Creating Opportunities in Work Comp

Sunday, October 13, 2002 | 0

In the past we have explored some of the more technical aspects of claims handling. However, a big part of the claims examiner's job is career management. There is a lot of room for growth and expansion in the workers' compensation industry. The workers' compensation employment scene, like other industries, has its ups and downs, but unlike other industries, workers' compensation is a constant - all states require people that understand the system, the industry, and have the skills to execute what is needed at the end of the day. Here are some tips to ensure that opportunity is always available.

First and most obvious, commit fully to your job. This seems obvious, but is much more difficult in practice. Committing to your job means learning all aspects of not only the job, but your company as well. It does not mean sacrificing your personal life, rather it means ensuring that you commit as much of yourself to your job as you do your personal life.

Recommit quickly when the company changes. Change is inevitable. Buy-in to change, don't resist it. Your acceptance of change, and adaptation to new processes, new skill requirements, new methods, will be recognized not only in your company, but outside your company as well.

When you buy-in to change, you will develop a reputation as one who pushes the "change" process along. This is also known as a "change agent", or someone that can be counted on to move the organization forward.

Recognize that the organization must cover ground more quickly. Now more than ever change happens fast. Organizations quick to respond to changes have the edge. If there is nothing more to facilitating change it is job security. If the organization fails, you have no job. Change is good, it is inevitable, and it is your job security.

Operate with a strong sense of urgency. Act like a company owner, not just an employee. This means empowering yourself by assuming responsibility for your caseload and standing accountable for your own results.

Be a team player; your worth as an individual will also be measured by the collective results of the team. This means you need to consider the "big picture". Follow the advice in prior articles on Time Management. Streamline your approach to get results and make sure you contribute more than you cost.

It's your job to know the company goals & expectations, and it's your contribution and results that count. Prove your worth as the "Claims Gatekeeper"- add enough value to the company so that everyone can see that something important would be missing if you left.

Author, Cyndi Koppany, is Director of Corporate Training for Cambridge Integrated Services Group, Inc. E-mail her at ckoppany@earthlink.net.