Community Bank nearly doubles benefits delivered to employees with Benefits Zone

Although banking and finance jobs typically have a normal work schedule, the compressed nature of this enrollment made it important to get benefits information delivered to employees as quickly and effectively as possible. The pandemic, and the additional challenges it brought well into 2021, made implementation of an effective benefits education platform for its employees more important than ever. The bank needed a flexible, convenient, and easy-to-use solution for the open enrollment process. Since the bank’s benefit partner offers a voluntary benefits program, it was important to educate all the employees about the program in the most efficient and effective way possible, without having to meet face-to-face. To ensure as much employee engagement as possible during the open enrollment period, a single platform was needed where the employees could access all the benefits information required, at their convenience. Benefits agents also needed a way to communicate easily and directly with the employees, without becoming overburdened by employee calls.

Benefits Zone’s solution helped the bank increase employee engagement and enrollment in the voluntary benefits program through a convenient, mobile benefits app. The Benefits Zone app, customized to the client’s requirements, included links to voluntary benefit products, brochures, and video resources.

An important feature of Benefits Zone was the text message programming that delivered the benefits app directly to each employee for them to access when it was convenient. These messages also helped keep enrollment top-of-mind with enrollment updates and reminders. Other features of the app included one-click connect  enabling employees to easily access their agent, broker, or HR team, access to a scheduling system to make communication smooth, and direct access to self-enrollment. The solution also provided real-time insights for the lead agent to track employee engagement and interactions with the app.

The entire benefits offering was provided via mobile benefits app, which the employees could access at any time. This flexibility enabled them to educate themselves about the benefits program, and to contact the agents with their questions in their own time. Paired with the text message  reminders, this app reduced the burden on agents, who could focus on engaging with the already interested employees.

Benefits Zone partnered with the client to send important information and updates about the open enrollment and the benefits program to the employees via text messages. Three messages were drafted and sent to the employees over the course of the Open Enrollment period, which lasted from July 17 to July 29. The first, sent at the start of the open enrollment period, was an initial message sharing details about the app. The second, sent a few days later on July 23, was a reminder message, and the last one, sent at the end of the period, was a final reminder to registered end users of the Benefits app. Benefits Zone also worked with the client’s HR team to draft and schedule email communication about the open enrollment program to the employees.

Benefits Zone compiled a list of “hot prospects” based on employee interactions with the mobile benefits app and passed on this list to the case’s lead agent. This gave enrollers an actionable list of employees who were more likely to be interested in benefits, helping them prioritize their outreach efforts.