Winter Wonderland

Colorado, like most of the west, has been suffering from drought conditions for several years now. Just a couple of weeks ago a forest fire was still active in Estes Park about an hour and a half from Denver. In conversations around the water cooler (in today's office environment known as the "filtered water dispenser") people have been saying how much they want some snow just to get some much needed moisture. Well this morning they got their wish. Denverites awakened to their second favorite pastime next to watching our beloved Broncos. Ahh, the fine art of rush hour driving on icy snowpacked roads. For the skiers and boarders used to the I-70 winter version of mountain NASCAR this morning's light snowfall will hardly give pause. For a lot of other folks though this first real taste of sliding through stopsigns and narrowly avoiding our neighbors in their SOV's (single occupant vehicles) will come as a rude shock. But as Coloradoan's like to say, if you don't like the weather wait five minutes. Today's forecast indicates we'll have to wait more like twelve hours but the storm is expected to move out quickly on its way to visit the good folks in Kansas and Nebraska. What I always look forward to is not so much the storm but the day after. Each of us has our own personal reasons for choosing to live in this great state but for me the beauty of a snowcovered landscape with the blinding-white snow glistening from the sun hanging in a Colorado cobalt-blue sky continues to take my breath away.

I'm a morning person so on stormy days I'm usually in the office by 6:30 or 7:00 a.m. I've learned that my 20 mile commute to work goes much smoother when there is less traffic on the road. This morning I was in by 6:45 and was not surprised to see our employee parking lot already filling up. The first row closest to the building was obviously the first to fill up with most of the cars sporting wiper blades pulled back like eyelashes in anticipation of the windshield cleaning to be done this afternoon. The workout room was already busy with treadmills and bikes whirring and employees watching the big screen T.V. telling us that it was actually snowing outside which I suspect most of us already knew.

It will be nice to have snow on the ground for the holidays. It always looks strange to see all the holiday lights and decorations on dry grass. My thirteen year old pup Chinook who is a suburban, --- I mean Siberian, Husky, loves this weather and for him he'll spend the day delighting in sniffing out new scents buried under the fresh snow. For all of you who have to venture out in this winter wonderland (actually it's still fall with winter not officially here until Friday), drive carefully, and I wish you all a safe and wonderful, and now snowy, holiday season!

15 Best Jobs for 2013

One of the sites I watch for job search and general career information is CBS/MoneyWatch. They recently listed a report from CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists highlighting the "Best Jobs in 2013".

The definition of "Best" revolves around the positions that saw the most job creation over the last two years (since 2010). As fast as the world seems to change anymore I'm not sure that what were the best job-creating positions over the last two years will necessarily continue to produce the most going forward but after looking at the list they are probably not too far off. What probably comes as no surprise is that computer-related fields dominate the list, and that likely won't change anytime soon. What was interesting to me was how many of these types of positions are available at Pinnacol. So here is the list:

1. Software Developer: jobs created since 2010 - 70,872
2. Accountant - 37,123
3. Market Research Analyst - 31,335
4. Computer Systems Analyst - 26,937
5. Human Resources, Training and Labor Relations Specialists - 22,773
6. Computer Systems Administrator - 18,626
7. Sales Representatives (wholesale and manufacturing) - 17,405
8. Information Security Analyst/Web Development/ Computer Network Architect - 15,715
9. Mechanical Engineer - 13,847
10. Industrial Engineer - 12,269
11. Computer Programmer - 11,540
12. Financial Analyst - 10,016
13. Public Relations Specialist - 8,541
14. Logistician - 8,522
15. Database Administrator - 7,468

Of the 15 on the list Pinnacol employs folks in 11 of the categories (not a lot of engineering jobs available with us unfortunately!). Job creation since 2010 has been somewhat problematic of course as the country has been dealing with one of the worst economic downturns in history. But given that downturn any job creation is a good thing. How will 2013 really turn out? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Corporate Citizenship Coordinator Opportunity!

We are looking for a Corporate Citizenship Coordinator to provide coordination, communication and management of all aspects of our Pinnacol Foundation scholarship program and coordinate all Pinnacol Assurance charitable contributions. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required as are excellent interpersonal and customer service skills. Candidates must be able to manage customer expectations and respond to issues requiring strong problem resolution skills. An ability to build strong relationships with children of parents who have been killed or seriously injured on the job is critical. Must be a self-starter, be able to work independently, and have excellent organizational skills with proven ability to manage multiple projects in order to meet deadlines. Excellent computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software). Must be detail oriented, able to demonstrate strong empathy through their interpersonal skills, and be able to maintain confidences.

The position also requires an understanding of basic accounting and mathematics. Knowledge of college financial aid requirements desirable as is knowledge of workers' compensation insurance and claims management. Candidates must have a valid Colorado driver's license and be able to provide proof of insurance. Bilingual (Spanish) preferred. A minimum of a High School diploma or GED is required though we would prefer two or more years of college or prior experience in administering financial scholarships along with two years related experience in in customer service or administrative work with prior claims experience a plus.

For immediate consideration we are asking candidates to please apply on-line.

The Future Appears to be in Good Hands...

In the last two days I have had the opportunity to volunteer twice with Goodwill through their High School outreach programs. Yesterday I was at George Washington High School in Denver meeting with a class to discuss trends in hiring, job search techniques, and other similar issues. Today Pinnacol was fortunate to host a busload of students from this same school at our headquarters. Today's sessions were more involved and included mock interviews and an open forum where students could ask questions of Pinnacol employees regarding career paths, education, job search tips, etc. Kudos to all of my fellow employees who worked very hard to put on such a great event. And I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Ruthann and the great folks at Goodwill for the amazing work they do in our community throughout the year. I had the easy job of showing up and discussing what I do every day which is to interview people interested in joining our company. In fact, I went directly from a real interview into the open forum session.

