Turning Open Enrollment Into an Advantage: Insights from the Selerix Employee Benefits Survey

Selerix’s findings highlight what many HR professionals already know: employees are confused and overwhelmed. Delayed care, missed deadlines, and increased turnover are all downstream effects of unclear benefits communication.

For HR leaders, this challenge becomes even more pressing during Open Enrollment, when employees are expected to make some of their most important financial and healthcare decisions in a very short window. Without clear, accessible, and timely communication, employees disengage or make rushed decisions, leaving value on the table for both employees and employers.

The new Selerix Employee Benefits Survey makes this clear:

• Benefits satisfaction builds trust, loyalty, and well-being. Employees satisfied with their benefits are five times more likely to stay with their employer and 3.5 times more likely to trust their employer.
  
  
• Personalization multiplies impact. Employees who feel their benefits are personalized are three times more likely to report high satisfaction and confidence in their choices.
  
  
• Understanding gaps and regrets are common. Only three in ten employees say they understand their benefits perfectly, and 35% report regretting their benefits choices after enrollment.
  
  
• Confusion has real-world costs. Lack of clarity and poor communication drive delayed care, stress, and missed work.
  

Open Enrollment is the “moment of truth” where all of these dynamics converge. By applying these insights, HR leaders can transform Open Enrollment from a rushed, confusing period into a well-planned, data-driven communication event that strengthens trust and engagement year-round.

The Opportunity: Personalization and Year-Round Communication
The survey shows that personalization multiplies trust and satisfaction. That’s the heart of the opportunity for HR leaders. Instead of treating Open Enrollment as a one-time event, treat it as the kickoff to a year-long communication cycle.

SwellSpace’s public-facing, mobile-friendly websites give employers the tools to deliver information to employees, dependents, retirees, and candidates — before, during, and after enrollment. The result is a living benefits hub, not a static document.

Open Enrollment: The Moment of Truth
Open Enrollment should be the moment when benefits shine, but for many organizations, it’s a missed opportunity. Only 16% of employees used a decision support tool during enrollment, and almost one in three ignored Open Enrollment messages entirely.

SwellSpace helps organizations make Open Enrollment a success by creating intuitive, branded benefits hubs that are accessible to every audience. Employees can review options early, dependents can understand their choices, retirees can access post-employment coverage resources, and candidates can evaluate benefits before accepting a role. This inclusive approach turns Open Enrollment into an engagement opportunity rather than a compliance headache.

How SwellSpace Bridges the Gap
SwellSpace directly addresses the challenges uncovered in the Selerix survey:

• Public-facing access with no logins: Everyone who influences benefit decisions, employees, family members, retirees, and candidates can access information easily.
  
  
• Centralized HR and benefits information: Everything in one branded, easy-to-navigate hub.
  
  
• Self-service content updates for HR: Content can be updated instantly without relying on IT or marketing teams.
  
  
• Analytics to measure engagement: See what content employees use most to refine communication and improve decision-making.

By combining these features, SwellSpace empowers HR teams to educate employees in advance, simplify choices during elections, and support them after enrollment ends. This is precisely what the Selerix findings call for.

Conclusion

Selerix’s survey is a clear signal: the old way of doing benefits communication is not enough. Open Enrollment is a pivotal moment, but the real impact happens year-round when employees, dependents, retirees, and candidates have consistent, clear access to information.

We applaud Selerix for shedding light on these issues. If you’re ready to act on their insights and give your benefits communication the platform it deserves, consider a SwellSpace demo to see how we can help you reach every audience that matters.