The life of claims adjusters can be hectic and stressful. Adjusters are often subject to very high workloads resulting in longer than average daily work hours and a higher chance of burnout. Not only can this burnout affect an adjuster’s professional life, but it can affect their personal life as well.
Claims adjusters’ tendency to lose motivation quickly makes it that much more important for both the adjusters and their supervisors to be aware of what they can do to mitigate stress. This awareness will not only help to prevent the burnout but will also increase productivity during work hours.
A claims adjuster suffering from burnout might exhibit the following behaviors:
All of these things lead to an overall lower quality of work which not only affects the adjusters themselves, but also the company and its clients.
As a claims manager, part of your role is to educate your team about the risks of burnout. If they are aware of these risks, then they can take the proper measures to avoid this burnout and maintain a greater quality of work.
Often times the term phrase “work-life balance” has a negative connotation—especially in very demanding jobs. However, work-life balance doesn’t mean that your claims adjusters are any less focused on their job. It actually means that the time they are working is better spent. It also reduces the risk of errors made and increases their productivity during actual work hours which is better for everyone involved.
So not only is a work-life balance better for your employees and their mental state, but it will, in turn, benefit the company as well.
The work of claims adjusters can be tedious and exhausting. That’s why it’s especially important that they feel intellectually stimulated and feel as if the work they are doing is making an impact. This is where risk management technology comes into play.
There are many technologies that can eliminate the administrative work involved in insurance claims. Claims managers should take full advantage of those technologies to take the “busy-work” off the hands of their claims adjusters. That leaves more time for the intellectually stimulating work that leaves them feeling more fulfilled in their careers and, thus, less susceptible to burnout.
As a claims manager, it’s important that you’re fostering an environment in which your team members feel safe. In a safe environment, they will feel more comfortable speaking out if they are feeling the symptoms of burnout and taking the appropriate time and measures to get back to where they need to be.
Let your team know that you are a resource for them and that you are willing to work with them to get through any tough patch they are going through. Pushing your employees too hard will only further decrease their motivation and speed up the burnout.
With all of these things in mind, you—and your team—will be better equipped to deal with the stressors that come with insurance claims.
Founder and president of US Claims Solutions, Greg Church, has worked in the claims industry for over 30 years. He and his team are constantly working towards cultivating a more efficient workplace—one which will benefit both employees and customers. Having worked in the insurance claims industry for so many years, Greg has become very familiar with the techniques necessary to avoid burnout and maintain a high quality of work for many years.
Our team of highly qualified individuals would love to help you in any way we can. We are available to service your claims needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Email us at customerservice@usclaimsolutions.co or newclaim@usclaimsolutions.co or give us a call at (888) 701-1153. You can also visit our website at www.usclaimsolutions.co for more information on what we do!