There are certain immutable commonalities that unite people theworld over. One is our reverence and childlike glee for Olympichopefuls and superheroes alike—long after the flame has beenextinguished and Hollywood has exhausted a seemingly endlessbarrage of sequels predicated on graphic novels.

Part of the universal appeal of these modern-day and fictional“heroes” is their capacity for decisive action and excellence. Thecommonalities between Olympians and superheroes begin to dissipatewhen you examine their circumstances, motivations, and results.That is, of course, to say nothing of their dramaticintrinsic differences.

Dedication To Excellence

The Olympic Games are great because the nations of the worldgather to compete as equals. What sets the medalists apart from thedefeated is grace and precision under pressure. By contrast,superheroes may possess incredible strengths and attributes becauseof dumb luck or overcoming adversity.

Like Olympic athletes, real-life Joes and Janes (those non-eliteathletes among us) are capable of excellence and astounding featswhen competing for professional supremacy. This plays out in theclaims realm when independent adjusters (IAs) must vie for work.Thriving in a feast-or-famine environment requires that IAs betenacious and resourceful in availing themselves of all possible(formal and hands-on) learning opportunities.

An Educational Arsenal

The demanding job of an IA often does not carry with it thepromise of income or benefits. While a profession marred inuncertainty is not for everyone, it does offer avenues for personaland professional development. Both insurance carrier andindependent adjusters must contend with emotional stress andvolatility, emerging legal exposures, time management, and complexcases that can play out in surprising ways.

In operating their own businesses, IAs must provide prompt,satisfactory service to meet the expectations of their customers.Supplementing a carrier's customary adjusting staff, individual IAsand IA firms must keep fees must be reasonable, their work exact,all in the face of the rising cost of doing business.

Garnering jobs requires that IAs set themselves apart from thecompetition. How? By demonstrating a wide breadth of knowledge andtraining through completing coursework and attaining variousdesignations and certifications. Showing a commitment to theindustry and staying abreast of trends and best practices enablesIAs to move up on the list of candidates when it comes time fordeployment in catastrophes and other situations.

An IA may jumpstart his or her claims career at an insurancecarrier that provides regimented on-the-job training, including aprimer on various nuances and lines of coverage. This arrangementis not solely advantageous for the “free agents” among us.

“Employers that either require or encourage specialty trainingor industry certifications will gain confidence in utilizingcompetent adjusters, who in turn are capable of executing accurateassessments based on hard facts,” explains Ryan Holdhusen, vicepresident of Haag Education, LLC.

Certifiable Prowess

Simply put, embracing—and consequently touting—training acquiredduring the course of one's claims career enables the adjuster tomarket him- or herself as a seasoned, well-rounded professional.The proof is also in the pudding, so to speak. Having cultivated anacute understanding of the fundamentals—a natural byproduct fromthe right combination of education and training—an adjuster canoperate confidently when handling an unusual claim.

“Dealing with conflicts or differences of opinion can also bemore efficient with an adjuster who maintains certifications,”Holdhusen says. The credibility that established certificationsbring benefit the overall credibility of the adjuster's findingsand skills.”

For example, claims managers report feeling more confident inhiring decisions when a given candidate has pursued and attainedcertifications and therefore seems more “serious” about his or hercareer path.

Tailored Training

Aside from mastery of claims fundamentals and the business as awhole, Holdhusen emphasizes the importance of specialized trainingin maintaining a competitive advantage.

“Haag has provided specialized training to the insuranceindustry for the last 20+ years,” he says. “Since rolling our HaagCertified Roof Inspector (HCRI) program in 2007, we have seen ashift in the makeup of our students, from a majority of companyadjusters to a majority of independent adjusters.”

Holdhusen believes this shift has occurred because of tworeasons:

1. Competition. In these hardeconomic times, when there has not been plentiful storm work forall, IAs are competing with their colleagues for storm work.Certainly a number of factors are considered when a company deploysadjusters to storm duty. Quality training and certifications willgive you an edge when being considered for deployment.

2. Many large insurers now are reaping thebenefits of having adjusters with advanced claims handlingor damage assessment training because of claims beingadjusted with the added accuracy, competence, and confidenceprofessional certifications offer.

“Therefore, some insurers are now requiring Haag certification(among others), as well as other specialized training beforeallowing an independent adjuster to adjust claims on behalf of thatinsurer,” Holdhusen adds.

Mary Anne Medina, an instructor, trainer and consultant at ValeTraining Solutions, has observed similar shifts in requirements andthe most sought-after training mechanisms.

“There has been a marked increase at Vale in the number ofrequests for 'tailored' or 'specifically designed' training,” sheexplains. “Companies are recognizing a need to either broaden theirclient base by offering more in the way of services, such as thosethat were primarily property adjusting companies now training theiremployees to handle casualty and liability claims. “They are finding new client companies andtraining their adjusters to be equipped with the skills, knowledge,and tools to handle the new job demands and a change in the typesof claims that they have primarily handled in the past.”

