How workers’ comp organizations can bridge future knowledge gaps

There are a number of areas where the talent shortage is already evident. Organizations report difficulty recruiting professionals who can transform raw data into actionable insights — a capability that’s critical for improving outcomes across the industry.

“We rely on data in this industry and continue to discover better ways to turn data into the types of information that will allow us to provide enhanced support to clients and injured workers. But we’re worried that some of this hard-learned knowledge will be lost if our most experienced individuals retire,” Lacey-Artis said. “So we are working hard to pass this knowledge along to younger employees and new hires, who also bring in new concepts and techniques.”

Another critical area involves regulatory expertise. With workers' compensation laws varying by state and constantly evolving, organizations need professionals who understand compliance requirements and can build the relationships necessary to navigate this complex landscape.

The shortage of leadership talent represents, perhaps, the most pressing challenge. With recent retirements, the pipeline of individuals prepared to step into senior roles to support the industry is fairly thin.

“I would say a critical challenge in our industry involves senior leaders. We’re losing a lot of them,” Lacey-Artis noted. "The pressing question is: What are we doing to reach, mentor and develop the next group of leaders to help us make the most important decisions in the future?”  

The shift to hybrid and fully remote work has created an unexpected paradox: While remote flexibility appeals to many workers, it simultaneously complicates knowledge transfer from experienced professionals to the next generation.

“Knowledge transfer is incredibly difficult when people aren't physically together, and a significant number of workplaces currently use this model,” Lacey-Artis explained. “But hybrid and remote work is probably essential for the future if we want to attract young professionals and other talent to this industry.”

Organizations that have tackled this challenge effectively employ a multi-layered approach to learning and development. Rather than relying on single training events, forward-thinking companies are structuring knowledge transfer across multiple touchpoints designed to meet employees where they are.

“In my organization, we have what we call Tuesday Training sessions where we bring people together digitally to refresh their knowledge or learn new material. But even when you bring all those folks together and make allowances for questions, many people won't ask questions in a large group,” Lacey-Artis said.  

Rather than waiting passively for individuals to enter the industry, forward-thinking organizations are taking proactive steps to build awareness about insurance careers among students who’ve never considered the field and people who work in other industries.

The challenge is significant: Many people lack basic knowledge about insurance as an industry, let alone workers' compensation specifically.

“When we ask people to raise their hands and tell us a little bit about what they know about insurance, most of the time there are very few hands raised,” Lacey-Artis said. “Sometimes there's a little bit of tentativeness — they raise their hands but they're still unsure what it is.”

Organizations are responding by partnering with high schools and community programs to introduce students to insurance careers, often providing financial support for licensing requirements. This approach targets not only college-bound students but also economically disadvantaged youth who might find stable employment in the industry.

Lacey-Artis took this concept a step further by teaming with several other industry leaders to establish WRMC (Workers’ Compensation, Risk, Managed Care, and Claims), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization designed to attract talented economically disadvantaged high school seniors to the workers’ compensation industry.  

Creating transparent career pathways is essential for retaining newly recruited talent. Employees expect to understand how they can advance within an organization, not merely hope advancement might occur.

“Employees don't just want to feel that career progression might happen — they want to know how to make it happen. You have to clearly outline that path for them, and you have to map it honestly,” Lacey-Artis said. “What they're really looking for is the ability to make an impact with a company that genuinely cares about their future growth, no matter what that looks like.”

Lacey-Artis encourages organizations to invest in mentorship programs and find opportunities to signal genuine commitment to employee development. This investment demonstrates care for employees’ growth regardless of whether they ultimately remain with the company.

Ensuring flexibility and access to modern technology are equally critical. Younger professionals have not only become accustomed to flexible work environments but expect to use contemporary tools to accomplish their work, not legacy systems.

Lacey-Artis is committed to making sure that current and future employees understand the importance of workers’ compensation services. “We also need to invest in elevating the purpose and impact of the work. People want to make a meaningful impact, and you can make a significant impact on your communities by supporting injured workers and injured parties.”  

Looking ahead, the industry must recognize that the expected retirement wave represents both a crisis and an opportunity to reshape how organizations develop and deploy talent. Success requires immediate action on multiple fronts: building talent pipelines through community partnerships, structuring knowledge transfer across hybrid work environments, creating transparent career advancement pathways and fundamentally reimagining how the industry markets itself to younger professionals.