Guardian (www.guardianlife.com) recently spotlighted enrollment trends identified through a national survey.  The findings indicate that online enrollment has more than doubled in the past five years – from 29% in 2005 to 62% in 2010.  Other key findings included the following:

• Nine in ten workers (91%) surveyed rated their online enrollment experience as “very easy” compared with 78% of those using paper.
• Convenience (89%) and time savings (85%) were cited as the top reasons employees prefer online enrollment.
• It’s not just the Millenials that are driving this preference.  The study found that “employees of all ages found value in a consolidated benefits web portal.”

As a benefits administrator, we agree that online enrollment now qualifies as the “new norm”.  It’s not worth arguing accessibility any longer.  The new world of cheap bandwidth and personal computing, smart phones, tablets and web enabled gaming systems has put the web within reach of most employees.  When it’s still a factor, the accessibility issue can be easily solved when online enrollment is paired with a phone enrollment option.

The benefits of being online are significant.  Eliminating paper from the enrollment process streamlines the enrollment process, reduces enrollment steps for employees, reduces processing burdens on organizations and allows for tighter control over the quality and accuracy of enrollment information.  You can easily argue that all of these elements have positive financial impacts.

If you’re not online, let 2012 be the year you find a reason to make getting there a reality.

Source: “Enrollment and the Web: The New Norm”, Benefits & Behavior 2011: Spotlight on Enrollment Trends, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.