During open enrollment there is no substitute for the power of getting employees together to share information about benefits. Health benefits, in particular, have become costlier and more complex. With all that is at stake for employers and employees, it is critical that the information be communicated in the clearest manner possible.

Preparing the benefit message to be delivered in a group setting and question and answer session is quite different from preparing written materials to be sent in open enrollment packets. Experts say that you should prepare for an oral benefits presentation by anticipating some of the questions and concerns that the audience will have. You should also prepare techniques to keep the presentation interactive, and consider the follow-up.

Before you address any group, determine the issues that are of most concern to them so you can address their needs. It’s important, too, to provide enough background so that employees understand why any changes are being made, and how services can be enhanced because of the changes.

M.J. Burg, vice president of product innovation for Cigna Healthcare in Chicago recommends beginning with a broad overview of what is about to be changed, a description of what’s new, some comparisons, how employees will be affected, whether other benefits will be impacted, and ultimately, what you want employees to do.

HR practitioners and consultants specializing in presentations offer these tips:

• Watch the clock: schedule meetings for about 30 to 40 minutes of presentation and 20 to 30 minutes of questions and answers. Also, consider breaking the presentation up into 15-minute segments of lecture followed by interactive activity or group discussion.
• Work in a team: alternate with a partner who can take notes for follow-up while the other is speaking.
• Hold off on the handouts: handouts take the audience’s minds off the presentation and they will try to read ahead. Yet, if the handouts are distributed strategically during discussion breaks, they can stimulate discussion.
• Think ahead about Q&As: one technique is to try to elicit questions before the presentation begins to help you incorporate the group’s needs into your talk. You should also capture all the questions that are asked for review and later incorporation.
Another tip from the experts is to practice the presentation in front of employee test groups. Also, holding separate sessions for separate groups is a good idea to keep the message as simple and as relevant as possible for those who attend each presentation. Finally, enable supervisors and managers to carry critical benefits messages back to their groups. How supervisors react to changes can have a big impact on how the average employee is going to accept the information.