I've said this before, but it's still true - the young people I meet at these sessions never cease to amaze and energize me. Most of the time I ask as many questions and learn as much as they do. My favorite question today was to simply ask these students what they wanted to be when they got out of school. Part of me expected the answers to have been somewhat tempered by our country's recent hard times, but that was not the case. The aspirations of these young adults are as lofty as they have ever been. Students wanting to go to med school and become pediatricians, gynecologists, plastic surgeons, cardiologists were in abundance. Others wanted to go to Law School or start their own companies, and I had one student who was set on becoming an actor. Another wanted to travel and see the world. Listening to them and seeing the passion alive in their eyes made me a believer again. Tough times may still remain, but the energy and enthusiasm of the students we met today will go a long way towards making tomorrow better not only for them but for all of us.

University of Phoenix/Careerbuilder Job Fair on Thursday

The University of Phoenix and Careerbuilder are hosting a job fair this Thursday November 29th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Mile High Ballroom at the Denver Convention Center (700 14th Street, downtown Denver). I and Jennifer, one of my HR peers, will be attending and are looking forward to meeting with lots of folks to discuss current and potential openings with Pinnacol Assurance. Jennifer was actually highlighted in one of our first postings in 2010. At the time she was interning with us in anticipation of graduating from college and I spoke to her to gain her insights regarding her job search and her experience working with us. She'll be a great resource for job fair attendees to talk to as she has some recent real life experience in completing a successful job search.

We have a variety of positions open right now from Nursing and Underwriting to Customer Service and Administrative Support. 2012 has turned out to be a busy hiring year for us and it doesn't seem to show signs of slowing down any time soon. So if you are at the job fair on Thursday please stop by and say hello. Jennifer and I would love to meet you!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Ho, Ho, Ho! Oh wait, wrong holiday. Driving home at night I've already seen many houses all decked out with their holiday lights blazing, on T.V. you can't avoid the holiday advertising which seems to have taken the place of the political advertising, and everyone seems fixated on Black Friday deals. In between all that I think there is another holiday that I hope everyone will take a moment to enjoy. Not every country celebrates Thanksgiving, and in the countries that do its not always at this time of year (in Canada its the second Monday of October). Even in the U.S. Thanksgiving didn't get a fixed date until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November as the national day of thanks. So to get you in the spirit here's a quick quiz to test your knowledge of some of the American traditions surrounding Thanksgiving:

• Most folks know about and attribute the first American Thanksgiving to the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1621. Not everyone would agree - when and where would some folks in Texas argue the first Thanksgiving really took place?
• It's become a pretty regular occurrence that Presidents "pardon" their Turkey every year. Which President started this tradition and when?
• A lot of us will tune in, at least briefly, to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade from New York.
• When was the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
• When and what was the first balloon in the Parade?
• More than a few of us will also be watching some football before or after (hopefully not during) our Thanksgiving meal. When was the first football game played on Thanksgiving Day? Who were the teams?
• The Bald Eagle is the national symbol of the U.S. Who argued passionately that the Turkey  should have been given that honor?
• Which state produces the most Turkeys?

I've got the answers below. I didn't know any of the answers, but hopefully you'll do better! Regardless, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Treadmill Challenge a Big Success!

Most employers are starting to realize that having healthy employees is good for business. With so much of modern office work being of a sedentary nature companies are trying all sorts of things to get their employees up and moving. Without bragging too much I think Pinnacol has been ahead of the curve for years on this one. From on-site fitness classes and wellness center to health screenings and Nurse Health Coaches Pinnacol has been serious about focusing on employee health and wellness for years. One of our recent wellness initiatives was the brainchild of one of our Safety Consultants, Michael, and involved running a Treadmill Challenge where teams of four would compete against each other to see who could log the most distance. Each team member either ran or walked for 15 minutes. Each team had two walkers and two runners, with each broken into an "amateur" and a "professional" division.


The event was a resounding success with 35 teams (140 employees) logging a total of 195 miles with an average of 5.56 miles per team and 1.39 miles per person. Our Executive team were no slouches either and challenged the rest of the company to beat their distances. Teams got creative with their  names with monikers as diverse as "Run Forest Run", "Tread Safely", and "Tread Setters" to "Runnin' On Empty", "Lady Cheetahs", and "Toe Jammers".

The winning team logged 6.64 miles with their combined walk and run. Our two Executive teams? 4.77 and 5.71 miles - respectable, but they have their work cut out for them next year! One of the ladies on the winning team also had the single greatest distance in 15 minutes of 2.1 miles.

Ultimately of course it wasn't really about the greatest distance as everyone who participated can be considered a winner in the ongoing quest for improved and continued health. So congrats to all, and its none too soon to start getting in shape for Treadmill Challenge 2013! And a special Thank You! to Michael for coming up with such a great idea!

Executive Assistant to V.P. and General Counsel position now open!

We recently brought on our new General Counsel and to help support him in his role we are now  looking for an experienced Executive Assistant. This position will perform executive level administrative support duties. In speaking with our General Counsel he indicates that he is looking for someone having excellent telephone and outstanding inter-personal skills, with a key focus on developing and maintaining exceptional relationships with key stakeholders (e.g., CEO, Exec team, Board members, CEO/Exec assistants, Legal Dept., outside counsel, policyholders, agents, and Pinnacol employees). As you might imagine for this level of position, very high computer competency, especially with respect to Word (55 wpm typing speed), Outlook, Excel and Power Point is required.  As this position in part serves our Legal Team knowledge of Westlaw would be nice to have.

