So what’s a good staffing ratio?

Figuring out the appropriate levels to staff a claims office can be a tricky exercise. Having too many claims professionals can have a negative impact on bottom-line financials, however, having too few can also have a more costly impact improper reserves, higher settlement payments, increased loss adjustment expenses. Determining the correct balance of files to handlers is critical to ensure the claims department can serve the company, claimants and customers appropriately. Well run claims department manage their staffing by developing empirical methods to model the correct need. Those models are also reviewed as part of regular management metrics and adjusted to suit changing conditions.  While it may seem cost effective to run a very lean claims department, the truth is if it is too lean costs will go up, claims handling will suffer and the company can be exposed to liability.

How do you determine what the appropriate staffing level is?  Unfortunately there is no hard and fast rule that defines exactly how many files per handler is appropriate. The nature of the type of claims handled, the company approach to customer service, internal and external variables are going to impact how many claims professionals are needed. For example, the number of claims professionals needed to handle a small fender bender property claim is dramatically different than needed to handle a large commercial property loss.  This can also be said for a standard bodily injury claims versus a complex medical malpractice matter. There are so many factors that go into each type of claim that must be considered prior to developing a working staffing model.

What type of claims department are you?

What type of claims department are you? Do the types of claims you handle require a touchy feely claims department that relies heavily on interactions with clients? Some carriers pride themselves on significant and meaningful customer contact because that customer focus differentiates them in the market place even over the price of coverage.  Other types of insurance companies don’t rely on the customer interaction as the differentiator and as such a customer centric claims department may not be the focus. Think Motel 6 versus The Four Seasons. Both provide a place to sleep but clearly the approach is completely different.

For example, a homeowner’s claim will require multiple hands on connections with the claimants to build a level of client satisfaction and help to maintain more renewals. Conversely, in D&O insurance, the contact is rarely as interactive and the client is usually more concerned about the financial ability to pay claims and a less expensive premium. Regardless, given the value the claims, the expertise needed to manage a D&O loss versus a property claim and the frequency of losses coming into the office will all impact the number files that can be assigned to any one professional.

Developing a staffing metric must be based initially on the type of claims organization you are and how much contact with the client is expected. From there a metric can be developed to deal with other factors impacting the time needed to handle a file. Such a metric may, for example, be based upon not just the number of files in the door but on how many touchpoints need to be made on how many claims and over what period of time. Often determining the impact of those touchpoints will require conducting a time study to learn how long each touchpoint takes to complete.

What are the internal variables?

Internal variables to consider involve those issues that can be controlled within the company and, like the type of claims department you are, will impact how resources are implemented. Some internal variables to consider:

• Skill levels of claims professionals needed – Does your claims department manage files with entry level workers or do you require experienced claims professionals with advanced degrees?
• Support staff and ancillary claims professionals – are claims professionals expected to do everything from sending letters to coding to on-site investigations to state reporting? Or are some of those tasks handled by others?
• Technology – are you up to date with the latest and greatest automated claims technology or are there limitations to the systems in place? Does your technology help to automate workflow?

What are the external variables?

External variables can equally impact staffing levels and must also be considered. These variables can’t be controlled but they can be measured.  The trick is to create metrics to identify trends in external variables that could have an impact on staffing.  Frequency of claims activity is an external variable that can be predicted based upon the number of policies and other events that impact claims being filed. For instance, bad weather during the winter months will likely increase auto property claims being filed compared to in summer months.  Being aware of the natural cycles and predicting trends is an important factor in creating models.  External variables to consider include:

• Jurisdiction and court delays
• Claim frequency
• Claim cycles
• Regulations and reporting
• Legal changes

Creating a staffing model

Creating a staffing model must take into account a number of factors and there is no one size fits all approach. Understanding the time it takes to handle an issue will be needed to determine an appropriate staffing level. At the very least there must be an understanding of new claims set ups and expectations as well as what is expected to manage a book of claims.

As an example in the simplest form, a claims department may expect a claim professional to only handle one new claims set up a day. If a department gets 20 claims a week then they would need 4 claims professionals (20 claims/5 days = 4 per day).  This is a basic example because there are clearly more factors to consider for claim professionals to accomplish in a given day.  The model needs to be built by understanding the times it takes to manage particular tasks. If in addition to setting up one file it is expected that a claims professional review 3 files on diary and which includes contacting the claimants and insureds to provide updates, then a picture of how much time needs to be spent to perform various tasks can be factored into the model.

Conclusion:

Determining the optimal staffing ratio for a claims department is a complex and nuanced process that requires careful consideration of numerous factors. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, as each insurance company’s needs and priorities differ. The key takeaways from this discussion include:

1. Balance is crucial: Overstaffing can negatively impact financials, while understaffing can lead to higher costs and potential liability issues.
2. Consider your company’s approach: The type of claims department you run (customer-centric vs. efficiency-focused) significantly influences staffing needs.
3. Analyze internal and external variables: Factors such as staff skill levels, technology, claim frequency, and legal changes all play a role in determining appropriate staffing levels.
4. Develop a data-driven model: Create a staffing model based on empirical data, including time studies and performance metrics.
5. Regularly review and adjust: As the insurance landscape evolves, continually assess and update your staffing model to ensure it remains effective.

By taking a thoughtful, analytical approach to staffing, claims departments can strike the right balance between efficiency and quality service. This not only benefits the company’s bottom line but also ensures that claimants and policyholders receive the level of care and attention they deserve. Remember, an well-staffed claims department is a cornerstone of a successful insurance operation, contributing to customer satisfaction, risk management, and overall company performance.