Open enrollment is going to look different this year. You’re likely making plans to roll it out at least partially remote. And while it might feel overwhelming (to say the least), hosting the meeting virtually doesn’t have to be a headache. In fact, it can be an opportunity to make the project its’ most successful yet. This week we’re going to discuss the step in how to do just that.

Steps in taking open enrollment virtual:

1. First, what does a virtual open enrollment look like? How will you structure it? It’s worthwhile to note that before you start planning the meeting to take into consideration how tech-friendly your audience is. If you have a staff leery of bells and whistles, you’ll want to make your meeting as easy to participate in as possible (which, let’s face it, is still a good idea for even the most advanced tech teams). From there, your next move is to identify the most successful parts of previous meetings. Did your employees utilize provided worksheets? Did they take advantage of the allotted time for Q&A? Use what has worked in the past to help construct your agenda.
2. Now it’s time to identify the need-to-knows. This is the information that you do not want your employees to leave the meeting without being told explicitly. While all materials will be important for the decision-making process, of course, these will be the most pressing items to cover.
3. Once you have the content of the meeting decided, you’ll want to create materials to support it. Supplemental materials such as downloadable booklets and links to short videos on individual topics are great ways to offer your employees the flexibility of learning about their options on their own time. However, you should also make sure the HR team is available for questions. That brings us to one of our favorite options to offer employees: virtual office hours.
4. While emailing can certainly be effective, key information can get loss without the benefit of in-personal discussions. A solution to this is offering ‘office hours’ in which your employees sign-up for short virtual one-on-ones to ask their questions. Q&As are typically the most successful element in any meeting, so offering the opportunity both during and after could save a lot of headaches in the enrollment process. Also, be sure to record the virtual fair and have it accessible online where your employees can use it as a resource, yet another headache-saving measure.
5. Regarding useful online content, an FAQ page on your website is an effective resource for saving time and eliminating stress. Make sure it’s thorough.
6. Ready to send out the email invite? Keep it clean and use white space! Text-laden emails are bound to be half-read at best. Include the most pertinent information about the meeting and deadlines. Make this their go-to resource where they’ll find all the dates and links they need for the meeting and available online content.

We’ll leave you with one more tip and then you’re all set for a successful virtual enrollment process:

7. Utilize the mighty survey! The workspace will likely see permanent change in regards to remote staff, so be prepared for more virtual events. Getting feedback from your employees after enrollment ends will likely provide useful insight for future events.

We get it, taking projects virtual can be a daunting task. This is where an HR team can step in and assist in making the process as efficient as possible. And that’s exactly what Eos HR is, a team of experienced professionals who partner with small businesses to help them thrive. Call us today to find out how we can assist in making your virtual open enrollment (and other complicated HR tasks) successful!