This position also requires strong problem solving and decision making capabilities and our General Counsel is looking for an independent worker with strong ability to plan, coordinate and organize projects. They must be trustworthy, have impeccable integrity, and have the ability to keep matters confidential, hold confidences and be discreet.  The successful candidate will be well organized, and as our General Counsel readily acknowledges, be capable of helping to keep him organized as well (e.g., paper/electronic files, calendar, etc.). A commitment to Company and Department strategy, values, behaviors, goals and objectives is required as are impeccable writing and grammar skills, and budgeting skills. Candidates must be flexible, adaptable, and experienced managing and embracing change.

This is definitely a people-facing position so the Executive Assistant will also be expected to be friendly, outgoing, cheerful, and willing to contribute independent ideas and speak-up yet fully support decisions once they are made. 4 years related experience in professional office environment is required with an Associates Degree or equivalent work experience desired in Business or related field.

If this sounds like something you are interested in we would love to hear from you! Please apply on-line on via the Careers section of our company website.

What next?

I see thousands of resumes in any given year and see a lot of tricks and tweaks designed to make one resume stand out from another. 99% of the resumes I see are still variations of the traditional paper-based format. Through the years people have played around with the traditional version by adding color, changing fonts, and adding pictures. As technology evolves so too will the resume, but what it will look like next remains to be seen. One version may be something like the following:

This is NOT my resume from Jordan McDonnell

When I first saw this I was pretty excited because what Mr. McDonnell has done is pretty cool. I love using technology and gadgets to do new things and his presentation of his resume information is certainly flashy and eye-catching. But the reality is that it took me conservatively about two minutes to get through his presentation. In that same time I could have reviewed 3-4 traditional resumes. At Pinnacol we still take some pride in the fact that we do personally review every resume that comes in. We don't rely on our applicant tracking system to screen candidates in or out of consideration. I can only imagine what it would be like to go through thousands of new resumes similar to Mr. McDonnell's. For companies that do use applicant tracking systems to screen candidates in or out I have no concept how their systems would handle candidate information like Mr. McDonnell presents.

Time will tell if Mr. McDonnell's use of technology eventually replaces the more traditional resume. If I was a candidate I would guess that I might hedge my bet by perhaps starting to do both. More and more I do see listed on candidates resumes a link to their personal website, and when the original resume passes the initial screen I will often go out and look at the extra electronic information. What do you think? Where will the future take us? There is certainly tremendous room for improvement in how companies with openings match up with candidates looking for opportunity.

Senior Underwriter position now available...

We'll be advertising this opportunity shortly but I wanted to let folks know that we are now looking for an experienced workers' compensation Underwriter to underwrite and price workers’ compensation insurance policies, review and resolve policy problems, and proactively manage a sizable book of program business.

This position acts as account/relationship manager for several different high-profile associations. Occasional in-state travel is required to attend meetings with agents, policyholders and association groups. Successful candidates for this position will have 3 to 5 years related experience in property/casualty insurance underwriting with direct experience with workers’ compensation insurance preferred. Candidates must possess strong interpersonal, customer service, analytical and presentation skills. A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is also required.

As always, if you are interested in this opportunity please apply online. We would love to hear from you!

Write It Right: Which Word is Correct?

I've shared some of Michelle's columns on Write It Right in the past. Michelle works on our Communications team and keeps our employees on their toes when it comes to all things prose. Take this fun quiz to test your “word choice” acumen.


Ah, word choices. We’ve covered a lot of them in this column over the years, including many of the examples in this quiz. Now it’s time to see if you’ve been paying attention! (answers at bottom)

1.He’ll get his just desserts/deserts in the end.
2.We’ll have to grin and bare/bear it just the same.
3.Apple fans have been waiting for the new iPhone with baited/bated breath.
4.The speech struck a chord/cord with many listeners.
5.He commanded a full complement/compliment of soldiers.
6.She didn’t seem fazed/phased by the outcome.
7.This quiz will test your medal/meddle/metal/mettle.
8.The students paid rapt/rapped/wrapped attention to the guest speaker.
9.After all, a friend in need is a friend in deed/indeed.
10.The smoke in the distance peaked/peeked/piqued their interest.
11.It’s a matter of principal/principle.
12.They’ll do better with free reign/rein to complete the project.
13.That new restaurant in Capitol/Capital Hill is great.
14.We pored/poured over the contract all week.
15.The ship floundered/foundered in the storm.

Answers:

1.deserts; only one s in the middle … think “get what you deserve”
2.bear; carry the load
3.bated
4.chord
5.complement; because it's complete
6.fazed
7.mettle; quality of temperament or disposition
8.rapt; wholly absorbed
9.indeed
10.piqued
11.principle; remember “the principal is your pal”
12.rein; “let go of the reins”
13.capitol; a building; think o in dome; but: Denver is the capital of Colorado.
14.pored; to gaze intently
15.foundered; founder means to sink; flounder means to thrash about wildly

Business Director Assistant position now available!

We are looking for a Business Director Assistant to provide support to three of our business team leaders and their multi-functional teams. Our Business Director Assistants perform a broad range of administrative duties such as: preparing reports and presentations using charts, graphs, and narratives , handling customer correspondence and customer relations, and work on special projects assigned by Business Directors. This position also maintains calendars for Business Directors, schedules meetings, makes travel arrangements and prepares team expense reports. Our Business Director Assistants also maintain calendars and time off schedules for the team and review staff timesheets for accuracy. They also plan and execute various events including group volunteering and team building activities.

Successful candidates must be able to handle multiple projects simultaneously with minimal direction while exercising frequent independent judgment within agreed-upon limits. Business Director Assistants must be able to act independently and exercise initiative in the coordination of administrative policies, regulations, and guidelines, projects, and financial analysis and be able to maintain effective working relationships with people throughout the organization while communicating effectively with the public and other agencies and organizations. Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, excellent verbal and written communication skills, along with the ability to analyze, assemble, and compile information for reports and 3-5 years of experience in support of managers are required. If this sounds like you we'd love to hear from you! Please apply online at www.pinnacol.com/careers. 

