By Margaret Resce Milkint and Catherine Lamson

Original article published by NU PropertyCasualty360. Reprinted with permission from the May 28, 2020, issue of NU PropertyCasualty360. © 2020 ALM Media Properties, LLC. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Gender issues have existed in our industry for a long time, yet most evidence has been anecdotal. Now we’re armed with tangible data insights that are more important than ever.

As business continues remotely for the foreseeable future, insurers can no longer delay filling critical positions. However, onboarding employees from afar may seem like a daunting task. If you have a new employee joining your team while operating in a virtual environment, it’s paramount to have a well-thought-out remote onboarding plan in place. By being intentional about your onboarding and orientation process, you’ll be able to successfully welcome new employees to your organization and set them up to thrive.

By Margaret Resce Milkint and Joyce B. Dunn

As organizations settle into operating within a virtual work environment, standard activities are transforming, including hiring techniques. Entire interview processes are now taking place behind screens and insurers must creatively adapt their approaches to talent acquisition in order to remain competitive. There’s a brand-new rule book in play, with companies often learning as they go and evolving their strategies accordingly. With the current and transitioning state of work persisting indefinitely, organizations can no longer wait for their physical offices to reopen before making a hire.

In the past two months, insurers and their employees have been forced to adapt to a new business reality. Physical office locations are closed and some individuals are working from home for the first time in their careers. Other professionals may be accustomed to remote work, yet are now also responsible for educating their children, caring for family members and juggling additional responsibilities throughout their days. At the same time, many managers have never led completely remote teams, resulting in additional challenges and learning curves.

The global business community is in a state of transformation, as organizations work to understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their companies and industries. Recently, The Jacobson Group ran a study to uncover the initial effects of COVID-19 on the U.S. insurance industry’s labor market outlook. Our survey ran from March 31 to April 10, and was open to U.S. insurance carriers and reinsurers across all verticals.