The holidays seem to arrive earlier every year. Before you know it, your employees will be inundated with out-of-town guests, holiday travel, meal planning and gift shopping. Get ahead of the distractions with these tips to make sure your team stays on task for a productive holiday season.

It’s no secret the actuarial world has been facing a mid-level talent gap. In a white paper last year, “The Actuarial Talent Challenge: Combatting the Mid-Level Gap,” we examined some of the causes for this gap and ways insurers were working to close it. As we near the end of 2019, we’re taking a fresh look at the trends impacting the actuarial world and this still very relevant talent challenge.

As the insurance industry adopts new technologies and undergoes modernization efforts, accounting and finance departments have much to gain. Automation is allowing for reduced processing times, increased efficiency and higher service levels. More redundant tasks within bookkeeping and data entry are being taken over by artificial intelligence, and machine learning is identifying patterns and streamlining customer interactions.

Temporary talent is an important component of a comprehensive human capital plan. Insurance organizations must be nimble and able to quickly calibrate to support workloads, busy seasons, employee leaves and special projects. As the gig economy grows and becomes more commonplace, the ability to effectively leverage short-term employees is imperative.

As you’ve probably noticed, it is taking longer to fill positions than ever before—that is, if you can fill them at all. Fewer qualified candidates are submitting their resumes and your recruiters have no choice but to tirelessly tap passive industry professionals hoping the opportunity catches their interest. How did we get here?