Picks and Nits...

If you were scheduled for an interview with company 'A' and then accepted another position with company 'B' before your interview with company 'A' would you:

1. Not call company 'A' and blow off the interview since you already have accepted another job
2. Call company 'A' and let them know that you had accepted another job and needed to cancel your interview but thank them for their interest in you
3. Go ahead and interview with company 'A' anyway since it never hurts to see what they might have to say

Recently we've seen some candidates select option number 1. Most of us might think this is obviously the wrong choice for a variety of reasons. First, it's exceptionally rude to accept any appointment, interview or otherwise, and then not show up and not call ahead to cancel. Second, it burns bridges. Most employers would think long and hard before reconsidering a candidate for future positions who has pulled a no call/no show in the past.

Option 2 is a good choice. We understand that people looking for a job are interviewing with companies other than ours and occasionally receive an offer from another company before they actually come in for their interview with us. However, the thirty seconds it takes to give us a call to cancel while thanking us for our interest keeps the individual in good standing regarding future opportunities they might be interested in.

I personally would opt for Option 3 based on my belief that it never hurts to hear what a company has to offer. The bird in the hand philosophy in a tough job market is understandable, but you never know - you might end up entertaining two job offers and be able to select the one you really want. I see that happen frequently enough that I always recommend this course of action.

On another note, three words that should never show up on an official application for employment are "Please see resume." I've blogged about this before but am starting to see this crop up more often with recent candidates completing their applications with us. If we were willing to simply accept the resume in lieu of an application we would tell you that and wouldn't ask candidates to go through the ordeal of filling out the application. The application is an official form and the information on it should be an accurate and complete reflection of your work experience. Resumes on the other hand are really just your personal advertisement of what you want a company to know and companies very clearly understand that they are not always an accurate reflection of past experience. "Please see resume" listed on our application also comes across as the candidate being too lazy to give us the information we have asked for. Candidates who take the time to completely fill out their applications get far more consideration with us than those who do not.

VP of Corporate and Community Affairs opportunity

We have an opening for a newly created position of Vice President of Corporate and Community Affairs. The primary role of this position is to develop, implement and communicate Pinnacol’s corporate and community strategies and policies to protect and promote business interests with respect to policyholders, agents, business associations, and regulatory and government officials. This role also directs and coordinates the policyholder, community and government relations activities of Pinnacol in support of business goals and objectives established by our Board of Directors, CEO and Executive Team and in conjunction with our CEO and General Counsel retains external lobbying services on the company's behalf.

What are we looking for in this position? The successful candidate must be able to build credibility while establishing trust with key corporate stakeholders and within all levels of the company. They must also be able to demonstrate an extensive knowledge of worker’s compensation industry, economic, regulatory, legislative and marketplace issues. The ability to assess, analyze and integrate information from stakeholders, competitors, markets and industry trend data to drive strategic and tactical decisions is critical. They must also have proven experience developing, and successfully advancing, policy initiatives along with extensive knowledge of politics and the legislative process at the state and local level.

In terms of education a Bachelor’s degree in government relations, political science, public relations, or a related field is required with a master’s and/or legal degree preferred. Extensive experience in community, legal and government affairs, interacting with community groups, business associations, legislators and regulators, and experience interacting and working with external lobbyists is also required.

If this position sounds like something you would be interested in we would love to hear from you. As always, we ask candidates to apply on-line via our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

New Business Representative position now open!

We have an immediate opportunity for a New Business Representative to write and review workers' compensation insurance policies, review and resolve policy problems, and assist with audits as needed for new policies.

The New Business Representative, or NBR as we refer to this position internally, serves as the primary point of contact for quoting and issuing many of our new policies. Ensuring the accuracy and completion of all forms needed to issue a policy, processing applications, and attend agency visits are key functions of this role. This position requires strong computer skills, the ability to type a minimum of 35 words per minute, and an understanding of basic accounting and mathematics. The ability to organize and prioritize caseloads and manage multiple priorities along with handling customers in a professional, courteous manner are critical. Bilingual capability  (English/Spanish) is a plus. Two years of college with 1-3 years of customer service are also required.

We periodically have openings in this area and for one our recent positions I had caught up with Amanda, now one of our Underwriters, when she was still an NBR for her insights into the job:



To apply for this position, please apply on-line at our company website.

Pinnacol Facilities Manager opportunity now open!

I have been with Pinnacol for 15+ years and have never posted  for this particular position in all that time. So to say this is a very rare opportunity is an understatement! We are looking for an experienced Facilities Manager who will be responsible for facility management, including building and grounds maintenance, lease administration, budgeting, management of maintenance employees, and supervision of contracted services. This position oversees our 140,000 square foot building and 4 acre campus with an emphasis on providing our employees with a safe, secure, and pleasant working environment.

I don't normally provide all the job responsibilities when I blog about our openings (it makes for a rather lonnngggg blog) as the full job description is available through the application process. However, since this is such an unusual posting for our company I wanted to provide a little more detail regarding the myriad of duties this position is responsible for.

Our Facilities Manager plans for short and long-term corporate projects by providing a cost benefit analysis, including making recommendations to the executive team as required and analyzes, develops, coordinates and manages modifications to the building and team layouts by ensuring feasibility, cost-effectiveness, general ergonomic issues and building safety. Responsibilities also include management and coordination of the budgets and expenditures for our Lowry building and the facilities team. This includes preparation of cost estimates for maintenance and repairs, forecasts of materials needed including furniture, and ordering of supplies and approval of all invoices and monitoring monthly budget reports.

