How HR Tech Can Improve Your Business’ Open Enrollment Experience

By Lacey Conner, SHRM-CP on Oct 24, 2019
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The uses of technology seem to be endless. And with the focus increasingly being placed on the user experience, helping to create a seamless, positive experience, more and more small and medium-sized businesses have turned to HR technology to save time, increase accuracy and improve the employee experience. Some common areas HR technology has been proven to be beneficial include payroll, benefits, time and attendance tracking, PTO accrual and requests, job postings and applicant tracking.

What’s more, with advanced technology all around us, employees expect to have that same, modern technology experience while at work, and that includes submitting their time, requesting PTO and enrolling for benefits.

Four Ways HR Technology Improves Benefits Enrollment

With open enrollment fast approaching, let’s look at four ways HR technology improves the benefits open enrollment experience for both the administrator and employee.

Improved accuracy and tracking. For employers who haven’t integrated online enrollment for benefits, paperwork and tracking can be a nightmare. Every employee fills out their forms, then an administrator must manually enter each employee’s selections into their main system. It makes it difficult to track and creates a situation where errors can easily occur. Through an online system, once the employee has entered their information into the system, it is ready to go directly to the insurance provider, eliminating the potential for increased errors.
Eliminates incomplete forms. There’s nothing worse than a looming enrollment deadline and the need to track down employees who have turned in incomplete forms. Online systems often mark mandatory fields and make it impossible for the user to advance to the next section, or complete their enrollment, without filling in all of the required information.
Increased employee control and accessibility. Employees can find answers to questions and manage their benefits enrollment from home or work, any day or time during the enrollment period.
Saves time and reduces stress. Online benefits enrollment systems often have wizards built into the application to guide the user through the enrollment process, helping to ease the process.

Whether your benefits enrollment technology simply consists of online forms for employees to fill in, or you have a full-service HR technology application that includes benefits enrollment, the best experience during benefits open enrollment is one that allows for online and even mobile enrollment.

PEOs Offer a Solution for Businesses that Can’t Afford HR Technology

For small and medium-sized businesses who can’t afford the latest and greatest in HR technology, a PEO, like us, can fill this void. When businesses partner with a PEO for their HR needs, oftentimes they gain access to the latest in HR technology their employees want and need. Some even offer advanced technology their clients’ employees can access any time, anywhere, and from any device.

At Axcet, our clients gain access to a comprehensive, online platform for open enrollment, making it easier for all client-employees to access and submit their annual enrollment elections. But we don’t substitute technology for high-touch, high-value relationships. In addition to our in-person open enrollment meetings and seamless online enrollment, dedicated human resources consultants continue to work with our payroll administrators to keep the client updated on the progress and completion of benefits enrollment.

DOL Guidelines for Electronic Distribution of Health Plan Notices

Both employers and employees appreciate the move away from paper and toward electronic media. But at the same time, certain health plan notices are required under federal law, so employers should be sure their distribution methods are compliant. To review some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding electronic distribution of health plan notices at open enrollment, read this blog post.

The quality, variety, and ease of understanding when enrolling in benefits can be all the difference when ensuring your employees are healthy and engaged. At Axcet, we manage every step along the way — from the agreements with the carrier to enrollment and education and then plan administration.