It’s the fourth quarter—and its open enrollment season. You’re feeling the heat to make sure your employees know about their benefits so they can enroll in the packages they want, and so are they: According to data collected by Unum, based on a survey of 1,227 U.S. workers conducted in July 2018, respondents reported feeling stressed (21%), confused (22%), and anxious (20%) when enrolling in their benefits.

Alleviate enrollment jitters by using these four effective communications tips for open enrollment:

Simplify Your Message

Filter through your benefit offerings and narrow your message down to the key information your employees need. Make an easy-to-understand benefit summary by adding rate charts, bullet points, FAQs, vendor contact information, and highlight key dates to keep things to the point.

Unify Look and Feel of Benefit Materials

Give your materials an identity so your employees can immediately recognize the topic. Pick a theme or keep it subdued–whatever style matches your company culture. Is design not in your wheelhouse? Reach out to your marketing department for assistance.

Switch Up Your Communication Media

Think beyond printed handouts. Spread the word about open enrollment through videos, text, e-mails, infographics, and social media posts in addition to flyers, intranet sites, and buck slips. Keep in mind the Cone of Experience, where people tend to remember information better if they both hear and see it. Adding all of these mediums to your open enrollment arsenal makes for a more comprehensive and memorable communication plan.

Communicate Often

Spread out employee communications all year long. Avoid jam- packing your employees with information right before open enrollment, as this can be overwhelming and confusing. Providing communications year-round gives employees time to absorb the information about their benefit options to make a better choice when its time.

These are just a few suggestions to meet all your goals for open enrollment. Don’t forget to call in back-up: tap your vendors for communication materials too. After all, your employees deserve to understand their benefit options.

Sources: 1. Forbes.com, “Six Keys To Effective Employee Communication For Open Enrollment,” https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2018/11/06/six-keys-to-effective-employee-communication-for-open-enrollment/#63b90d0a20db Last accessed 9/20/19 | 2. HNI, “How to Up Your Game in Benefits Communication at Open Enrollment This Year” https://www.hni.com/blog/how-to-up-your-game-in-benefits-communication-at-open-enrollment-this-year Last accessed 9/20/19