Professional development is a vital component of employee engagement, retention and career satisfaction. Training magazine found U.S. companies spent about $87.6 billion on training and development in 2018. Amazon alone recently announced it’s investing an average of $7,000 per employee for voluntary training programs. As companies begin to reinvest in employees’ individual growth, it’s important these initiatives also contribute to larger business goals.

The results from our most recent Semi-Annual U.S. Insurance Labor Outlook Study are now available! The study, conducted by The Jacobson Group and Aon plc, uncovers revenue and hiring trends within the insurance industry. We are highlighting key data points from the Q3 2019 results, and you can download the full results summary, webinar and slide deck for additional insights and commentary.

The 2020 healthcare open enrollment period is nearly here, slated to run from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, 2019, with Medicare open enrollment from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. As you know, with this seasonal spike in enrollment comes a much heavier workload. How can you best prepare for the influx to avoid staff burnout and increase productivity during this peak period?

Today’s claims executives are concerned. Worry about how they will survive without their soon-to-retire skilled claims professionals keeps them up at night. Even worse, departments have fewer candidates on the bench to fill those soon-to-be vacant positions. Even when executives look outside their departments for talent, non-local candidates are less willing to relocate, as many of them consider flexible work arrangements a major benefit to consider in evaluating job opportunities.

In today’s candidate-driven market, requiring physical presence for claims staff certainly complicates recruiting strategies. Work-at-home (WAH) is a popular practice for many industries already, but some insurers are reluctant to promise it to their employees and candidates.

Elevating gender equality from mere conversations to meaningful actions and investments – truth or dare? 

This International Women’s Day, we're reflecting on how to help other women step into their own power and be the inspiration to others that follow. Dare to be the spark and to push your organization to renew its commitment to achieving gender equality in the insurance industry.