Use mobile strategies to engage employees

That’s not to suggest that you throw out all utility when it comes to your mobile strategy. Making benefits claims and saving for retirement aren’t games, and there are account-related tasks (e.g., checking plan balances, viewing recent contributions) and transactions of convenience and value that members using mobile technology can benefit from greatly. But we may need something more than a balance update function to engage plan members.

There’s something else that Angry Birds can teach us, and that’s the value of simplicity. Things that are easy to use and understand—or that simplify an otherwise complex process—can be engaging for that reason alone. Apple has become the largest company in the world due, in part, to the simplicity of its products. If you keep the ideas of simple and fun as part of your mobile strategy, the goal of increased plan member engagement becomes much more attainable.

Developing a mobile strategy
From a simplicity standpoint, a provider that offers both group benefits and group retirement services should offer a single app or mobile website that covers both areas. For group benefits plans, specifically, transactional depth and ease is a huge focus in terms of mobile strategy, as most plan members will be submitting claims on a regular basis. Some providers have developed apps that let members submit claims for health and dental expenses from their phone or tablet, with instant adjudication. The simplicity and convenience of the process—as well as the immediate gratification—provide a much greater connection to the plan.

As plan sponsors look for innovative ways to manage rising drug costs, they are turning to new plan types, such as evidence-based drug plans with tiered levels of reimbursement. These plans encourage plan members to choose both cost- and clinically effective drugs that offer a higher level of reimbursement than equally effective but more expensive drugs. As a result, there will be a much greater focus on the need to educate and inform plan members about their drug choices. This is a huge opportunity for mobile applications, as members can discuss drug options with their doctor with up-to-date coverage information right at hand.

Mobile applications and websites can also be used to support employer-sponsored wellness programs—from recording health statistics, to tracking fitness goals, to monitoring an individual’s weight-loss progress.

For group pension and savings plans, wireless enrollment is one opportunity. Using a specialized app or mobilized website on a tablet device, new plan members can enrol immediately, as they’re being introduced to the plan. There are no forms to take home—or to forget to send in—and providers offering this functionality have seen significantly higher enrollment rates and a high level of initial engagement that plan sponsors can leverage and build on.

There’s also a lot of work being done on mobile-optimized websites. The objective is to give plan members mobile access to key features of a provider’s primary site, including education, retirement planning and transaction management tools. Interactive benefits statements are also an area of focus.

As transactional features on apps and mobile websites become the norm, the greater engagement that we’re all looking for will come from embedding “teachable moments” in innovative applications. This type of application—which focuses on education and financial or health literacy—is the sweet spot for mobile technology.

For example, Putnam Investments in the U.S. recently developed an iPhone app (Putnam PriceCheck&Save) to turn impulse spending into impulse saving. The app uses the phone’s camera to scan product bar codes and compare prices, and then it shows how the potential savings on these everyday products could increase future retirement income if they were invested in a plan instead.

While savings and benefits applications and mobile websites may never achieve the status of Angry Birds, plan sponsors need to remember that the ideas that engage members often lie just outside of the bounds of convention.

Whether for information, education or transactions, the most successful mobile applications are those that twist conventional thinking and combine fun, simplicity and usefulness. The challenge is to take these concepts, tweak them to suit our industry and then use them to make member engagement come to life.

Five tips to bring your mobile strategy to life

1. Assess the need
Creating an app can be a lot of work and expense. Before you jump on the app bandwagon, make sure you’re offering a solution that truly enhances the connection between you and your plan members and helps to differentiate you in the marketplace.

2. Focus on the user-on-the-go
Don’t just replicate all of your Web offerings. Identify key functions that benefit plan members who use a smart phone and that can be completed in minutes.

3. Recognize that your game plan will change
The mobile landscape is evolving quickly, and it’s impossible to plan for all eventu-alities. Be aware of technology trends, and build in enough flexibility to accommodate new operating systems and devices.

4. Test at every stage
Make sure you get the right feedback, from concept to functionality. Building an app involves collaboration across multiple teams in your company. Channel their expertise and listen to their advice.

5. Make it fun
Can you make saving for retirement entertaining for a twentysomething plan member? Of course you can! Consider adding tools and widgets unique to your mobile offering that teach in an engaging way.

Nadia Darwish is vice-president, client relationships and business development, with Sun Life Financial. nadia.darwish@sunlife.com

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