The Facilities Manager may also perform journeyman maintenance duties, including troubleshooting, initial and final space planning using automated drafting software, electrical load calculations, estimations of square foot and construction costs. This position plans, supervises, and assists employees with maintenance and repairs to the building, grounds, and equipment and performs weekly test of generator, transfer switch, and life safety simulated tests to ensure proper operation. He or she will also proactively track, identify, implement and resolve facility components, equipment and service problems via partnerships with third party engineers, architects, contractors and service providers while ensuring that all facilities assets and equipment are properly maintained and warranties are used as required.

One of the key functions of the Facilities Manager is to direct, control, schedule the day-to-day operations for the facilities team, including special projects involving architects, engineers and third party contractors. The position also manages contracted services as necessary for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, janitorial, care and maintenance and conducts the negotiations and manages contracts with all facility related suppliers and contractors. The Facilities Manager also supervises external suppliers and contractors for execution of work and oversees completion. The Facilities Manager interfaces with landlord/property managers on leased properties for audit reviews, repairs, and maintenance while ensuring that all off-site property owned or leased by Pinnacol is properly maintained and utilized. This position also assists Human Resources and our contracted Occupational Therapist in resolving employee ergonomic problems by designing devices that are built by facilities staff and outside contractors. He or she will also ensure compliance with applicable building and safety codes, OSHA and environmental regulations and continuously identifies ways to eliminate safety hazards and improve the overall safety of the workplace.

Whew! There is obviously a lot involved in Facilities Management so as you might expect regular attendance and punctuality are essential functions of this position. Our Facilities Manager must be able to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends and be available on-call for emergencies by telephone and/or cell phone. He or she is required to be on-call 24/7 related to the data (computer) center and every 8 weeks for a 1 week period for general on-call rotation.

The Facilities Manager is expected to keep current on new facilities information, technologies and best practices and to maintain professional memberships in the Internal Facility Managers Association (IFMA) and other organizations as appropriate. This position also serves on our Incident Management Team (IMT) to document existing facility procedures and equipment needs for the purpose of business and disaster recovery.

Here is a synopsis of the knowledge, education, and experience generally required in this position:
Knowledge, Skills, Ability
• Must be customer-service focused and dedicated to meeting customer expectations and requirements.
• Extensive technical knowledge and experience in facility maintenance operations to include: plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems, building automation systems, building and grounds maintenance, and janitorial services
• Excellent project management skills with experience managing vendor contracts and ensuring projects are complete, on-time and within budget.
• Knowledge and ability to interpret and apply use of appropriate state and local safety, fire, construction, and building codes and regulations. Ability to read and interpret blueprints/drawings and specifications.
• Knowledge of the occupational hazards and safety precautions within the building trades industry necessary to minimize injury to employees and/or damage to equipment.
• Ability to analyze, interpret and evaluate problems and provide practical, cost effective solutions.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Excellent organization skills – ability to manage time and workload effectively which includes planning, organizing, and prioritizing attention to details.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external customers.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively communicate at all levels of the organization.
• Computer proficiency skills: Microsoft Office, computer drafting software, AutoCadd release, and basic JAVA programming.
• Must have valid driver's license and proof of insurance.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) capability preferred.

Education or Formal Training
Bachelor’s Degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field.

Experience
Minimum of five years progressive experience within the building maintenance and construction trade industry, including three years of supervisory experience.

Certifications/Licenses
FMA, CFM industry certifications preferred

If interested in this unique opportunity, please apply on-line.

Forbes Magazine List of Best Career Websites

The folks at Forbes Magazine have compiled a list of what they consider to be the top 75 Career websites. I work in Human Resources and spend most of my time in recruiting but I'll be the first to admit some of these sites were new to me. Of course there are the ones you might expect (LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed, etc.) but I'd encourage you to take a look at the list and explore some of the ones you might not already be familiar with. While there is no way any of us can manage to stay current with all 75, there are certainly some that will likely fit your interests and needs.

Not all of these are 'job boards'; in fact most appear to be sites helping people progress in their career once they already have a job. Some of my current favorites, including Evil HR Lady, Glassdoor, and InsideJobs made the list but what I'm looking forward to is exploring the rest! From finding internships and sites for new grads to helpful advice for women in the workplace that supplements Forbe's Top 100 Websites for Women list that came out in June, there's a lot of variety on the list. One of the more unusual ones is No Joe Schmo, which dedicates itself to profiling people in cool and crazy jobs and how they got there. Jacquelyn Smith, who did a nice job compiling the list and writing the Forbes article, also has a nice blog titled From Campus to Career that I have found interesting and entertaining in the past. Her most recent posting is a good example: The Most Outlandish Resume Mistakes of 2012. Happy browsing!

100 pounds of...

I had blogged more than a year ago about one of our employee's efforts benefiting the Ronald McDonald House. For every pound of soda can pop tops collected, a family can spend one night at the Ronald McDonald House to be near their sick child while they are in the hospital.

On a late Friday afternoon my thoughts were starting to turn to the upcoming weekend. It looks to be an absolutely gorgeous couple of days in the Denver area. As I was wandering back to my desk after running an errand upstairs I happened upon Betty, one of our team nurse case managers, out collecting pop tops. I quite honestly hadn't thought too much lately about the Ronald McDonald House program but Betty, who is the original champion of this program at Pinnacol, was clearly on a mission as she went from breakroom to breakroom collecting a handful of pop tops here, another handful there.

As you'll see in the picture a small handful multiplied over and over can quickly add up. I asked Betty if I could take a quick picture and she very graciously agreed while telling me that Pinnacol employees had already collected 75 pounds of pop tops this year. 75 pounds is what we collected at Pinnacol in all of 2011 and Betty has a goal of 100 pounds for 2012. I'm no mathematician but that translates to 100 nights families will be able to spend at the Ronald McDonald House. After I snapped the picture Betty went quietly about her task. Betty's example reminded me its often the littlest of actions that mean the most. Thank you Betty for your continued efforts at making our community a better place. I didn't get a chance to tell you, but I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Med Pay Reviewer Processor position now available!

