Pinnacol employees say "Go Broncos!"

It's time to get up and cheer for the Broncos!

With the big game only two days away excitement is at a mile-high pitch and our employees are as excited as can be to see their Broncos in the Super Bowl. Even our new CEO Phil Kalin was all decked out in Bronco colors as he attended a quick rally to allow Pinnacol employees to voice their support for the soon-to-be Super Bowl champs.

The weather in Denver right now is frightful, and as I write this the snow is once again beginning to fall, but the forecast for the Meadowlands seems to be in our favor so Mr. Manning should have no problem throwing those ducks (as one Seattle player referred to them) into the end zone for touchdowns. As Doretha, my co-worker in Human Resources, likes to say, we only need one point - one point more than Seattle - and we'll be good to go. Within the HR team Doretha is known as our resident Bronco Superfan, but for today at least she had a whole lot of company! Go Broncos!!!

What happens to my application once I hit "SUBMIT"?

I know that for candidates looking for opportunities hitting the "Submit" button on an on-line application is an act of faith - an act of faith that the application isn't just disappearing into a black hole where it never sees the light of day. I thought I'd share what actually happens, at least at Pinnacol, to your application once you hit "Submit".

Immediately after you hit "Submit" three things automatically happen:

• A screen should come up letting you know that we have received your application and that it will be reviewed. It also let's you know that if we need additional information or would like to schedule an interview we will be in touch.
• An e-mail explaining the same thing as in the bullet above is automatically sent to the e-mail address you have given us. Occasionally people do mis-type their addresses so please make sure you enter yours correctly. We have heard from some candidates that they didn't receive this automatic e-mail and what we have found is depending on your e-mail system it may be getting held in the spam filter. So if you don't immediately see this e-mail please check your spam filter. 
• The third thing that happens is that your application comes to my desk in "My New Applications". I don't know if this will always be the case given where technology may go, but we still look at every single application  that comes in. Your application will be seen by human eyes. 

When we are reviewing your application we are looking to see how closely you match the requirements of the position for which you are applying. If it appears to be a good match we forward your information electronically to the hiring manager for their review. Working with the hiring manager we then come up with the list of candidates selected for an interview.

If your application is not a close match for the position you are applying for we do consider you for other positions that are open that might be a closer fit. Candidates should not be surprised if they sometimes receive a call from us regarding a position other than the one they applied for.

Candidates sometimes ask me whether we "save" their applications for future consideration when new positions become open. Your application is retained in our system but I always recommend to candidates that they complete a new application if they see another position in a month or so that they are interested in. We get a large volume of candidates so our focus is on those applying for the currently open positions and not on those who may have applied 6 months or a year ago.

When our positions are filled we take them off of the Careers section of our company website. We don't send out an e-mail to every candidate letting them know the position is now filled, but for those who have interviewed with us we will let them know their specific status.

That's a glimpse at what is happening behind the scenes to your application once you hit the "Submit" button. We really do appreciate your interest in our company and look forward to reviewing your information!

Orange Crush, Superbowl Hype, and perhaps what might be more important...

For those of you who bleed orange and blue this week must be tough to get through as we all wait for the big game this weekend. One of the Denver television newscasts even starts out every night with a huge countdown clock ticking away the seconds, minutes, and hours until kickoff.

I was in the grocery store last night and noticed as I walked down the soda aisle that there seemed to have been a run on Orange Crush so at least at my local Safeway unless they get some quick deliveries you are out of luck if you plan on serving this beverage of choice for Bronco Nation this weekend.

Thinking of soda pop got me to thinking about an article in our employee newsletter called "Inside Pinnacol" that gave us an update on the efforts of one our employees who collects soda can pop tops for charity. I've blogged about Betty, one of our Nurse Case Managers, before but since my last posting in 2011 she hasn't skipped a beat. Since starting her efforts in 2008 more than 314 pounds of pop tops have been collected with more than one hundred pounds in 2013 alone.

If you are unfamiliar with this program you are probably wondering why Pinnacol employees are collecting pop tops. Here's the reason: one pound of pop tops pays for a family to stay one night at a Ronald McDonald House to be near a child in the hospital. It takes approximately 1,300 pop-tops to hit the one pound mark. So the 314 pounds translates to 314 nights available to those dealing with a sick child. The goal for 2014 is for at least another 100 pounds which will put Betty's, and Pinnacol employees efforts past the 1 year of nights mark.

The scale and surrounding hype of this weekend's game is huge, and perhaps deservedly so, but my Bronco hat is off to Betty for her continued championing of such a neat, and worthwhile, program.

