Mr. Neale and others spoke on "The Future of an Adjuster" at the Workers' Compensation Educational Conference produced by the Florida Workers' Compensation Institute in partnership with National Underwriter Company and New York-based Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc.

Grover Davis, president and chief executive officer of Crawford and Company, the Atlanta independent adjuster firm, said part of the reason for turnover is that hiring is done "for convenience, not expertise."

The high turnover rate, which sees many adjusters working for four employers in the space of four years, will not decrease "until we change the selection process," he forecast.

Nancy Brennan, director of product development for The Hartford Specialty Risk Services in Hartford, Conn., said that some of the job changing that goes on may be due to the fact that recent college graduates today are not looking for a long-term employment relationship.

A "generational" factor may be at work, she said.

Mr. Neale said it was a struggle to retain good performing adjusters and noted that, "now the vast majority we hire are experienced ones who jump from company to company."

Mr. Neale said that, in the long run, the industry's difficulty in rewarding good adjusters with higher pay is shortsighted because of the steep costs involved in hiring and training replacements to fill vacancies.

Mr. Davis noted a cost of $5,000 to $10,000 for the acquisition of new adjusters.

The panelists also discussed the factors involved in being a good adjuster, mentioning good people skills, compassion, technological usage, time management abilities, good legal knowledge, negotiation skills, and a strong sense of ethics.