I can't remember the last time we had an opportunity open to join our Medical Bill Payments team, but I know it's been a long time. We now have an opening for a a detail-oriented Med Pay Reviewer Processor who has at least 1 year of computerized claims processing experience, a good working knowledge of medical terminology including  CPT and ICD9 codes, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

This position reviews bills for services related to Pinnacol’s  liability as a workers’ compensation insurer and is responsible for reviewing or entering all fields on each bill to verify the data is correct and reviewing all system parameters to establish that billed charges are payable. Our Reviewers also apply the Colorado Workers' Compensation fee schedules and PPO discounts to billings and communicate with other departments and/or providers when required.

This position starts as office-based, but the option to work from home is available once a processor demonstrates mastery of the position and the ability  to meet daily production quality and quantity standards.  In fact, most of our processors work from home, though they have the option to work in the office if they prefer. Candidates must be familiar with CMS 1500 and UB94 billing forms as well as a variety of other types of billing.  Experience on PPO claims is a plus. For consideration please apply online at our company website.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a....

Every morning our communications team updates a section on our company intranet called Industry News. Our communications folks are very good at sharing articles about Pinnacol, our industry, and other topics such as health and wellness. A day or so ago one of the articles had an interesting round-up of stories related to celebrating the Labor Day Holiday. One of those stories involved the profession of window-washing. Ho-hum you might think.

The story wasn't talking about washing normal windows. It was about cleaning windows on the tallest structures in the world from the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center, to the Space Needle and the Burj Khalifa. Not familiar with the Burj Khalifa? It now holds the honor of the world's tallest building at 2,716 feet and 160 stories tall. For a fascinating look at this now 3 year old tallest of the tall click here. What I found interesting about the Burj Khalifa, apart from its physical size, is that its so tall they actually put the observation deck on the 124th level rather than at the very top.

What is common among all these buildings, apart from being very, very tall, is that they have a lot of windows that need periodic cleaning. And the cleaning of these structures remains a fairly manual process. I'm always fascinated by the tremendous variety of jobs that people are involved in on a daily basis. I can only imagine what it must be like to be perched 100 floors up with the wind tugging at you as you feel the stretch and bounce of a narrow ribbon of rope which is the only thing that separates you from a long plunge to the ground below. I'd guess though, that if you talked with some of the people doing this unique job its become very matter of fact, just another day outside of the office.


For a look at some of the pictures showing folks washing windows in some very precarious positions click here. I for one won't be quitting my day job anytime soon to join them!

Business Services Representative position available!

We are looking for a customer-oriented individual to join our team. The Business Services Representative  provides administrative support to underwriters, claims adjusters, nurses, other team members and interacts with our customers via the phone. This position often leads to promotional opportunities within our company. Candidates with college degrees are encouraged to apply. The position requires strong PC/software skills, math aptitude, excellent communication and customer service skills and be able to type 35 wpm. If you are interested in this opportunity please apply on line.

Looking for an Experienced Claims Representative

We are looking for an experienced Claims Representative on one of our Large Account teams. Our Claims Representatives work as part of our multi-functional teams to bring the claims of injured workers to resolution.

Assigned to specific policyholder accounts our Claims Representatives are expected to provide outstanding customer service to injured workers, policyholders, and other stakeholders. This position routinely staffs files with team nurses, return to work specialists, team leaders, claims experts and legal counsel as needed and makes use of all appropriate internal and external resources. Setting initial reserves, our Claims Representatives also maintain current and accurate reserves for all assigned cases and negotiate settlements.

This position can also serve as a technical resource to other team members including the mentoring of less experienced adjusters on complex issues and closure strategies.   3+ years of adjusting experience with direct exposure to workers’ compensation preferred. If you are interested please submit an application via our company website.

2012 Pinnacol Foundation Scholarships make a difference

There is no question that being injured on the job can be very traumatic, not just for the injured worker but also for the family members and others who care about, and often depend upon, the person who has been hurt. Workers' Compensation was created as a safety net and helps injured workers and their families by ensuring their medical bills are covered and providing lost-time wage compensation while the injured worker is off work. That said, for many families affected by a work-related injury they also suddenly face the challenge of how to help their children continue their dream of higher education.

In 2000 Pinnacol created a foundation to help these families by giving scholarships to the children of injured workers. Through the years the Pinnacol Foundation has helped nearly 350 students and has awarded nearly $2.5 million in scholarships to students for undergraduate studies and vocational training. This year's recipients join the group of other students who have benefited from the scholarships and have been able to pursue their dreams despite having a parent who has been injured on the job. 150 students received a Pinnacol Foundation scholarship for the 2012-2013 school year. Scholarship applications are accepted annually between January 1st and March 31st. For more information please visit pinnacol.com/foundation.

Nursing: RN Specialist opportunity now open!

Due to an upcoming retirement we are currently looking for an experienced Registered Nurse to help us ensure case management process integrity regarding workers' compensation insurance claims. This is a key position within our organization and has a primary emphasis on improving Utilization Management processes, system coordination, and staff development. Our RN Specialist has concurrent quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement (QI) responsibilities for those performance areas and coordinates their efforts closely with our Claims Specialists and Business Teams.

Some of the other focus areas include:

• conducting RN quality assurance monitoring,
• performing focused qualitative file reviews,
• and developing and facilitating technical training for new and existing staff

This position is also considered a technical expert on medical issues as they pertain to our claims. Requirements for this position include excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, the ability to effectively conduct training sessions, extensive knowledge of the Workers' Compensation system (preferred), expert knowledge of medical management and clinical practice guideline applications, and substantial experience with peer review performance management programs.

A Bachelors Degree in related field or equivalent experience on a year for year basis along with 5+ years related experience in Workers Compensation Insurance is preferred along with a substantial background in program and personnel management. A current Colorado license as a Registered Nurse is mandatory. If you are interested in our RN Specialist opportunity please let us know by submitting an application on-line at our company website.

