Open Enrollment (OE) is right around the corner—and for HR teams in the public sector, that means one thing: it’s time for a benefits technology check-up to assess whether your current technology is up to the challenge.
The stakes are high. According to a 2023 survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), 53% of employees say that health and wellness benefits are a major factor in deciding whether to stay with or leave an employer. And for public organizations facing budget constraints, union negotiations, and workforce shortages, delivering a seamless, satisfying OE experience is essential.
The question is: Is your current benefits technology helping—or holding you back?
Here’s how to find out.
1. Take Stock of What Worked (and What Didn’t)
Before diving into the next OE cycle, step back and reflect on last year’s process. Where did bottlenecks occur? Were employees confused about plan options or deadlines? Did your HR team spend more time troubleshooting than strategizing?
Whether your enrollment window spans a few days or a few weeks, the technology you use should reduce friction at every step. Systems that lack real-time visibility, flexible configuration options, or intuitive design can create unnecessary delays—not to mention headaches for HR and employees alike.
What to ask:
- How much time did we spend on manual tasks or correcting errors?
- Were employees able to complete their elections with minimal help?
- Did our system give us the reporting insights we needed?
2. Evaluate the Flexibility of Your System
Public sector employers operate in complex environments. Your benefits platform should support that complexity—not work against it. From tiered eligibility rules to union-driven coverage exceptions, rigid or one-size-fits-all platforms can create unnecessary work for your team.
Instead, look for solutions that offer dynamic configuration and allow you to tailor OE experiences by employee class, location, or coverage tier. Flexible rules engines aren’t just a nice-to-have—they’re a must for ensuring accuracy and compliance across diverse workforces.
Key Consideration: If your platform doesn’t allow for easy updates to eligibility, plan documents, or approval workflows without IT support, it may be time for an upgrade.
3. Get Real About Reporting
Reporting isn’t just about data—it’s about decision-making. Whether you’re trying to identify coverage gaps, reduce over-enrollment, or justify budget allocations, the right reporting tools can make all the difference.
Too often, HR teams are stuck waiting for vendors to run custom reports or manually compiling data across systems. A modern platform should offer real-time dashboards, on-demand reports, and custom filtering that puts insights at your fingertips—not at the end of a help ticket.
Stat to know: In a 2024 survey by SHRM, only 43% of HR professionals said their current HR tech platforms were effective. One of the top reasons? Inadequate analytics and lack of real-time reporting.
4. Prioritize Employee Experience
The success of your OE isn’t measured just by internal checklists—it’s measured by how well your employees engage with the process. If your platform is clunky, confusing, or mobile-unfriendly, you’re likely to see an increase in HR support tickets and a decrease in employee satisfaction.
Today’s workforce expects the same ease of use from benefits platforms as they do from their favorite apps. That means clear plan comparisons, self-service tools, mobile access, and automatic reminders. Anything less risks disengagement—and potentially costly mistakes.
Pro Tip: Don’t wait for enrollment season to roll around. Test your system through the lens of a first-time user and identify opportunities to improve navigation, messaging, and mobile responsiveness.
5. Make Room for Growth
Technology should scale with your needs. Whether you’re onboarding seasonal staff, updating union contracts, or navigating policy changes, your benefits platform should be able to keep up.
Look for a system that supports:
- Multiple plan types and tiers
- Seamless carrier integration
- Embedded compliance tools
- Ongoing vendor support—not just during OE
At Bentek, we’re built for the public sector. Our platform is designed to handle the intricacies of government, education, and municipal employers—providing the configurability, reporting, and service you need to simplify OE from start to finish.
Final Thought
OE doesn’t have to be a scramble. With the right technology partner, it becomes an opportunity to streamline operations, improve accuracy, and boost employee engagement.
So ask yourself: Is your current system setting you up for success—or setting you up for stress?
📥 Need a second opinion? Let’s talk to see how Bentek can help you this OE season.
