An HR Guide for First Time Open Enrollment Employees

Open enrollment (OE) is one of the most important, and most challenging, periods for HR leaders and employees alike. For HR, it’s about scaling support efficiently. For employees, especially first-timers, it’s about understanding coverage, costs, and timelines. Use these HR tips to support a practical, location-flexible framework to optimize both experiences.

What Do First-Time Employees Need to Understand About Open Enrollment?

First-time employees need to understand that open enrollment is a deadline-driven opportunity to choose the right health coverage — and that their decision will apply for the entire plan year.

Each plan offers a different balance between cost and coverage. That includes differences in:

• Premiums: what you pay per paycheck
• Deductibles: what you pay before insurance kicks in
• Network: which doctors and clinics are covered
• Out-of-pocket maximums: the most you’ll pay in a year

Employees should also assess personal factors — like chronic conditions, upcoming surgeries, family coverage needs, or preferred providers. Most importantly, encourage them to ask questions early and use tools like Zoe to compare options side by side based on actual usage.

How Can HR Teams Make Open Enrollment Easier — Without Hiring More People?

HR teams can simplify open enrollment by using technology to reduce repetitive tasks, scale support, and centralize communication.

According to Healthee data:

• 65% of employee questions are repetitive
• Teams using AI-based benefits tools reduce OE-related admin by over 80%

Instead of answering “What’s my deductible?” hundreds of times, HR can redirect employees to an AI-powered assistant like Zoe — which provides 24/7 guidance on coverage, costs, and network options.

Another key step: pre-schedule OE comms. Rather than reactively responding to questions, create a structured communication plan that aligns with each OE milestone (kickoff, plan review, selection deadline).

How Can Employers Reduce Healthcare Costs Without Reducing Coverage?

Employers can cut costs by increasing plan literacy, steering employees toward high-value care, and improving benefit utilization.

When employees understand their benefits, they’re less likely to overspend. That includes choosing in-network providers, comparing procedure costs, and using preventive care and telehealth.

For example, Healthee’s plan comparison and care navigation features helped one employer reduce claims costs by 7% in a single quarter.

And because Healthee works across all 50 states, these savings scale — whether your workforce is in California, Texas, Illinois, or remote nationwide.

What’s the Fastest Way to Improve Open Enrollment for Next Year?

The fastest way to improve OE is to centralize the experience and automate guidance using a digital platform.

Instead of sending employees to multiple systems — PDF guides, insurer portals, HR inboxes — Healthee combines plan selection, provider search, deductible tracking, and cost estimation into a single platform.

This approach helps both first-time employees and tenured staff make smarter, faster decisions — and it frees HR to focus on strategy.

Closing Out Open Enrollment

For HR teams, especially those supporting first-time enrollees, the key to open enrollment communication is clarity, consistency, and smart tools that do the heavy lifting.

When employees feel confident in their choices, they use their benefits more effectively. And when HR isn’t buried in repetitive questions, they can focus on what really drives culture and retention. That’s the kind of OE everyone deserves — and the kind you can deliver.