Technology continues to profoundly transform the insurance industry, and its use improves operations and lowers costs. However, the combination of an aging workforce and difficulty attracting, recruiting, and training adjusters makes it hard to keep talented people ready to meet the needs of both policyholders and insurance companies.

The most seasoned claims professionals came up in the age of paper files, clipboards, calculators, Polaroids and tennis balls on a string. The tech evolution in the industry is forcing them to learn the use of laser measurement, laptops, smartphones, GPS and online dashboards—often on the fly. For some adjusters, the tech learning curve has been overwhelming, and they have opted instead for retirement. Others have begun teaching themselves or learning from the next generation of adjusters.

While the number of tech-savvy next-gen adjusters is small, they come to the business comfortable with new technology and a willingness and ability to learn and share their knowledge. Together, the new and the experienced claims professionals have valuable knowledge to impart. It is imperative that both sides make the most of the opportunity to pass along their knowledge.

The industry, however, continues to struggle with finding the proper balance between specialized claims training, which is characteristic of the new technology, and the versatility and flexibility across claim types that senior adjusters bring to the table.

Claims adjusters with many years of experience possess a broad range of skills, even if they are now seen as “low-tech.” Back in the day, adjusters were cross-trained to handle a variety of claims. Property adjusters knew how to deal with residential and commercial claims. They also had the ability to work casualty claims. Most seasoned adjusters became versatile and valuable since they acquired the skills and experience to cover any type of loss in any category of claim.

Today, the cost and time associated with intricate training has led to specialization, though it is more like being pigeonholed. Adjusters now specialize in auto claims or casualty claims or personal claims or commercial claims, to name a few. There are a diminished number of adjusters with a full spectrum of knowledge to cover all loss categories.

This specialization, though, leads to problems. The nature of claims is so unpredictable that the pool of adjusters with the skills needed to address a specific claim situation can sometimes run dry when a catastrophic event occurs. Insurance companies staff their claims departments and train adjusters for what they typically need on a day-to-day basis and turn to third party companies to adjust for anything else they may need. That means third party firms are often left with the duty to train adjusters to meet the vast needs of the marketplace.