Skills for Success: Filling the Gap in Claims Industry Education

Insurance claims is a dynamic and fast-paced field that requires professionals to possess a wide range of skills and competencies. While academic institutions provide a foundation of knowledge, there are certain skill gaps that schools have failed to adequately address, hindering the readiness of new entrants.

A 2019 report from the Society for Human Resource Management found that 51% of its members said that education systems have done little or nothing to help address the skills shortage.

The top missing soft skills, according to these members: problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation and creativity; the ability to deal with complexity and ambiguity; and communication. These findings are consistent with the needs among claims professionals and reflect the critical skills of business writing, decision-making, negotiation, and emotional intelligence -- areas where many entrants into the claims industry lack proficiency, inhibiting growth.