From Paperwork to Partnership: How to Reimagine Open Enrollment as an Employee Experience
Open enrollment isn’t broken because employees don’t care.
It’s broken because the experience is still built like paperwork, not like the decision-making journey it actually is.
And employees feel that gap.
Our research revealed:
- Only 27% fully understand their benefits
- 1 in 3 regrets a benefit choice (some more than once)
- 7 in 10 finish enrollment in under one hour—despite making choices that shape their health and finances all year long
The issue isn’t the benefits themselves.
It’s how employees experience them.
And that’s why forward-thinking HR leaders are no longer asking, “How do we complete OE?”
They’re asking:
“How do we design an OE experience that eliminates confusion, builds confidence, and helps employees make choices they won’t regret?”
This blog reframes OE as an employee experience product—not an HR project—backed by research, practical guidance, and tools HR teams can use right now.
1. Old OE vs. New OE: The Experience Evolution
Most organizations unintentionally run OE using a legacy model created for paperwork—not people.
Here’s what our research shows—and what the future demands.
| Old OE Experience | New OE Experience |
|---|---|
| A once-a-year “event” | A guided, year-round journey |
| One-size-fits-all messaging | Relevant, personalized communication |
| Dense PDFs + jargon | Clear, human-centered content |
| “Figure it out” approach | Step-by-step support and examples |
| Tools optional or hidden | Tools integrated directly into decisions |
| Last-minute reminders | Behavior-triggered nudges and automation |
| Stress + confusion | Confidence + clarity |
| HR as administrator | HR as experience architect |
This reframing completely shifts the goal:
OE isn’t about distributing information—it’s about designing a decision experience that works for real humans.
2. What Employees Actually Want (As Told Through the Data)
Employees aren’t asking for more benefits—they’re asking for benefits they can understand, evaluate, personalize, and use with confidence.
Our research highlights four core expectations:
1. Clarity That Cuts Through the Noise
Only 27% say they understand their benefits perfectly.
That means 73% are making decisions with uncertainty built in.
Employees want:
- Straightforward explanations
- Cost comparisons
- Real-life examples
- Definitions without jargon
This isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the #1 antidote to regret.
2. Personalization That Feels Authentic
Employees who say OE felt “extremely personalized” were 83% very satisfied with their benefits.
Yet 1 in 3 ignore OE messages because they don’t feel relevant.
Employees want OE to feel like:
- “This was written for me.”
- “These options fit my life.”
- “This scenario matches my real situation.”
That’s what builds trust—and this is where tools like Engage shine.
3. Benefits That Reflect Real-Life Needs
Employees repeatedly tell us they want benefits that go beyond standard medical/dental/vision.
When benefits feel useful and personal, employees feel valued.
And when the enrollment experience supports those choices, satisfaction skyrockets.
4. Support That Extends Beyond Enrollment Week
Only 1 in 3 employees know exactly what to do after enrollment.
This is a major reason benefits go underused—and satisfaction drops.
Employees want:
- Post-enrollment orientation
- Quarterly reminders
- Seasonal benefit tips
- On-demand answers
Check out the The Open Enrollment Reset eBook to help your team rebuild OE into a continuous, supportive part of the employee journey.
The Modern OE Experience Checklist
✔ Before Open Enrollment
- ☐ Review last OE’s questions, confusion points, and bottlenecks
- ☐ Identify personas (Gen Z, families, late responders, high utilizers)
- ☐ Map your “OE user journey” to identify friction points
- ☐ Audit your communication for clarity, personalization, and length
- ☐ Integrate or upgrade decision-support tools
- ☐ Build a 60–90 day pre-enrollment communication runway
- ☐ Segment messaging by life stage and role
- ☐ Revisit your benefit offerings—are they aligned with modern needs?
✔ During Open Enrollment
- ☐ Personalize your messages—not just names, but scenarios
- ☐ Use multiple channels (email + text + app + print)
- ☐ Embed decision-support tools directly in your enrollment flow
- ☐ Provide side-by-side cost comparisons
- ☐ Offer virtual office hours or quick “benefits hotlines”
- ☐ Send countdowns tied to actions (“3 days left: compare plans”)
- ☐ Encourage household engagement for employees choosing with spouses
✔ After Open Enrollment
- ☐ Send a “What to do next” onboarding guide
- ☐ Deliver quarterly benefit nudges tied to real-life situations
- ☐ Reinforce underused benefits (mental health, EAP, telehealth, wellness)
- ☐ Track utilization trends to inform next year
- ☐ Survey employees—not “Are you satisfied?” but:
“Did this experience help you feel confident?” - ☐ Begin next year’s planning in Q2, not Q4
Not too early to plan your next OE
Most organizations wait until late summer to prepare—but the most successful HR teams start now, building their automation, communication cadence, and segmentation early.
This is the perfect time to speak with Selerix about implementing:
- Automated, personalized OE journeys
- Decision-support integration
- Year-round benefits education
- Multi-channel reminders and nudges
Don’t let next year sneak up.
The OE Year-Round Experience
Here’s something unique, fun, and surprisingly effective:
A set of ready-to-use mini-programs HR teams can deploy anytime.
Think of them as “employee experience boosters” that make benefits feel useful all year—not forgotten after OE ends.
OE Year-Round Experience Fun Pack
1. Benefit-of-the-Month Micro Lessons
60-second, single-topic explainers:
- What’s a deductible?
- How to check if a doctor is in-network
- When to use urgent care vs. ER
Works great as email, Slack, Engage message, intranet, or text.
2. Seasonal Benefits Boosters
Winter: mental health + telehealth
Spring: preventive screenings
Summer: travel coverage + wellness
Fall: financial planning + FSA reminders
Tie benefits to life moments.
3. “Use This, Not That” Decision Guides
Short comparison guides employees love:
- Use telehealth instead of urgent care when…
- Choose HSA if… choose FSA if…
- Pick PPO vs HDHP depending on…
Fun, educational, and highly shareable.
4. Quarterly Confidence Check-Ins
A simple automated message:
“How confident do you feel using your benefits today?”
Segment follow-up content based on responses.
5. Hidden Gem Highlights
Introduce lesser-known benefits every quarter—
EAP, wellness perks, financial coaching, identity theft, etc.
Employees love discovering value they didn’t know they had.
Bringing It All Together: Designing OE for Real Humans
When open enrollment feels rushed, confusing, or generic, employees feel it—and they respond with stress, disengagement, or regret.
But when OE feels like a guided, personal experience?
Employees respond with confidence, loyalty, and trust.
Our research shows the opportunity is massive:
Employees who feel supported and confident during OE are 5x more likely to stay and 3.5x more likely to trust their employer.
And now is the perfect moment to rethink how your organization approaches it.
Ready to Turn OE Into a Real Employee Experience?
And if you want to build a truly personalized, automated OE experience next year?
Schedule time with Selerix today and let’s build a benefits experience your employees will trust—not just tolerate.
