Pinnacol Assurance Careers

CU Denver Program Bearing Fruit...

2012-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

Back in September 2010 I had put up a posting announcing a partnership between Pinnacol Assurance and the University of Colorado at Denver Business School to create a new Risk Management and Insurance Program. Traditionally, those interested in formal education programs in insurance would look to the East coast or the midwest for their schooling. With this first of its kind program in Colorado the Pinnacol/CU partnership would offer local students the chance to study and explore careers in insurance. Back then I wondered about who the first graduates of such a program would be.

The program is now bearing fruit as you'll see in the following video from the CU Denver School of Business. The first graduates are entering the job market and finding positions where they will help chart the future course of insurance.

The video details the journey of Jocelyn Horton who recently graduated from the program and is now working at ISU Insurance Services of Colorado. Congratulations to Jocelyn! We hope to see many more candidates like you in the years to come.

Strategic Nurse Case Manager Opportunity!

2012-01-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

I was looking at my records and we haven't had an opening for this position in quite a while. The manager of one of our Large Account teams notified me this afternoon that she is looking for a Strategic Nurse Case Manager to join her group.

This is a critical position at Pinnacol as nurse at this level manage some of our more complex claims. This position works with team members to identify and resolve complex medical and claims issues, establish adequate reserves, stabilize benefit payment, and achieve wherever possible full and final closure. The Strategic Nurse Case Manager also provides medical expertise relative to the handling of complex and catastrophic medical claims.

All of our nurses perform self-directed, professional level work in a fast paced team environment as they interact with injured workers, policyholders, and providers.

The successful candidate for this position will have 6+ years case management experience primarily in workers’ compensation and as you might expect requires a current Colorado RN license. If you are interested in this position please submit an application on-line at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

A Rather unique Employee Referral...

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Pinnacol, like many companies, has an employee referral program that rewards current employees for referring great talent to us for consideration. Usually these are folks that our employees know fairly well - friends, former co-workers, and close acquaintances. This morning I received a rather unusual employee referral from Susan, one of our Strategic Nurse Case Managers. She had seen a segment on CBS of a young man recently out of work who was taking a creative approach to his job search. Rather than sit at home and submit on-line applications all day, this gentleman was literally pounding the streets looking for a job. I'm sure he was a pleasant surprise for rush hour commuters used to seeing folks asking for a handout at intersections. Instead, he was armed with a smile, a business suit, a stack of resumes, and a sign proclaiming "I don't want your money, I want a career". Every job coach will tell you its important to be able to differentiate yourself from the rest of the multitude of candidates, but this was certainly taking that advice to a new level. Fortunately this young man, Jason, is on LinkedIn so it was easy to find him. And yes, I did invite him to connect and to touch base regarding a possible interview - not so much because of his initiative, which I do admire, but because one of our employees recognized a potential star and brought him to my attention. Thank you Susan!

Job Search Panel at Right Management

2012-01-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

As a recruiter for Pinnacol Assurance I get to occasionally attend sessions geared toward providing tips and insights to job seekers. It's one of my favorite things to do, and this afternoon the folks at Right Management (a special tip of the hat to Nicole for coordinating this event) were nice enough to include me on one of their panels. Every one of these sessions is unique, but the tips shared really apply to anyone in the market for a new opportunity.

Quite candidly, I usually end up learning as much as I share at these sessions both from the audience as well as from my fellow panel members. Today's panel was very diverse. Joining me today were Benji from Great West, David from TW Telecom, Jill from Centura, and Josh from Baxa. While Pinnacol has been recognized as a great place to work these folks really did a nice job at presenting their companies in a very positive light.

One thing was similar to other panels I've sat on - ask 5 recruiters the same question and you'll get five different answers. That's not all bad and I hope part of what today's audience took away is that there is no one right way, no magic bullet if you will, when it comes to searching for a job. Some of the things shared that we all had in common -

Your resume remains a critical weapon in your arsenal of job searching tools. There was the inevitable debate about what format is best, with no consensus reached, but we all agreed that it should highlight some of your accomplishments as well as give us information on what you've been doing and where you've been working. One great tip I picked up from Benji and Jill was their suggestion to put your acomplishments not necessarily at the top of the resume but tie them chronologically to where you were working. That way the recruiter doesn't have to guess about where or when your accomplishments took place. All of the panel was in agreement that typo's and grammatical errors on a resume are one of the quickest ways to get it into the "Do Not Consider" pile.
Make yourself easily accessible. There was some discussion about whether it was better to just list one phone number or several. There was agreement that if we, as recruiters, try to contact you its best to have your phone on as if you are expecting the call, and if our call has to go to voice mail to make sure to check your messages regularly and respond quickly. Jill mentioned she's seeing a trend where candidates don't put their full contact information on their resume, presumably on the belief that things like address and area codes might make us aware that you are not a local candidate. I've started to see a few of these myself and its not something I would recommend. Keep the physical address and phone on the resume along with the e-mail address. Again, make yourself easily accessible and don't make us guess or search for information we need about you.
Follow-up after the interview! As a panel we were pretty unanimous on this one. While recruiters need to explain the process of what happens after your interview (if they don't, ask!) the reality is that recruiters are dealing with large numbers of candidates and may not be able to touch base as frequently as you might like. Send a Thank You to everyone you interviewed with; if you didn't get the e-mail addresses of all those you met, send the Thank You to the recruiter and ask them to pass it along to the other interview participants. Follow up by phone or e-mail with the recruiter several days aftwards to check on your status.
LinkedIn was a hot topic at today's session. As Josh from Baxa said, if you are not on LinkedIn then shame on you. I would add that its not enough to simply put your profile up and then forget about it. The value of LinkedIn is in its ability to connect you to people you know, and introduce yourself to people you don't. Reach out to your connections and try to develop a relationship where you can be of some assistance to them, and they in turn can help you (if there is a better definition of "networking" I don't know what it is).
Soft skills (such as the ability to provide outstanding customer service to interact effectively with all sorts of people) are important. Several of the companies today mentioned that these interpersonal skills may actually supercede technical knowledge in many hiring decisions.

