Creating a game plan for new adjusters

“He’s young and talented so we don’t want to rush him. We love his potential. The plan is to get him a few at-bats here and there to get his feet wet. Having a seat between two veterans in our clubhouse will allow him to absorb as much as possible. We’ll ease him into working with our coaches in practice. We have invested a lot and hope he can become a productive member of our team for years to come.”

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Training your talent

Whether you’re a manager in baseball or in the claims world, is the plan for your prized rookie that much different?

The goal for claim supervisors is to create a plan to ease their new pupil into Claim Handling 101. The typical ingredients might be standard work training, shadowing fellow colleagues and a supplement of a few minor claims for experience in the first several months.

Ideally, a manager wants to dedicate a block of time to ensure new adjusters receive the guidance they need. Depending on the carrier, new hires may receive a week of training to help them learn about the company. It’s the perfect plan until “life” happens.

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Working in reality

In baseball, a key injury may force a rookie into the starting lineup. In claims, an unpredictable weather event may force all hands-on deck. An unexpected two weeks’ notice from a teammate or even a complaint call that sets off alarms with upper management can lead to questions of why there’s a new adjuster at the desk while an aged pending file sits unassigned. Regardless, the result is the immediate need for a warm body to assume an inventory whether ready or not. The well thought out introduction is out the window.

If it were only as easy as bringing in an experienced adjuster, which is much rarer today than in years past given the trajectory of the industry. The veteran hire receives a briefing of the claims system and a wheelbarrow full of transfers dumped on his or her virtual desk. Management hopes that the individual’s prior knowledge boasted about during the interview will help the adjuster through the day-to-realities.

Unfortunately, many carriers do not have the luxury (and a full staff in place) to initiate a new adjuster gradually into the company. It can be difficult to predict when current workers may leave, and it takes time to hire the right candidate to replace those who have left. The burden can mount on the team’s current staff who are overwhelmed with a resulting drop in morale.

So, what happens when the perfect training plan is derailed?

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On-boarding new hires

Supervisors should be careful not to bury new workers with files for which they are not ready. Working alongside them on a more complex case, or assigning a mentor, can help. Despite a busy schedule, unit managers should make time to check in periodically. Sometimes they are afraid to ask questions, so prodding may be necessary.

If the employee is a part of a group of hires, that is a big advantage. Testing their newfound knowledge with each other or forming study groups to pass licensing exams is beneficial. Being in the same boat gives them the support and guidance needed to grow on the job.

Continuing education is also extremely important. The struggle exists for carriers to send adjusters to conferences and training as coverage is needed on the floor. You can’t send the whole unit but make sure the less seasoned adjusters can take advantage of these opportunities (especially given the low cost to attend for claims professionals). While advanced training on coverage or litigation matters helps, sometimes we forget that basic refreshers such as customer service practices or business letter writing can really be beneficial.

Whether the initial training plan is right on track or suddenly goes awry, it is essential to be mindful of the time and money invested in these employees. Getting them off to a good start by nurturing and developing them is key. A strong foundation can make them valuable players when your company is in need of a pinch-hit homerun on a complex transfer file.

Chris Casaleggio (ccasaleggio@h2m.com) is a former liability claims adjuster and currently serves as department manager of forensics/insurance for H2M architects + engineers.