Nurse Case Manager opportunities now available!

We have two nurse opportunities currently available. Many nurses have never considered the careers in their field that are offered by insurance companies because in nursing school the emphasis is primarily on developing the skills needed in a clinical environment.

Recently I had a chance to speak to two of our employees, Sheri and Audra, about the work done by Pinnacol Nurse Case Managers. Sheri was in the Nurse Case Manager position for several years before moving up to manage one of our multi-functional insurance teams (which include not just Nurses but Claims Representatives, Underwriters, Auditors, and others). Audra also joined us originally in the Nurse Case Manager role but is now one of our Nurse Specialists. If you are a nurse who joins us Audra will be very active in your training.

If you have never thought about a nursing career outside of the traditional clinical world some of their insights may prove intriguing! If you are interested in applying for one of our current nursing opportunities we'd love to hear from you. As always, the place to start is by completing an application via our company website.



If you are also a reader of the Colorado Nurse you may also have seen our article talking about the nursing opportunities available in the insurance industry, but if you missed it I'm including it below.

(click on image to enlarge for easier reading)

Tips on Navigating our Applicant Tracking System

Like almost every company out there we use an applicant tracking system to help us manage all the people who are interested in positions with Pinnacol Assurance. I have yet to see the perfect system that balances ease of use for candidates with our need to have all the information in order to fully review your application. The following short video was designed to help folks navigate the process of applying with our company and we've included some tips on do's and don'ts as you communicate your interest in one of our open positions.

Claims Representative opportunity now available!

We have an opening for a Claims Representative. Our Claims Representatives work as part of a multi-functional team to bring the claims of injured workers to resolution. 

Assigned to specific policyholder accounts our Claims Representatives 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 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.   

We are looking at both entry level as well as experienced candidates for the current opening. Entry level candidates must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree while experienced adjusters should bring 3+ years of adjusting experience with direct exposure to workers’ compensation preferred.As always, we ask interested candidates to please apply on-line.

Pinnacol's new website is now live!

Our communications team has been working for several months redesigning and updating our company website. The new Pinnacol.com went live this morning. One note for folks interested in positions with us. On the old site the link to the Careers section was at the top of the page. It's now at the bottom of the page (depending on your device you may need to scroll down to see it). The new site offers lots of new features for all of our stakeholders so please check it out!

It's an orange kind of day...

If you are out and about anywhere in Colorado today and over the weekend and you aren't partial to the color orange you might want to bring your sunglasses. The Broncos, for those who aren't football followers, are in the playoffs and hosting the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers beat the Broncos, at home, in their first meeting so perhaps its time to turn the tables and put another "W" in the Broncos season record.

Probably like most companies today, there is a lot of orange here at Pinnacol. Even Governor Hickenlooper put in a plug for the Broncos in his State of the State speech yesterday. We don't normally get to wear Broncos attire at work, but it is casual day so the decision was made to allow employees to show their support for the home team. If you visit us for some reason today you'll likely be greeted by Aurora at the front desk so don't be surprised to see her all decked out in Bronco colors. I'm sure that if the Broncos are successful and continue on in the playoffs we'll continue to see an increasing amount of orange over the next several weeks and here's hoping that is the case!

Corporate Citizenship Coordinator

Readers of this blog are already familiar with the fact that Pinnacol employees are very involved in volunteering in the community and that Pinnacol Assurance spearheaded the creation of the Pinnacol Foundation in 2000 to help the children of Colorado workers killed or seriously injured in a compensable work-related accident—regardless of insurance carrier—pay for a post-secondary education. The Pinnacol Foundation, since its inception, has awarded nearly $3 million in scholarships to nearly 400 students. We are now looking for a Corporate Citizenship Coordinator to provide coordination, communication and management of all aspects of the Pinnacol Foundation scholarship program and to provide support for Pinnacol In Action (PIA), Pinnacol’s employee volunteer program. 

Candidates for this position should bring excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal and customer service skills. They 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. Candidates must also be able to build relationships with Pinnacol’s nonprofit volunteer partners. This position requires a self-starter, who is able to work independently, and has excellent organizational skills with the proven ability to manage multiple projects in order to meet deadlines. 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 along with excellent computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software). Knowledge of college financial aid requirements is 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. A college degree is required and prior experience in administering financial scholarships along with two years related experience in customer service or administrative work is a plus. 

For immediate consideration regarding this unique opportunity we ask candidates to please apply on-line.