It is my pleasure to introduce a guest blogger for this latest post. Alicia Morris is assistant vice president with The Jacobson Group’s health temporary staffing and subject matter experts team. Her insights into the importance of the customer experience are worth a read. Enjoy...

Does your organization have a positive public persona, or does your company’s image fall short? In today’s increasingly competitive labor market, having a strong, public brand is critical to attracting young professionals. In fact, 75 percent of job seekers consider a company’s brand before they even submit an application. Conversely, 72 percent of recruiting leaders view branding as a critical driver of their ability to attract and hire top talent.

For years, the insurance industry has stood as a virtual island amid a sea of growing technological changes. While innovations and advancements transformed industries from banking, commerce, travel and more, insurers maintained business as usual.

But the industry can no longer silo itself against transformation. In fact, more than 80 percent of CEOs identify technological advancements as the top trend expected to transform the industry in the coming years. Today’s organizations are increasingly embracing the opportunities brought by technological advancements—driven by rising innovations, emerging disrupters and evolving business needs.

The 2018 healthcare open enrollment period is on the horizon. Unlike previous years, this year’s enrollment season will last only 45 days—spanning from November 1 through December 15, 2017. This shortened period is concerning for healthcare providers who continue to face an increased demand and influx of new customers during open enrollment.

Insurance organizations are facing a perfect storm within their finance and accounting departments. Increased accounting-rule changes and regulations are driving insurers to grow their current finance and accounting departments. In fact, the accounting sector boasts faster than average job growth. Currently, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 11 percent growth by 2024—representing the addition of 142,400 new jobs. Unfortunately, this growing demand is being met with an increasingly shallow talent pool of experienced professionals.