Insurers are adjusting many aspects of business in order to accommodate a primarily virtual world. As the business environment evolves, the skills and competencies necessary for successful managers are also shifting. Organizations must rethink their approach to leader development and build plans that will hold up in the age of COVID-19 and beyond.

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.

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.

As the insurance industry adapts to a workforce that is primarily – if not completely – remote, many managers are finding themselves overseeing work-at-home employees for the first time. At Jacobson, many of our corporate employees and temporary staff work remotely on a regular basis. We asked a few leaders across our organization for their key insights and advice on effectively managing remote staff.