Turnovers are great when you get them hot and fresh from the local baker. Turnovers are bad if you are a football offense trying to score touchdowns.

Turnover is also a problem when you are a claim manager or a supervisor trying to find and hire good adjusters. Turnover seems rampant when adjusters jump from one company to another. Hiring quality claim staff is easier, once you know how to search intelligently. Like any other activity, winging it produces terrible results. Here are six tips for locating and hiring people with the ability to become successful claim professionals in your operation.

Define your aims. List the traits and qualities you expect and value in a claim professional. How does your company's mission statement describe your claim operation in terms of customer focus, innovative approaches, and opportunities for learning and growth? Put another way, begin by describing who you are. Then articulate what you aspire to be. In the next claim meeting, staff should describe the kind of teammates they want in the claim unit.

Network internally and externally. In lieu of running newspaper ads, ask your existing adjusters for recommendations. Have each one bring to the next department meeting a list of three people outside the company for whom they can vouch. Make a "help-wanted" announcement at the next local claim association meeting. Ask long-time clients for suggestions. Be clear about the qualities you are seeking. Offer incentives — such as money — for recommendations and referrals that culminate in a hire. E-mail your local claim association a one-page document seeking referrals. Many have job banks where you can post openings.

Conduct "try outs" before interviews. Successful claim personnel sweat the details, keep promises, and follow up. Assess the prospect's reliability at the outset. Be on guard for undesirable or desirable attributes. For example, track an applicant's turnaround time if you ask her to e-mail or fax you a writing sample. Or, ask the candidate to phone you at a specific time. If the prospective adjuster cannot keep this appointment during the "courtship stage," this may speak to his ability to keep commitments when juggling the dozens that fill the adjuster's everyday life.

Recruit Wisely

Ask adjuster applicants to finish a mini-assignment before the interview. Also, ask open-ended questions about which they can elaborate during the meeting. These may include the following hypothetical scenarios:

  • "Your premises claim has dangerous down-side potential. However, the insured doesn't think he did anything wrong and wants to go to trial. You want to settle the case. The insured says, 'Over [his] dead body.' What do you do?"
  • "The insured's broker squawks, saying your claim reserve is too high. She demands that you drop it. How would you handle this situation?"
  • "A claimant rejects your offer or disagrees with the way you adjusted the claim. He demands to talk to your boss. What do you do?"

Did the applicant prepare cogent thoughts about these topics? If not, then perhaps you can pause right there. Other tips for conducting an effective screening process are listed below.

Make it a team effort. Leave ample time for key claim department staff to interview the applicant. Would they be happy having this person handle one of their claims? What vibes do they pick up? What are their impressions? Are they leaning toward a thumbs-up or thumbs-down? There is one caveat to keep in mind. Sometimes a "green" but energetic, personable, and trainable newbie may be a better fit for your claim team than someone with an impressive resume and a perfectly polished speech.

Make the exchange count. In lieu of the meandering pleasantries and chit-chat that often pass for interviewing, ask the applicant about ethics, work habits, and problem-solving situations commonly encountered in claim work. As a claim manager or supervisor, be sure to seek clues and insights about an applicant's judgment, as well as ability to think on his feet and respond under pressure. Questions might resemble the following:

  • "A big hurdle for insurers is getting clients to not view claim service as a commodity, and that price should not be the driving factor in buying decisions. How would you emphasize value over price when it comes to claim services?"
  • "As an adjuster/examiner/specialist, you are besieged by paperwork, phone calls, e-mails, appointments, meetings, and commitments related to your caseload. At the same time, you must harmonize with your entire service team in the claim unit. How do you juggle the demands of your individual caseload while remaining a team player within your unit?"

Mentor new adjusters. Assign the new hire a "buddy" or mentor. When selecting adjusters, focus as much on personality and aptitude for training as you would experience or success. Have new adjusters sit with different staff to learn about the claim department's technology, procedures, and communication style. You may want to create a simple flowchart of how your office or organization handles claims, from the first report of loss to the closing. Also, discuss the importance of customer service. Be specific about what "good claim service" means. Avoid platitudes, and give concrete examples.

Locating, hiring, and integrating new adjusters into your claim department or office will never be easy. Computers help us be more productive, but they can never take over the role of good claim staff. Use these ideas to bring fresh perspectives to the ongoing challenge of recruitment and orientation of your claim staff. The rewards can come in the form of reduced turnover, diminished costs, and adjusters who represent a better fit for your claim team.

Kevin Quinley is an insurance executive, claim expert and consultant. You can reach him at kquinley@cox.net or at www.kevinquinley.com.

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