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Hiring skilled claims professionals in the UK right now is proving a challenge for many businesses. Whether the main cause of this is a talent shortage, increased demand, shifting candidate expectations, or something else altogether, it's clear that companies need to take extra steps in 2024 to stand out from their competitors in the fight for top insurance and claims talent.
"But what should we be doing?" you ask.
According to LinkedIn, the key things to consider as you look to establish your employer brand from others in the market are offering higher salaries and flexible working.
Not much of a surprise there!
I asked my network of claims candidates what is most important to them when looking for a new claims job. The results were resounding:
42% value a higher salary
32% want the option to work from home
13% are lured by better benefits
13% relish further training and development opportunities
Breaking it down
It was expected that higher salary would top the list, particularly amid the current economic climate where it might translate into people having better financial stability, security and overall peace of mind.
A competitive salary can also foster feelings of job satisfaction, while ensuring that employees are compensated fairly for their skills, experience and expertise.
"...those businesses backtracking on their flexible working policies and requiring employees to return to the office full time may struggle to find candidates in today's market..."
Perhaps a hangover from Covid, people still crave flexible working and the choice to work from home for a proportion of the traditional five-day week. Now, more than ever, people want to hold on to a better work-life balance, spend less time commuting, and enjoy a greater sense of autonomy, all while boosting their mental health and well-being.
This signifies that those businesses backtracking on their flexible working policies and requiring employees to return to the office full time may struggle to find candidates in today's market. Something that is particularly true in the claims world where the job can very adequately be completed remotely.
Overall, a good mix of workplace benefits is vital to appeal to claims professionals. A variety of benefits appeals to a variety of individuals and staff who are satisfied with their remuneration contribute towards improving productivity and the overall company culture, whilst at the same time encouraging people to meet their goals and strive towards commercial success.
Training is, of course, vital because it represents a core opportunity for employees to grow their knowledge base and improve their job skills to become more effective in the workplace. Despite the cost of training for employees, the return on investment is immense if it is consistent.
How to optimise your hiring process for claims jobs
Implementing effective recruitment strategies and practices can help you to save vital resources such as time and money, all while sourcing the best talent out there. Ways to do this include:
Defining your employer brand
It’s important to invest the time in finessing your employer brand, which spans your reputation as a place to work, as well as your overall employee value proposition. That’s because there’s often fierce competition to attract claims talent between your business and its competitors so doing so will help you come out on top.
Indeed, if your organisation has a good reputation, it will require less effort from your part to find those all-important new hires. If they believe you offer a great place to work, they will clamour to become a part of your team.
Harnessing social media
Don’t make the mistake of overlooking what is possibly the most effective communication channel between you and your prospective employees. LinkedIn is a great place to share your live vacancies, as well as your company’s professional achievements and milestones, but don’t forget about Instagram and X. They are the perfect place to show that your business has a vibrant culture and bold personality.
Improving the interview experience
You should take steps to tailor your interview process to suit a candidate’s individual needs so that you can find out as much about them as possible in the allotted time. Indeed, if an interview is too short, you might hire a candidate that is not a very good fit for your company.
On the other hand, you risk losing candidates during an interview process that is cumbersome and makes people feel like they’re jumping through unnecessary hoops
Also take into account the importance of communication with your candidates. Keep them up to date as their own recruitment journey with you unfolds. Be sure to provide feedback promptly and ask for their opinion of your approach to hiring.
The five skills to watch out for when hiring claims professionals
Adept at Problem-solving
At the heart of many claims positions is a problem that needs to be solved quickly and effectively. They might include meeting a customers’ requirements and adapting to their needs, building trust and finding ways to regularly meet challenging targets, increase lead generation or meet quotas. Candidates need to be able to define the problem and break it down into smaller, actionable parts before overcoming the issues in hand.
Good at Communication
Candidates for claims jobs will likely spend a large percentage of their time communicating with people. They might communicate verbally - in person, over the phone or via video call - or in writing through emails. This is why it’s important for people to represent themselves in a good light, by being eloquent, amenable and well turned out.
Body language is also an important aspect of communication, so maintaining eye contact and having good posture can go a long way towards coming across as confident and relatable.
Aptitude for relationship building
Claims professionals need to have the ability to gather as much information as possible about their customers’ needs. To achieve this, they need to be able to honestly and convincingly explain what their product or service does and how it can add value.
They also need to take the time to ask people the right questions as this displays empathy, which in turn helps to build genuine rapport. It also helps to ascertain any negative emotions a customer might be feeling, paving the way for a positive overall outcome.
Strong business and compliance ethics
Claims managers should be aware of the business ethics and compliance issues that have the capacity to affect a company’s reputation among its customers. People working in this area should possess strong ethics, be able to adhere to company policies and understand how unethical choices can lead to negative consequences, such as legal issues or damaged relationships. Making positive choices can mitigate the risk of these issues arising, leading to positive commercial outcomes.
Customer service know-how
Claims employees form a direct connection between customers and a company. This is why implementing essential customer service can improve relationships with customers, in turn boosting a business’s external reputation and ensuring people come back time after time.
Claims handlers need to be able to interact frequently with customers while understanding what the query is, knowing how to resolve it and proactively looking for ways to further enhance satisfaction.
Three key ways to appeal to Claims candidates
Craft a compelling job ad
Candidates are looking for roles that are highly rewarding and they want lucrative opportunities to do meaningful work, with a measure of autonomy in how they do their jobs. A job ad provides the first opportunity to communicate to candidates that your role will meet all these needs, complete with a salary to match it. Your job ad should give candidates the information they want, so be sure to detail all the responsibilities the person will shoulder and to what extent.
Highlight rewards and benefits
Be sure to articulate additional perks or benefits associated with the role, such as flexible working, travel expenses, childcare vouchers, healthcare, etc. Many of the skills for these roles are transferable, so emphasise how the job can help professionals advance their careers in any direction.
Offer training
Successful claims teams need development support which is why it's important for companies to invest in them. Make clear to candidates how your organisation trains its people.
A good training program should ideally cover the role, the organisation’s overall business objectives and processes with scope for acquiring new skills. Claims teams need to know the business like the back of their own hand so they can answer any queries potential customers may ask.
Be sure to offer this sort of comprehensive professional development to your existing employees and promote it as part of your employer branding when looking for new recruits.
If you're looking for talented claims candidates to add to your claims team, get in touch today.
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