While donning cowboy hats, boots, and bandanas, and ringing cow bells and playing country music on boom boxes, managers walked through Benefitfocus® offices “rounding up” volunteers to provide support services during an upcoming Open Enrollment period.
Business Objectives Met
Benefitfocus (www.benefitfocus.com), a Charleston, South Carolina-based company that is the largest healthcare benefits software provider in the United States, has nearly 100 associates in its Client Services area.
In anticipation of a spike in calls during Open Enrollment for a large employer client, the company wanted to have more associates available to answer phone calls, says Annmarie Fini, senior vice president of Benefitfocus’ Employer Division. “We weren’t really sure how many calls we were going to get.”
President and CEO Shawn Jenkins sent a “vlog” (video blog) to associates describing the Open Enrollment and why it was important for them to volunteer. Fini followed with a vlog encouraging their participation.
Managers came up with a “Renewal Rodeo” theme for the initiative and stuck with the theme throughout the 4-week enrollment period, Fini says. “They really had a good time with it.”
Employees arrived at work during the first few days of Open Enrollment to see hay bales and cowboy hats at company entrances. Hay was scattered up the stairs, and associates wore rodeo attire and “Renewal Rodeo” signs hung throughout headquarters. The company offered several rodeo-themed contests to generate excitement for the initiative and provided perks for their involvement.
For example, associates were encouraged to dress as cowboys and cowgirls on the first day of Open Enrollment. Those who did dress in costume had their picture taken and posted on an internal website, and associates wearing the best costumes were awarded iTunes®, Barnes & Noble, and restaurant gift certificates, Fini says.
The company also hosted rodeo-themed trivia contests via e-mail, asking questions such as “What does PBR stand for?” The first associate to e-mail back the correct answer (professional bull rider, in this case) won a prize such as movie tickets.
Over the course of several weeks, associates were treated to breakfast biscuits from Chick-fil-A®, pigs-in-a-blanket snacks, and a barbeque lunch on “the most beautiful day we could have ever imagined,” she says. The sales team cooked up pork and beans, hot dogs, and hamburgers while some brave associates entertained the crowd by riding a mechanical bull.
Ninety associates from across the organization volunteered to help provide support services, including an executive assistant, engineers, and managers, Fini says. They signed up for 2-hour shifts on an employee portal to field “overflow” calls to the Client Services staff.
Benefitfocus provided an hour-long training session and role-playing to get associates comfortable with the types of questions they might be asked, Fini says. In addition, they had access to a variety of online resources, including frequently asked questions and where to redirect callers who needed more information.
By the first day of Open Enrollment, Benefitfocus was prepared for the anticipated influx of calls. “You could feel the energy going around the area. It was really fun,” she says.
The company received 3,000 phone calls on the first day of Open Enrollment and online inquiries from 25,000 people, Fini says. “It was pretty busy.” Some of the associates who had volunteered to help answer overflow phone calls were able to take the calls without leaving their desks, because the company routed the calls directly to them, according to Fini.
Not only was Benefitfocus able to nearly double its capacity to answer phone calls, but also the experience gave associates a better understanding of how the technology works and a better appreciation for other departments, she says, adding that engineers, in particular, enjoyed the opportunity to talk directly with the people who use their software. The initiative also served as “a great team-building event.”
Keys to Success
Employers who want to rally their employees around a new initiative should make sure that employees have the necessary training and resources to help them succeed. Fini offers some additional advice:
- Encourage creativity. Let people be creative and share their ideas for the initiative, says Fini. That will help gain their buy-in.
- Make it fun. “If you make it enjoyable, they’re much more engaged in what they’re doing,” she says.
- Provide recognition. “Everyone likes to be recognized” for participation and contributions, she says. Consider offering incentives and prizes or even certificates of participation.