure buy-in (and budget) for future improvements. 

Your Feedback-Fueled OE Plan Starts Here

Open Enrollment is your organization’s annual “benefits billboard”—and it deserves more than guesswork and generic messaging. By using employee feedback as your guide, you can make OE a more empowering, engaging experience. 

Want to get started? Download the Open Enrollment Roadmap and use it to plug in your feedback insights and action items. 

Haven’t collected feedback yet? No problem—grab our Employee Benefits Survey Template to start gathering the data you need to level up your strategy. 

Employees don’t just want better benefits—they want to feel like their input shaped them. Show that their voice matters beyond the survey.

Your Feedback-Fueled OE Plan Starts Here

Open Enrollment is your organization’s annual “benefits billboard” — and it deserves more than guesswork and a generic message. By using employee feedback as your guide, you can make OE a more empowering, engaging experience.

Haven’t collected feedback yet? No problem — grab our  Employee Benefits Survey Template to start gathering data you need to up your benefits strategy. 

Your next great OE plan isn’t just about choosing the right benefits—it’s about choosing to listen. 

Ready to turn feedback into fuel for a more impactful Open Enrollment? Let’s hit the road. 

Download the complete Open Enrollment Guide and use it to plug in your feedback insights and action items.