Business Director/Team Leader opportunity available

We have an opening for an experienced insurance professional to lead one of our multi-functional workers' compensation insurance teams. These teams include underwriters, claims adjusters, nurses, customer support staff, and others.

Responsible for managing a fully loaded profit center, the Business Director directs efforts in developing and implementing strategies to provide competitive services and promote sales of new and existing insurance products and services.

Proven team leadership skills required as this position will lead 20 or more insurance professionals. A Bachelors degree or higher is required with 3+ years of experience in a significant leadership position in insurance or related field preferred.

We don't have too many of these opportunities occur so if you are interested in joining us in this role we would love to hear from you! Please apply on-line at our company website.

Staff Counsel opening now available...

We have an opportunity for an experienced Staff Counsel to join our Legal team. In speaking with Rob, who heads up this section of our legal group, he indicates that he is definitely looking for someone with extensive exposure to workers' compensation insurance. Licensure to practice law in Colorado is also required.

Our Staff Counsel provides legal advice and litigation management assistance to our business teams in an effort to reduce litigation volume, improve litigation outcomes, reduce claims and legal costs, monitor quality of service by outside counsel, and to analyze and resolve legal issues. If you are interested in this rare opportunity to join our Legal team, please apply on our company website.

Team Nurse Case Manager Opportunity!

It seems like we have been hiring a lot of nurses this year. Our Nurse Case Managers certainly play an integral role in the effective and compassionate management of injured workers claims, and we now have another opportunity for an RN to join us.

Providing telephonic case management handling the medical aspects of workers' compensation claims our nurses perform self-directed, professional level work in a fast paced team environment as they interact with injured workers, policyholders, and providers.

Most of our nurses come from the clinical environment and bring a broad clinical background. Experience with rehabilitation, occupational health, managed care, or emergency nursing is preferred and direct insurance exposure, though not required, is a plus. As you might expect, a current Colorado RN license is also required.

If you are an RN who has perhaps thought about making a change from the traditional clinical nursing world, this opportunity might be worth exploring!

Pinnacol 2011 Annual Report Now Available!

Pinnacol's 2011 Annual Report is now available. As a political subdivision directed to operate as a mutual insurance company Pinnacol is not required to prepare and make available an annual report, but for longer than the 15 years I have been with the company our organization has felt it important to put one out to share key information with our stakeholders. If you are reading this blog, then you are likely interested in possibly becoming a Pinnacol employee and our employees are certainly one of our key stakeholder groups. I have copies of all of the annual reports going back to 1995 which was when we were celebrating 80 years of service to Colorado. In just 3 more years we'll be recognizing a century of service so it's interesting to see how these reports have evolved over time.

As a candidate, a company's annual report (when available) is an invaluable tool for gathering insights into the organization's culture, mission, vision, values, and business performance. For the last several years our annual reports have been readily available on-line. I can remember back in 1997 when I was applying for a job with what was then our predecessor - the Colorado Compensation Insurance Authority - it was not easy to find a copy of the annual report at my local public library. Now with a single click the information that back then took a lot of leg work to gather is right at my fingertips.

I have seen a lot of annual reports through the years and I think the 2011 version does an extraordinary job of portraying our company.  In large part it does this through the eyes of some of our current employees. If you are interested in the possibility of working with us you owe it to yourself to spend some time perusing the wealth of information it contains - from the real challenges facing our company and our industry to our Board of Directors vision for our future.

Colorado Best Places to Work for 2012

As I write this I am attending the awards ceremony recognizing this year's Best Companies to Work in Colorado. All of the nominees and winners certainly make Colorado a better place to live and work so congratulations to all. You can see profiles of all the winners in the August issue of CoBiz magazine which has hosted the Best Companies awards for six years now.

I also attended the workshop this morning discussing how companies become a best place to work. All of the nominees have something in common and that is an emphasis on attracting and keeping the best employees they can find. Not surprisingly, these are people-centric organizations and Pinnacol is honored to have been recognized as a winner of this award in years past. It's nice to share the limelight with our fellow Best Place nominees and winners.

So for 2012 here are the official winners:
2012 Best Small Company to Work For: Infinity Systems Engineering
2012 Best Medium Company to Work For: ReadyTalk
2012 Best Large Company to Work For: Edward Jones

Some of these companies offer some very unique perks and benefits (such as pet sitting for example) but I was happy to see that Pinnacol offers many of these 'Best Company' benefits from strong community-focused volunteer programs, to generous paid time off with an emphasis on work-life balance and wellness programs. While we may never offer free beer to our employees (yes, there really is a company in Colorado who does this), the clear message from this year's session is that companies need to tailor a work environment, culture, and benefits package that resonates with their employees.

There is no one type of employee that would be the right fit for all of these companies, but clearly the employees at all of these organizations enjoy their work, the people they work with, and believe in and are committed to the mission and vision of their organizations. Congratulations to all of these great Colorado companies!

An interesting trip...

We'll be celebrating our 10 year anniversary at our Lowry location in September. I still remember the excitement of our first day in our new offices. Our old location in the Galleria Towers on South Colorado Blvd. was nice but to be able to move into a brand new facility was a once in a lifetime experience for most of us. One of the design features in our building is that all of our conference and meeting rooms are named after Colorado mountain passes. Many of them you would recognize - Loveland, Vail, Berthoud, and Boreas for example. Others are lesser known and with the advent of super highways such as I-70 are drifting into only vague memories of old-timers since most of us will likely never actually cross most of these passes ourselves.

