CASE STUDY

Community Bank nearly doubles benefits delivered to employees with Benefits Zone

Small community bank in the Southwest United States.

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$5,333

NEW PREMIUM WRITTEN

68%

YEAR-OVER-YEAR PREMIUM GROWTH

$95.23

NEW PREMIUM/EMPLOYEE

Client

The client was a small community bank with 6 locations in the Southwest United States. Although a smaller case with only 56 employees, it had a short enrollment window. Because employees had to act fast to enroll in benefits, it was critical to connect them with benefits regardless of location. One of the company’s benefits partners for voluntary benefits is America’s largest provider of supplemental insurance benefits. They help employees get cash benefits in the event of an accident or illness. 

Client

The client was a small community bank with 6 locations in the Southwest United States. Although a smaller case with only 56 employees, it had a short enrollment window. Because employees had to act fast to enroll in benefits, it was critical to connect them with benefits regardless of location. One of the company’s benefits partners for voluntary benefits is America’s largest provider of supplemental insurance benefits. They help employees get cash benefits in the event of an accident or illness. 

Challenge

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.

Challenge

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.

Solution

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.

Solution

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.

““This was a great education piece before the enrollment and to share for new hires. I would use it again for future cases.””

LEAD AGENT

Approach

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.

Approach

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.

The benefits app is built based on our core pillars

All these core pillars focus on flexibility and ease of use, making it easier for employees to understand the importance of a benefits program and contact their assigned agent with any questions. This made outreach efforts easier, too, since the agents could easily direct employees to any information they want on the app, allowing the agents to focus on writing policies for more employees.

Access

Employees are given access to the full benefits offering. This includes policy information, tools, and the direct contact information of brokers and administrators.

Education

The app ensures that resources, benefits information, brochures, and easy access to enrollment are all available at the employees’ fingertips.

Communication

Employees receive direct communications with reminders for important deadlines, and enrollment milestones via automated SMS messages.

Enrollment & Beyond

The app’s one-touch access policy and downloadable claims forms allow employees to easily access all the data they require, even after the Open Enrollment period.

“This was a great education piece before the enrollment and to share for new hires. I would use it again for future cases.”

LEAD AGENT

Result

With multiple locations covering  two states, scheduling and managing in-person meetings was challenging. Combined with a short open enrollment window, agents needed to connect employees with their benefits quickly. Because of this, an app to support open enrollment, engage with employees, and educate them about the benefits available to them was highly beneficial. The Benefits Zone app allowed employees to schedule a meeting to enroll for benefits from anywhere and at any time. The employees could connect directly with their benefits advisor through the contact information on the app instead of directing their questions through HR, which reduced the burden on the HR team and made communication between the agents and the employees more direct.

Without Benefits Zone in 2020, the company provided approximately $7,839 of supplemental insurance per employee*. With Benefits Zone in 2021, it jumped up to over $13,172 per employee, nearly doubling the amount of benefits provided.

*Per employee figures calculated by total annual premium sold by the voluntary benefit partner divided by number of employees.

$5,333

NEW PREMIUM WRITTEN

68%

YEAR-OVER-YEAR PREMIUM GROWTH

$95.23

NEW PREMIUM / EMPLOYEE

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Learn how the Benefits Zone platform will increase employee participation, engagement, and streamline the benefits education and enrollment process.

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