As job beginnings go, mine was inauspicious. Fresh from a five-week adjuster boot camp in Atlanta, I reported for duty on a Monday morning to my newly assigned claims office in Virginia.

I was eager and wet behind the ears. The branch office had no spare desks, though, so the claims manager showed me to my quarters …back in the “dead file” storage room. At the time, I was too green to mind. As adjusters wandered back to fetch supplies or retrieve closed files, they acted startled to see me on the phone, taking recorded statements, or reading manuals. Eventually, staff turnover reared its head, and I moved to a workstation in an office. Boy, was I moving up in the world!

Now I'm not throwing bricks at my career-starter alma mater, though. They were kind enough to hire a useless political science major. (Try swinging that in 2013.) Their practice was likely representative of the modus operandi at other claims offices at the time. In the late 1970s, when I entered claims, “onboarding” was not even a word, or perhaps much of a concept. New claims adjusters often got tossed into the deep end of the proverbial claims pool to either sink or swim. “Here's your desk and your caseload of more than 200 files from the last adjuster who quit. Good luck with that, and have a nice day.”

Dubious Beginnings

While the process of integrating new claims hires has advanced in intervening years, current customs may still veer from best practices. What a shame, too. Adjuster retention starts with getting off to a strong beginning. Getting off to a good start is no guarantee that an adjuster will be a successful hire for the long haul, but it stacks the odds in your favor (and theirs).

Thus, the first minutes, hours and days on the job are crucial in determining whether that new claims hire is a “keeper” or a short-timer. Just as a rudder sets a boat's course, an onboarding process gets the new claims hire off on the right (or wrong) foot. This is true whether the new hire is a total “newbie” or a seasoned executive transitioning to a high-level claims management role.

Adjuster turnover saps morale, productivity and degrades customer service. It also is expensive, draining time (and maybe “headhunter” fees) starting the recruitment process anew. Stack the deck in your favor by being thoughtful and thorough in bringing new hires into your claim operation.

8 Tips for Integrating New Hires

What are best practices in integrating new claim hires? Alan Hardin is a workers' compensation claims specialist with Assurance Resources Inc. in Houston, Texas. Here, he offers his perspective on best practices:

1. Roll out the red carpet. Do make a fuss. Prepare a sign at the front of the office that says, “Welcome Joe New Hire!” Have someone in his or her department greet them as they walk in the door. This greeter typically should be a coworker, a boss, and/or mentor.

2. Prepare the right tools. Ensure the new claims professional has a clean work station, with office supplies, a computer and a (comfortable) chair that actually works. Be proactive. Start the process weeks before the new hire arrives. Claims managers should not be scrambling around, late on a Friday afternoon, only then discovering the new person needs a stapler, keyboard, monitor, and so on. Also, make sure each new hire has the appropriate IT system access for necessary applications and supporting software.

3. Provide “face time” with the manager to set expectations. While it is vital that new hires meet peers and direct reports, they should also meet the higher-ups. Have the manager welcome new employees and discuss briefly with them what they can expect for the first day and week.

4. Give a tour and make introductions to the claims staff. Show new adjusters around the office/building. Introduce them to the team they will be working with directly and other key personnel. Be selective and realistic here, though. Keep in mind it does virtually no good to walk them around and introduce them to 100 people in other departments because they will simply not remember them anyway.

5. Give them time to set up. Avoid over-structuring time during the first day on the job. Use the rest of the morning to let the new addition to the claims unit access the computer, set up voicemail and email, as well as apply for any needed adjuster licenses.

6. Treat them to lunch. Have a predetermined co-worker or two take them to lunch. This gesture makes a big difference. While it is fine if the boss wants to take them to lunch, often new hires in the claims department feel less intimidated if they go to lunch with peers, at least initially. Moreover, having the company/manager pay or reimburse them for the meal is even better.

7. Don't make them spend all of their time reading manuals. Allow for unstructured time during the first few days, but use part of the first days and week to let the new claims hire read company manuals, policies, best practices, and so on. If the claims hire is a neophyte, then break up the time by letting him or her “job shadow” with others. Whatever you do, though, refrain from having the person sit at a desk for hours on end reading claims manuals and literature.

8. Send them home early. Have the manager sit down with the new hire for an hour and a half before the day's end to recap the first day and identify any questions. Then, let the employee go home an hour early. Tell the person you look forward to seeing him or her tomorrow.

The key, Hardin says, is to make newbies feel that, as a company, you are glad they joined and look forward to a long, productive relationship. Long hours and endless numbers of claims will come in due time. Being an adjuster is a tough job, so there is no sense rushing them into it.

Leslie Yates, AIC, is a senior claims professional located near Columbus, Ohio. Yates has brought on board many claims department associates. She finds that nothing turns off new employees more than seeing that the new employer is unprepared for them. To avoid that, Yates recommends formulating a training plan with a calendared series of instructive sessions for the new hire and the team members involved. Demonstrate a personal interest in the new hire's development.

Michael Spence, a claims project specialist from Buffalo, New York, suggests that managers meet with new hires for an hour to cover general ideas about how things work in the unit as well as the company as a whole. He adds it is crucial to provide a heads-up about any potential “fires” in the claims backlog as well. Having someone act as mentor and be part of this meeting facilitates a smooth onboarding process in which the new hire feels respected and valued.

Lasting Impressions

A claims conflict resolution specialist and self-described “Queen of Onboarding” working in Sacramento, California, Ursula Whitfield emphasizes that the claims unit must be ready for the new hire. Aside from having the computer and requisite login IDs, phone, and clean, new desk equipment in place, this extends to the days leading up to orientation. The manager should contact the person before the first day of work, phoning or sending a nice personalized card, welcoming the person aboard. There should also be an onboarding schedule for the first week or at least the first few days. This should cover such items as whom they are shadowing; a sufficiently thorough tour of the facility, and so on. As mentioned earlier, someone from leadership should take the new hire to lunch. In addition to a physical “welcome” sign near the building or departmental entrance, set up a PowerPoint presentation that will be running on the new computer. This might include the person's name and title, along with a brief welcome message.

Promising beginnings can lead to fruitful relationships. Be sure to plant the “seeds” of those fruits with a thoughtful and effective onboarding process for your new claims hires.

Special Reports /

Best (and Worst) Practices for Onboarding Claims Staff

Related Stories

Recommended For You