Through the years I've often driven over well-known Monarch Pass on my way from the Arkansas River Valley to places farther west like Gunnison, Crested Butte, Telluride, and Durango. Near the western end of Monarch Pass there is a small town called Sargents that if you blink you'll likely miss at 65 mph as you fly by on smooth asphalt. If you bother to glance to your left at Sargents you'll see a dirt road heading southeast with a sign saying Marshall Pass. For years I had wondered what was up that road, and this weekend I finally had the chance to find out. I had always been intrigued with this particular pass because one of the meeting/interview rooms in the Human Resources area is named after this particular pass. So my wife and I loaded up the bikes and the camping gear and off we went.

Like most places in Colorado, Marshall Pass had a rich and vibrant history long before I set foot on this planet but little did I suspect when I pulled off Highway 50 and went from 65 to 20 mph on what turned out to be a dirt road suitable for most passenger cars. The pass is named after Lt. William Marshall who was part of the 1873 Wheeler Survey. In the Fall of that year finding himself struggling with a painful toothache he looked for a quicker route back to Denver than the normal, but longer route over Cochetopa Pass (another one of Human Resource's conference rooms). Struggling through deep snow he finally reached the pass and realized that he had discovered a route over which a road or rail line could easly be built.

Upon reaching Denver Lt. Marshall and a group of citizens promptly formed the Marshall Pass Toll Road Co. and the following year a wagon road was completed. Just a couple of years later, in 1881, a rail line was built as part of the Denver & Rio Grande's narrow guage route from Denver to Salt Lake City. At the top of the pass a small settlement, railroad station, and Post Office were established and by 1948 the 'town' boasted a population of 11 souls. Time magazine recognized the Post Office as America's smallest while the postmark bragged that it was the highest Railroad Post Office in the world. Interestingly, the elevation claimed on the postmark is 10,845 ft. while today's Forest Service sign at the top of the pass shows a slightly lesser 10,842 ft. Marshall Pass even has a ghostly legend associated with it regarding a phantom train that was seen chasing the real train ahead of it.

On this trip I didn't see any phantom trains but in the wind and the sporadic rain I experienced as we mountain biked up the manageable 3-4% grades I could easily imagine that I could hear the distant whistle of a train pulling itself higher and higher through the thin air. Evidence of the railroad, save for the rail right-of-way on which much of the current road sits, is scant. The rails were removed when the line closed in 1955. However, if you get out of your car, or off your mountain bike, and look closely in the fine cinders of the roadbed you will still find old railroad spikes left behind. If you interview with us, and your session happens to be in Marshall Pass, you'll now see one of these spikes on the side table, a silent testament to our conference room's namesake.

Partnering with Goodwill Industries to make a difference...

On Monday I had the opportunity to volunteer with Goodwill Industries. I was part of a four member Human Resources panel speaking to Goodwill career counselors who work with High School students  preparing them to find jobs in what remains a very tough job market. In the past I've sat on similar panels speaking directly with the students as well as participated in mock interviews. Goodwill is one of the partner organizations we regularly support through our company's volunteer program called Pinnacol In Action. Every Pinnacol employee is given 16 hours of paid time off to volunteer in the community. During the first quarter of 2012 our employees volunteered more than 3,000 hours with local charitable organizations.

The Goodwill counselors wanted to know what separates a good candidate from the rest. Most of the students they are working with are being exposed to resume and cover letter writing and applying and interviewing for jobs for the first time. As you might imagine, the message we tried to share from an HR perspective is much the same as we would give any potential applicant: have a concise, easy to read resume and cover letter free from typographical and grammatical errors, fill out applications completely (avoiding the "See resume" phrase when asked for details on the application), dress professionally and appropriately for the position they are applying for, and practice speaking articulately about what they have accomplished in school and in current and prior positions.

Many High School students face the additional challenge of not having much, if any, job history to speak to. For those students the panel recommended detailing volunteer experience, participation in school events, teams, clubs, etc. That recommendation was a not so subtle hint to the counselors to encourage their students to start participating in these activities as soon as possible. Many schools now make getting involved in volunteering an integral part of the educational experience. Not only will participating in such activities look good on their resume but it will also help students develop other skills that will serve them well as they go after their first real jobs.

The Goodwill counselors asked great questions and I hope the answers we shared as a panel are helpful. Eventually the job market will rebound but the competition for good entry level jobs is always fierce. From an employer's perspective the more prepared today's students are to enter the job market the better and I applaud Goodwill's many efforts in this area!

Business Intelligence Programmer Opening...

We have a critical team in our I.T. group that focuses on Business Intelligence and Decision Support. One of our folks in this group had the opportunity to move into our application development side to focus on mobile technology applications. That move has opened an opportunity for a Business Intelligence Programmer who will develop, maintain, and assist in the design of our business intelligence systems including, but not limited to, ETL scripts, html and java interfaces in Microstrategy and our mobile device applications. This position codes, maintains and assists in the design of data mart/warehouse tables, queries and metadata, tunes data mart/warehouse queries and other programs as required, and works with our Application Services and Data & Network Services teams to create and maintain interfaces between data marts/warehouse, information tools and production systems.

Candidates must be able to establish and maintain strong relations with Decision Support Services staff and internal customers throughout the organization.  The BI Programmer position plays a support role in DSS-related portions of IS Application Development projects, company-wide strategic initiatives, and business-focused initiatives.

Candidates should possess expertise in, and the ability to mentor, SQL and PL/SQL, as well as have expertise in ETL practices, html and Java. Also required is a high proficiency in advanced SQL tuning, table creation, indexing and links along with proficiency in data warehouse theory and applications, and star schema (Kimball Model).

A Bachelor's Degree in computer science/MIS, business/economics or statistics preferred or equivalent work experience. Experience with Oracle and/or other relational database management systems, the use of database query tools using SQL, working with data warehouse design, 3+ years related experience in Programming is also required.

This position works out of our Denver, CO headquarters. If interested in being considered for this new opportunity please apply via our company website!