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Open enrollment for 2027 may still feel a few months away, but for employers, the work behind a successful enrollment should already be underway.

Open enrollment isn’t simply about presenting employees with plan options and asking them to make an election. It’s an opportunity to evaluate your benefits strategy, make sure your offerings continue to meet the needs of your workforce, and help employees better understand the value of the benefits you provide.

And that takes time.  Whether your plan renews on a calendar year, or any other month in between, being prepared with facts, knowledge, and options can make all the difference.

Employees Need More Than an Enrollment Window

Benefits can be complicated, yet employees often spend surprisingly little time reviewing their options. According to the latest Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey, about half of enrollees spend less than an hour reviewing their choices during open enrollment, with most spending less than two hours total.

That’s not much time to make decisions that could affect an employee and their family for an entire year.

Starting the process early gives employers—and their benefits advisors—more time to educate employees, explain changes and provide the resources they need to make informed decisions.

Start With the Benefits Strategy

Before thinking about enrollment meetings or employee communications, employers should first take a close look at the benefits themselves.

Are your current offerings still competitive? Are employees actually using and valuing the benefits you provide? Have the needs of your workforce changed?

Health insurance remains a cornerstone of an employee benefits package, but today’s employees may also place significant value on benefits such as:

• Mental health resources
• Paid leave
• Retirement savings
• Flexible work arrangements
• Voluntary benefits such as critical illness, hospital indemnity and disability coverage
• Financial wellness resources
• Caregiving and family-support benefits
• Professional development opportunities

Benefits can play an important role in both recruiting and retaining employees—but only when employees see value in what is being offered.

This is also a great time to ask employees for feedback. Even a simple benefits survey can provide valuable insight into what employees appreciate, what they may not understand and what they would like to see in the future.

Don’t Just Communicate the Changes—Communicate the Value

Once the benefits strategy is finalized, the next step is determining what employees need to know, or what they already should know – but don’t.

Of course, any changes to plans, carriers, contributions or benefits should be clearly communicated. But open enrollment communication shouldn’t stop there.

Many employees don’t fully understand the benefits they already have.

Open enrollment is an opportunity to remind employees about the full value of their benefits package—including programs and resources they may have forgotten about or never realized were available.

When employees better understand their benefits, they are more likely to appreciate them and make better decisions about which options are right for themselves and their families.

Use Multiple Ways to Reach Employees

There is no single communication method that works for every workforce.

An effective open enrollment strategy may include group enrollment meetings, one-on-one support, email communications, benefit guides, videos, presentations and periodic reminders leading up to enrollment.

For employers with remote employees, multiple locations or employees in different states, virtual enrollment and digital communication can also make benefits education much more accessible.

The goal isn’t simply to tell employees that open enrollment is happening. It’s to give them enough information—and enough opportunities to ask questions—that they feel confident making their elections.

Open Enrollment Shouldn’t Be a Once-a-Year Conversation

While open enrollment naturally creates an opportunity to focus on benefits education, ideally, employees should hear about their benefits throughout the year.

Benefits are a significant investment for employers. If employees only think about them once a year, much of that value can get lost.

Year-round communication can help employees better understand how and when to use their benefits, while open enrollment provides an opportunity to bring everything together and help them make informed choices for the year ahead.

Whether your 2027 renewal is straightforward or you’re considering significant changes, starting early gives us more time to evaluate your options, communicate effectively and create an enrollment experience that works for both your organization and your employees.