By Jordan Quigley, North American Vice President, Administrative and Customer Support Group, Robert HalfHas your turnover been ticking up while job applications slip down? It could be a result of your benefits package. When we ask our clients what they’re doing differently to attract and keep talent today, many tell us that benefits — once a relatively simple employer function — have become a critical and competitive employee engagement opportunity.Luckily, open enrollment season is almost here, along with opportunities to adjust your health and wellness offerings, roll out new perks and communicate to employees what makes your company a great place to work.So now, as predictably as pumpkin spice flavors appear on retail shelves, open enrollment tasks are landing on the desks of your HR team. In addition to reviewing health benefits, this is also the time of year when HR and benefits specialists will be absorbed in reviewing the entire benefits strategy and exploring the marketplace of new products.The season is short, HR workloads are peaking, and companies have never been more pressured to get it right. Have you considered giving your team a helping hand? Or several? You certainly won’t be alone. According to Robert Half research, 78% of HR hiring managers surveyed plan to bring on professionals to help with workloads related to open enrollment.
Open enrollment is a great time to leverage contract HR and administrative talent in your business — for the season or any reason. And because the whole arena of benefits and perks has become so crowded and complex, outsourcing some (or all) of your benefits tasks can bring results that set you apart and elevate your employer brand. Here’s why:1. Employees value benefits more than ever, and they make choices accordingly. Company-provided health insurance is still the benefit U.S. workers want most, but they also expect a wider range of additional well-being services via their employers, such as mental health support, fitness programs and financial wellness offerings. The company that can beat another on benefits often has an edge when hiring skilled talent.2. Employees want and need more choice. Today’s workers want to select from a benefits menu that fits their age and stage of life, whether they’re beginning their careers, starting a family or nearing retirement. Being thorough can pay off.3. Benefits offerings have never been richer and more multifaceted. Today, your HR team is likely to be developing benefits packages for people working remotely across states and different countries with varying laws. At the same time, new perks and benefits are proliferating, like pet insurance, telemedicine, and targeted health improvement programs for diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions and cancer. Meanwhile, providers are bringing many digital tools to the market — like apps, trackers and self-service portals to add value to their products. These trends compound the already-complicated process of choosing a comprehensive benefits strategy for the company.4. Benefits programs today should be explicitly designed and updated to be customizable to employees. A great way to make sure that happens is to use established metrics to reveal groups of employees who might be erroneously overlooked or excluded because of benefits affordability, accessibility, or ability to meet their physical, mental, and emotional well-being needs. A contract professional skilled in data analysis can step in to help provide this type of assessment for you.12 Employee Benefits and Perks for Your Hiring and Retention PlanAmong the most commonly outsourced roles for open enrollment season are:Compensation and benefits administratorsCustomer support specialistsData entry specialistsEnrollment specialistsHR assistants, generalists and recruitersMember services specialists
By leveraging contract talent to support your open enrollment tasks, you’ll be better positioned to:Get more value for your budgetCustomize your benefits cost-effectivelySee increased uptake of benefits from your employeesEnsure more effective benefits communication with employeesMake data-driven decisionsEnsure all your employees are being served inclusively and equitablyA little preparation can go a long way if your organization is burdened by too much work or too few workers. Apply the strategy above to find the best seasonal employees who can provide extra support when there is a temporary increase in work — and take the load off you and the rest of your team.Follow Jordan Quigley on LinkedIn.
