The open enrollment period can be stressful for both employees and HR staff. Benefits can be confusing and mistakes can be easy to make. Fortunately, your HRMS can help minimize some of the stress of open enrollment.
Communication Is Key
A HRMS or HRIS can send out automated alerts to keep everyone in the know. The system should be able to send out alerts to the staff so everyone knows the open enrollment schedule and deadlines. Any meetings explaining changes in benefits can also be communicated to everyone through the software.
HR software can also help you determine your employees’ needs. Survey your staff ahead of the open enrollment period and collect their responses digitally.
Year-Round Self-Service
A HRIS or HRMS solution usually has an employee self-service portal. This is where employees can enter and update their own information. They can keep their records up-to-date year-round instead of only at open enrollment time. HR personnel don’t have to worry about the accuracy of employee records, freeing up their time for other tasks and concerns.
Employees can make changes as they happen instead of having to wait until open enrollment begins. Mistakes can be avoided if employees don’t have to remember whether or not they made a necessary change.
Everything All in One Place
Having all benefits and insurance plan information all in one place makes the open enrollment process easier for everyone. Employees can see all available options and compare them. A HRMS or HRIS can create a database of everything your staff will need to navigate the open enrollment process.
With all of the necessary information available online, employees can access any time to review or compare. No one can misplace online forms and there’s less to keep track of. Having everything all in one place also makes processing benefits easier for HR staff.
Reduce HR Work
The biggest advantage of a HRMS or HRIS during open enrollment is reducing the burden on your HR staff. Most of the open enrollment process can be automated. Employees can input their own information and make benefits selections online. This information can then automatically be updated across all platforms. HR staff can more easily keep track of everything through automated reports.
Reduce Errors
When employees use printed forms and HR staff have to manually enter data, there’s a lot of room for error. Not only does this take more time away from their other tasks, but it risks problems that will take more time to correct. Digitizing the benefits enrollment process reduces that risk by eliminating potential errors.
The task of entering employee information is in their own hands. They know their information better than the HR staff would. That information can then be automatically entered everywhere it’s needed.
