The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) has backed the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA)’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and Talent Roadmap with the introduction of a new Claims Handler Career Pathway.
This initiative is designed to address the industry’s talent shortage by offering clear career progression and skill development opportunities for professionals in claims handling.
The ICA’s Talent Roadmap outlines a multi-year strategy aimed at attracting and developing a diverse range of new talent for the insurance industry.
One of the key challenges it seeks to address is the anticipated retirement of a significant portion of the current workforce, with 30% expected to reach retirement age by 2030.
The roadmap also focuses on enhancing the industry’s capacity to deal with increasing workloads driven by climate change and other emerging risks.
To address these issues, the ICA has also launched a three-month advertising campaign, “It’s Our Policy,” focused on raising awareness of the varied career paths available in the insurance industry. The campaign, set to run in Queensland and New South Wales, will feature personal stories from industry professionals to showcase the different opportunities the sector offers.
The roadmap and accompanying campaign are part of the ICA’s larger effort to improve DEI within the insurance workforce. While some progress has been made, the insurance watchdog acknowledges the need for continued efforts to fully address these challenges and ensure the long-term viability of the sector.
ANZIIF’s Claims Handler Career Pathway aims to demonstrate the career potential within claims handling.
It provides detailed guidance on the courses and certifications that can help professionals enhance their skills and advance their careers.
ANZIIF CEO Katrina Shanks said the resource will enable insurance professionals to map out their career development, ensuring they acquire the necessary competencies to improve customer outcomes.
“It provides guidance on their career progression, so they can move with purpose and obtain the competency, knowledge, and skills needed to ensure their clients have great customer outcomes,” she said.
Over time, ANZIIF plans to broaden this resource to cover other areas of the insurance industry, such as underwriting, broking, and loss adjusting, with relevant educational resources tailored to each role.
The Claims Handler Career Pathway is now available online for free through ANZIIF’s website, aligning with the broader effort to create a more adaptable and responsive insurance workforce in light of increasing catastrophic events and evolving industry demands.
The ICA has also introduced a new standard aimed at improving the use of independent expert reports within the insurance claims process.
This new guideline addresses concerns raised by policyholders and consumer groups about the transparency and fairness of the current claims assessment process.
The standard provides detailed guidance on how expert reports should be used, emphasising accuracy, clarity, and timely delivery. It also aims to enhance communication between insurers and policyholders, ensuring that customers are fully informed throughout the claims process.
The ICA plans to incorporate these guidelines into the upcoming revision of the General Insurance Code of Practice.
ANZIIF has welcomed the introduction of this standard and is working on a short course to educate industry professionals on how to comply with the new requirements.
