There has been a significant shortage of insurance professionals for years, and now the Great Resignation has hit. Jacobson Group’s recent Insurance Labor Market Study found that insurance professionals are exploring their options and taking a hard look at their current jobs.
As more employees move between jobs with greater frequency, companies are compelled to onboard workers quickly to maintain business continuity while upskilling the existing workforce to fill talent gaps and minimize any loss in productivity.
While many applications are deployed to help ease employees’ workload, they do not always make for the right transitions when it comes to learning for both new and experienced employees. There still remains a need for continuous support and feedback-driven change management for the workforce. Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) help address those issues and, if deployed correctly, can help employees get up to speed quickly and effectively.
What are Digital Adoption Platforms?
A digital adoption platform (DAP) is software that integrates fully with your enterprise applications. The software can then walk users through the applications step-by-step to complete role-specific tasks and navigate on their own. DAPs also feature a self-help widget with links to articles, videos and guided walkthroughs so users can effectively search and learn every aspect of the application. The software helps prevent user confusion when they are trying to understand specific tasks and lets them focus on the task at hand.
A DAP can be used to drive digital adoption in a number of ways. One of the most effective ways is to help companies onboard and train employees on new technology. DAPs help keep employees on track and ensure they get the knowledge they need for the most essential features of their job. DAPs also teach employees how to help themselves, ensuring they know how to find the answers to their questions. Another important DAP feature is the ability for users to search for and find all relevant documentation when they need it.
See also: Opportunities Amid the Great Resignation
DAPs' Role in Onboarding
The benefits of DAPs in the insurance industry are numerous. Because insurance is driven by internal and external regulations specific to each business, region and the different types of products offered, there is a steep learning curve. And, especially with younger employees, you may have to be prepared to onboard frequently. The latest Deloitte Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial survey found that 40% of Gen Z workers would like to leave their jobs within two years. It can take a long time for any employee to become proficient in their area, whether it be underwriting, claims or distribution. A DAP’s ability to flatten that curve is invaluable to insurance companies to onboard new employees quickly and efficiently.
Your onboarding process can be significantly improved by using DAPs to create near-real-life simulated training experiences and custom training content to make underwriters, claims and service representatives more proficient. New employees will be encouraged to lean into the flow of work. The guided walkthroughs engage users nearly every second of the training process and will also help reduce the number of errors new employees make. Leveraging AI, a DAP can identify and rectify mistakes with automated data input.
Upskilling Experienced Workers
Upskilling is unavoidable and absolutely necessary in the insurance industry. Workers will inevitably receive added responsibilities and tasks to their current roles. This may include overseeing a new region with different regulations, processing more policies each day or working in a new cross-functional role due to staff shortages. In each case, it takes time for employees to gain the desired level of knowledge and proficiency for the applications used to perform those new duties.
Most of the workflows within legacy insurance applications are complex, making it hard for users to understand their current tasks, let alone handle any new responsibilities. DAPs integrate with existing applications to help users learn more about the important features and processes. The same step-by-step walkthroughs that benefit new employees can be used to expand the knowledge base of more experienced employees. If an employee runs into a problem regarding a certain insurance process, they can look to self-help menus and access walkthroughs to get the help they need.
DAPs enable employees to maintain productivity levels while taking on new responsibilities. One of the ways this can be achieved is through just-in-time nudges to reduce errors made in policy or claims processing. A DAP can also pre-fill or validate entries to speed certain processes and ensure data entered adheres to the correct format. Another way a DAP can help is by automating repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on judgment-intensive and more crucial tasks. Through the creation of on-demand content and training, insurance companies can leverage a DAP to increase employee productivity and reduce the margin of error. Smooth onboarding and seamless transitions to new roles for experienced employees can be achieved faster as they gain the power to learn more quickly on their own terms, ensuring that your organization can stay on track despite employee turnover.