“We have even had a request from a TPA to educate and train itsemployees to handle specific clients and specific client needs, forexample claims more specific to grocery store chains, retailmarkets, the auto manufacturing industry, and others,” Medinacontinues. “This recognition by companies and employers of the needto train their adjusters and claims handlers stems from varioussources and perspectives.

“One is that the independents face an enormous amount ofcompetition and they realize the need to give the best service andbest product available for client retention and developing newbusiness. It has also been rapidly tracked in numbers that theproper training of adjusters and claims handlers greatly decreasesthe numbers of claims that ultimately end up in litigation, and aswe all know non-litigated claims reduces the cost to the industrysignificantly.”

Shifting Priorities

Medina also says the trend of adopting more robust educationprograms speaks to a marked shift in strategy.

“With the changes in the economy and companies that have had toreduce costs, unfortunately training became one of the areas mostoften cut from the budget,” she says. “[At Vale] we are beginningto see companies return to an emphasis on training. Many companiesare utilizing college graduates for openings in the adjuster andclaims handling areas because of the fact that they have the 'techsavvy' skills and abilities. However, many [nonetheless] need theclaims, policy and estimating training the job requires.”

Another area of growth, Medina says, is in the mentoringprograms that companies are structuring to build a strongeradjuster base, relying on those skills and years of experience fromwithin their company or organization.

“These mentoring programs have gained a renewed interest,” shesays.

A designation such as the associate in claims (AIC) is stillregarded as a powerful tool that puts the credentialed claimsprofessional ahead of others in the competition for the next greatopportunity, as it teaches:

• How to reduce cycle time and costs
• How to bolster customer satisfaction and retention.
• How to avoid litigation.

According to Donna J. Popow, senior director of knowledgeresources and ethics counsel, The Institutes, completing an AICprogram can also “provide a leg-up on other designations, such asthe Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).”

“Since there are multiple ways to complete the AIC designation,you can take CPCU courses that will count toward both the AIC andCPCU designations,” Popow explains. “Additionally, the courses inthe AIC program are qualified for continuing education (CE) creditby all states with CE requirements for adjusters, except Idaho,Iowa, and Massachusetts.”

It is evident that education and training will remain a toppriority for claims professionals, in light of emergingcatastrophes, competition and strict standards and regulationsimposed on all adjusters.

“Like it or not, we are a credential-oriented society,” explainsKevin Quinley, CPCU, AIC, ARM, principal of Quinley RiskAssociates, LLC. ”A jumble of initials after one'sname does not guarantee competence, but not havingthem does not inspire confidence, either. It's important toconsider continuing education as the independent adjuster's R&Dbudget. What can management teams do to weave continuing educationinto the culture of independent adjusting firms?”

Here, Quinley shares seven tips for building a claimsculture of continuing education:

1. Bake it into performancereviews. Make continuing education one component of annualemployee appraisals. Management gurus from Peter Drucker to TomPeters have said, “That which gets measured gets done.” Therefore,if you want it to get done, then you must measure it.

2. Coach it up. Makecontinuing education a periodic “coaching topic/opportunity” withreports. Repetition, repetition, rep .. Well, you get theidea.

3. Elevate achievers andmake a positive example of them. Publicly recognize and praisethose who pursue and complete continuing education.

4. Show the dough. Enactcorporate monetary rewards/incentives for CE program completion.Money is still a nice carrot, as is footing the bill for theemployee and his or her spouse to attend annual conferment eventsand conventions.

5. Calibrate workloads tomake education pursuit realistic. An adjuster struggling with 250“heavy” files will not have the time, energy, or inclination totake an AIC or CPCU course. Be sure to monitor caseloads. Keep themreasonable. Allow adjusters time off to take classes, courses, tostudy and to sit for exams. Additionally, encourage the claimsstaff to take advantage of company programs that support continuingeducation. Provide reasonable time and reimbursement support for CEpursuits. Periodically remind employees of the benefits and of waysin which the company supports the effort to build their subjectmatter knowledge.

6. Make it convenient.Offer CE classes or briefing sessions in-house, on company time.Enlist someone to lead an AIC or SCLA class in a conference roomonce a week. Be prepared to bring in an outside facilitator if noone in-house can fill the role. Schedule “lunch and learn” brownbag sessions about claims topics. This could entail inviting localdefense attorneys, physicians, rehab specialists, fireinvestigators, and other experts. Provide space and time withinyour office suite for ongoing claims training andeducation.

7. Lead by example. Beinvolved in CE as a “boss” and make sure your reports know that youvalue the activity. Nothing beats leadership by example. Do youthink that because of your title or nice office, continuingeducation was something that you checked off the list? If youbelieve it is an “early career” activity—but not something youwould bother with at this stage—then think again!

Even the “boss” can roll up those sleeves and dust off thetextbooks! When the claims staff sees that the top managers pursuecontinuing education, they will put stock in the time investment.It sends a powerful message that, “Our culture here involvescontinuous learning, regardless of your job title.”