These Jobs May Not Come Back – BusinessWeek
I’ve maintained for several years that many of the jobs being eliminated are just not coming back. We are way past the debate of whether or not outsourced underwriting is a good or bad business practice. Outsourced underwriting will be the new normal.
Read this Business Week article. Send me your comments.
Insurance Jobs for Insurance Professionals from InsuranceGigs.com
In an earlier post I wrote about my affection for Beyond.com as my job board of preference. I recently stumbled upon the insurance career community from Beyond and it is pretty impressive. Try this site if you’re looking for work. The link above will take you there and I’ve also added a link on the sidebar.
When you mention the word “outsourcing” most people get very emotional. The emotion is fear. Usually, it is a fear of losing one’s job. Well, during this nasty recession a lot of jobs have been lost. I have been asking the question,
“Who’s left to do the work?”
I’ve noticed I am not the only person asking this question. Nearly two thirds of respondents in a recent survey asked the very same question (see survey results reproduced below or click through to read the entire article).
If you’re in NB/UW management your cost cutting phase is over. Stick a fork in it, it’s done. Now you have to figure out how to get the work done with a decimated, demoralized staff. Screaming won’t help (unless that makes you feel better). Mandatory 60 hour work weeks? I don’t think so. Yup, looks like a man-made management problem that requires creative management solutions. Unabashed self-promotion follows:
The underwriting talent is out here and we have the technology to connect companies with with experienced, professional underwriters to get the work done.
Call us. I have a mortgage, two kids in college, and a small fleet of cars to support.
One more thing…we got the MOJO.
Workforce Blogs – The Business of Management
A new survey just released by the Workforce Institute at Kronos Inc. and conducted by Harris Interactive suggests that a lot of employees may not be feeling particularly optimistic and workplace productivity has been a casualty of the Big, Bad Recession.
Here are some of the survey highlights:
• Some 38 percent of respondents employed full or part time said there had been layoffs in the past year at their primary place of employment.
• Of those respondents who said that productivity had been negatively affected by layoffs:
—66 percent said that morale has suffered and that workers are less motivated;
—64 percent said that there is just too much work and not enough people left to do it;
—37 percent said the wrong people or departments were laid off, leaving inefficient systems and workflows; and
—36 percent said they are concerned that as the economy picks up, they won’t have the right resources to meet demand.
EMSI in Waco, TX is looking for remote fee based underwriters. These positions are remote but apparently part-time only.
Addendum March 2011
Looking for Underwriting Consultants with Health/DI and Reinsurance disciplines. Remote positions-flexible schedules. Call or email Traci Davis VP Underwriting Operations.
Job Description – Underwriter / Sr. Underwriter / Underwriting Consultant – Life (016307)
Telecommuting may be available based on candidate need.
This is the 1st life UW job posting I’ve seen in weeks. BTW, it is not a new opening but a re-posting. When I inquired about the position last year, telecommuting was not an option. Now telecommuting may be an option.
The glacier is moving.
Clicking on the @Work link above will take you to the blog of Challenger, Gray & Christmas a huge outplacement firm. There is a lot of nasty news in this survey but my eyes are drawn to several findings that actually bode well for the future of remote/telecommute underwriting work.
You may ask, how is this good news? Well, it depends upon your perspective. One of my projects consists of moving underwriting work to people rather than moving the people to where the work has traditionally been done. Work can be done anywhere if you have a computer and a decent high speed Internet connection. The only major roadblock we have is a severe case of dinosaur brains. Granted, some forms of work have to be done at a specific location. The good news is underwriting work does not.
Let’s dig deeper into the Challenger survey and find more good news. Companies are cutting costs in the following areas:
The problem is this – what happens when the business environment improves and volumes increase?
Companies have painted themselves into very tight corners. Many will migrate to more of a variable cost structure to preserve the savings achieved from the measures taken during the recession.
I tell ya, I’m having a lot of fun doing what I’m doing.
I’ve added a link on the sidebar under Jobs for this recruiter website. The posting does not indicate if these positions are remote or not remote.
10 UNDERWRITERS NEEDED ASAP FULL TIME FOR LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY IN WESTCHESTER, NY
Recession? What recession?
Examination Management Services, Inc.
Addendum July 24, 09
If you are searching for work and have found this post, please pay particular attention to the date of the post. The owner of this blog has not contacted nor has any current information regarding any possible openings. Please contact the company directly and best of luck in your search.
Addendum March 2011
Looking for Underwriting Consultants with Health/DI and Reinsurance disciplines. Remote positions-flexible schedules. Call or email Traci Davis VP Underwriting Operations.
Career Women at Midlife: Sadder and Sicker – BusinessWeek
Reading this article should be a stark reminder to managers in all industries of the growing need to provide flexible work arrangements. Remote work, telecommuting, flex hours, work from home, job sharing, reduced work schedules, whatever. Sad and sick employees cannot be a good thing.
Hence another strong motivator to get your underwriters out of the office.
If you’re reading this post and looking for a remote underwriting position do revisit this blog periodically. I offer up some good tips on job search websites. Additionally, UWS LLC may have a need for contract underwriters in the near future.
Remote, of course.
lifeunderwriter.net 
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