With the social-distancing needs of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers may be wondering what benefits enrollment will look like in 2020. For many employers, virtual enrollment methods are replacing face-to-face meetings. According to a recent employer survey, virtual enrollment is expected to double this year. In this episode, benefits experts Shawn Ferguson and Richard Shaffer provide insights for employers.

Top takeaways 

• Before implementing a virtual enrollment strategy, make sure your organization has an online platform and a plan to engage employees on this platform. [03:45]
• Mandatory group enrollment meetings can be held virtually using a variety of methods. These meetings are important for educating employees about their benefits offering, including additions or changes to coverage. [04:02]
• Employees are more likely to research and learn about their benefits when an active decision-making process is applied. [05:01]
• Present a comprehensive benefits package in a logical order, and make sure employees have a consistent experience in all benefits communications and across platforms. [05:33]
• Employees will have very specific questions this enrollment season, as the pandemic has made workers more worried about their financial fragility. [08:00]
• Virtual tools have seen rapid adoption since the COVID-19 outbreak. Some insurance carriers and brokers have retooled and reinvented benefits communication and enrollment to approximate a face-to-face experience in a virtual ecosystem. [09:03]
• For the average American worker, benefits enrollment and selection is going to be the one of the most significant financial decision they make over the course of the year. [13:21] 

Featured speakers

Shawn Ferguson
Senior Vice President, Voluntary Benefits, Acrisure

Shawn is the SVP of Voluntary Benefits at Acrisure, one of the world's top 10 insurance brokerages and the fastest growing in the world over the past six years. He is responsible for implementing successful voluntary benefits strategies for Acrisure across the U.S. For the past 15 years, Shawn has worked solely in the voluntary benefits and enrollment segments of the industry. He oversaw the voluntary benefits and enrollment division at Alltrust, where he worked closely with brokers and account managers to make voluntary benefits part of the agency’s culture and strategy. Shawn attributes his success to using a carrier-agnostic approach to find the best solutions for each individual client. 

Richard Shaffer
Senior Vice President, Field and Market Development, Colonial Life 

Richard Shaffer is the Senior Vice President of Field and Market Development for Colonial Life. He oversees corporate strategy and planning, business development and the teams leading the company’s enrollment, client management and retention programs. Richard has held various positions throughout his 22 years with the company. Prior to joining the company in 1998, he worked as a family therapist — his knowledge of family dynamics has helped his approach to employee benefits communication and enrollment. Richard holds a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from East Carolina University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from George Mason University.

More resources

How the pandemic is reshaping employee benefits
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How the pandemic has revolutionized benefits – and the workplace
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