Human Resource professionals should spend time each year reflecting on open enrollment meetings and documenting successes and failures. Taking the time to observe employees and understand their comfort level with the process will help benefits sign-up periods run more smoothly in the future. If done right, there will likely be fewer frantic employees bombarding staff with last minute questions and overall employee satisfaction will improve. When conducting your own review consider these factors and determine if your process could be improved:

1. Timing of meetings

Plan on holding multiple meetings. Too many employees in a single meeting makes it harder to ask questions and the meetings will last longer. Also, some employees have more difficulty leaving their desk and need flexibility. Make sure to offer a variety of days and times to meet including over lunch.

2. Document distribution

Some offices see open enrollment meetings as the time to pass out new plan brochures. Generally it's better to at least send a summary of key changes in advance of the meeting. This method allows employees a chance to review the benefits and prepare questions. It also wards off the obvious questions like price.

3. Know the plans

The leader of the meeting should know the plans and their differences inside and out and be prepared to discuss them when presented with different hypothetical scenarios. Offer individual times to meet as well. Sometimes it's best to counsel employees in private as health information should remain confidential. 

4. Share company enrollment statistics

Often employees have difficulty deciding which plan best meets their needs. Hearing that 60% of employees with dependent children choose Plan A while those with individual coverage overwhelmingly select Plan C is comforting. Buying based on what's bestselling isn't always the best way to go but staying with the herd does offer safety for those out of their element.

5. Be honest about changes

Insurance coverage choices in most cases these days can be summed up with higher premiums for less coverage. Employees want to know what their coverage is going to cost. If there's been an increase then state that. Temper the bad news with something positive though. Perhaps the carrier is the same so nobody will need to change doctors. Maybe this year three plans instead of only two are available. If you're familiar with the plan details then it's likely you can uncover some good news. Higher deductibles when paired with lower co-pays or less onerous out of pocket maximums benefit many families who enjoy relatively good health.

As the law changes, benefits will continue to evolve so be prepared to revise your open enrollment meetings in accordance.