We’re in our benefits era.

As you might have heard, Travis Kelce finally put a ring on it and Taylor is already hard at work on another album.  

It’s about time we had a new era.  

Just as Swifties are obsessing over Taylor’s new chapter, HR is gearing up for their Annual Enrollment Era. Are you ready for it? 

Here’s what we’re covering in this edition: 

• When HR thinks like a marketer, they see results. 
• Back to school means back to germs—are you stocked up? 
• What does Gen Z really want from their benefits? 

Plus, news you might have missed. 

Let’s dive in. 

We’re in our benefits era   

HR and marketing have a lot more in common that you might realize, like: 

• Obsessing over making someone’s day with a personalized experience 
• Using data and feedback to drive our next big (and small) decisions 
• Figuring out how to keep people coming back for more 

As we head into annual enrollment season, marketing tactics—especially digital ones—will play a big role in helping your employees choose the right benefits for their needs.  

And we’re not just talking medical! Last year, when the benefits enrollment experience was personalized with best-match decision support, our clients saw a 3X lift in voluntary benefit enrollment.  

So, to make the enrollment experience even better, we looked at feedback from over 740,000 employees after they enrolled in their benefits to understand where we can keep making things easier.  

The top ask? Greater access to key information, please!  

And we listened. Last week, we rolled out a more streamlined enrollment experience—and more—to make enrollment and decision making more personalized. 

Hear more from those 740,000 employees on what makes enrolling easier. 

Help your employees shake off and spend, spend, spend those FSA dollars 

(Editor’s note: sing that headline to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off”) 

62% of Gen Zers say that they’re panicked about an unexpected medical expense.  

Millennials, Gen Z, and Boomers aren’t very far behind in feeling that stress, too.  

Those same marketing tactics—personalization, data, engagement—are key to driving success after enrollment, too.  

As we come up against the end of the year, your employees with FSAs are nearing the deadline to use those funds. You’ve got enough on your plate right now, so we thought we’d share over a short email template you can use to remind your employees to use those funds!  

Here’s an example of an email from a TSwift-themed campaign we designed for one of our clients: 

Subject Line: Don’t lose your FSA dollars! 

Hi <<employee name>>, 

Are you ready for it? As the year winds down, it’s time to shake off your Flexible Spending Accounts balances and spend, spend, spend those remaining funds—or risk losing them!  

Your FSA spending deadline is <<DATE>>.  

A swift reminder: FSA and HSA accounts are tax-advantage accounts designed to help you save money on qualified medical or child-care expenses. HSA funds don’t expire, but FSA dollars do.  

If you have an FSA, here’s what you need to do before <<fund loss date>>: 

1. Check your balance: Log into your account here: <<put the link here>> 
2. Mark your calendar: Time is running out! You must use your funds by <<fund loss date>> or you risk losing those dollars.  
3. Spend, spend, spend: See what’s covered and shop for it on the FSA Store 
4. Submit your claims: Don’t forget to get reimbursed for eligible expenses you paid for out of pocket. Claim submissions are due by <<DATE>>.  

Hot marketing tip: We measure open, read, and click rates for our clients in emails like these. See if your marketing team can help you do the same. Or, better yet, come chat with us!  

There’s a lot more where that template came from. We help clients across all industries and complexities drive more engagement with right message, right time communications.  

A marketing mindset can keep your employees engaged 

Staying nimble with your benefits delivery strategy means leaning into data and feedback. Our clients consistently gather feedback and insights through benefits surveys to keep their benefits administration and tech strategies fresh.  

Barbara Fick, Director of Total Rewards at our client Panasonic, is taking a closer look at how technology can help her team to keep their Gen Z population—and everyone else—engaged with their benefits.  

Here’s how Barbara is doing just that:  

• Short polls asking 1 or 2 questions 
• Looking at her Benefits Insights dashboard regularly 
• Reviewing data and trends from the call center 
• A benefits comms strategy tailored to each demographic in her organization 

“I’m competing with everything else going on in my employees’ lives right now. So we have to go at engagement and communications with simplicity—quick hits.” – Barbara Fick 

Hear more from Barbara at our HR Tech panel! 

Plus, news you might have missed 

What HR should test before annual enrollment 

Is pet insurance worth it?  

How to keep your benefits program modern