Some of the panel member's organizations have tens of thousands of employees. Jill, from Centura, pointed out that they are the State's 3rd largest employer behind King Soopers and Walmart. Some of the other company's represented on the panel, including Pinnacol, have fewer than a thousand employees. Some of my counterparts have hundreds of positions open at any given time whereas in a normal year Pinnacol may only hire 50-100 new employees. The way each of us approach trying to actually hire all those people may vary, but one thing is certain - we are all looking for the best possible candidates we can find for every position we fill.

Thank you to Nicole and all my fellow panel members as well as to the attendees at today's session. I hope they got as much out of the session as I did!

Underwriter opportunity now available!

2012-01-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

We have a new opportunity to join one of our teams as an Underwriter to write and price workers’ compensation insurance policies, review and resolve policy problems, and proactively manage a book of business.

Insurance Underwriters basically analyze risk and determine the price of a policy that will cover that risk. In workers' compensation, risk (the likelihood that someone will get hurt) is primarily determined by the type of work a company is doing - running a trucking company versus a ski area, building homes versus drilling for oil, etc. Every type of job you can imagine has a unique risk associated with it.

Our Underwriters occasionally travel to attend meetings with agents and policyholders. Successful candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. Though not required, some related experience in property/casualty insurance underwriting with direct experience with workers’ compensation insurance would be a plus. Strong interpersonal, customer service, analytical and presentation skills are defintiely required.

Underwriting, along with claims handling, is at the heart of what every insurance company does so the current Underwriter opening represents a true career opportunity for the right individual! If interested, please complete an application on-line at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

Write It Right: One Word or Two?

2012-01-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

Some of the trickiest word choices involve the age-old question, "Is it one word or two?" In a few cases, the one-word versions aren't words at all. Take a look at the following examples.

a hold — means "in one's grasp or possession." You've really got a hold on me.
ahold — not a word. Don't use.

a lot — an informal phrase meaning "many." The audience had a lot of questions.
alot — not a word. Don't use.

Not to be confused with:
allot — means "to give or apportion something as a share or task." Let's allot our time carefully.

all right — means "good." We'll be all right if we stick to our plan.
alright — a questionable word at best. Some dictionaries list it with the same meaning as "all right," but Pinnacol's communications "bible" — The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook — says to "never" use. We agree with the AP recommendation.

all ready — means "ready"; the word "all" is often unnecessary. I'm (all) ready to go.
already — means "by now" or "prior to." We've already completed that project.

all together — means "together in a single group." Let's sing it all together now!
altogether — means "completely" or "in all." The concept was altogether ridiculous.

any one — means "any single thing or person." Any one of our ideas would have worked.
anyone — means "any person." Did anyone remember to turn off the lights?

any way — means "any manner or method." I don't see any way to finish the proposal.
anyway — means "regardless." Let's try to finish it anyway.

every day — means "each day." He's been late every day this week.
everyday — means "normal or routine." He's also been slow to learn his everyday tasks.

every one — means "every single thing or person." I could have tried every one of those desserts.
everyone — means "all the people." Is everyone ready to begin?

Thanks to Collin, our senior communications specialist, for suggesting this month's topic and to Michelle who every month puts together the "Write It Right" series.

A Winter Wonderland

2012-01-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

For our readers in Colorado who woke up to a surprising amount of snow and ice on the roads for the morning commute it was anything but a Winter Wonderland, although I did marvel at the physics in operation as I watched an RTD bus sliding down a slight incline on one of our major roads just missing several cars trying to pass.

You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief as people successfully arrived at whatever location they were heading for. So with all that going on I almost didn't avail myself of my lunchtime exercise. Pinnacol actively encourages employees to be physically active during the work day. I could easily have been tempted to opt for the on-site (and inside!) fitness center, but with the sun just barely starting to peak through the clouds at our location at lunch I threw on the coat and headed out into the elements.

At first I questioned the wisdom (or was it lunacy?) of braving the cold and wind but the Lowry community in which our headquarters is located offers some very nice walking paths, trails and parks near our building. Its always nice to get out and get some fresh air and today I made first snowy tracks on some of the trails that would normally be filled with walkers, joggers, and cyclists. Arriving at one of the local parks I stopped for a moment to just enjoy the equisite silence of a snowy January day. Looking around I appreciated how different the landscape looks under a mantle of white, and with the clouds coming and going overhead even the whiteness was taking on various hues and textures.

I don't normally take pictures during these excursions but for those of you dreading the commute home this evening I thought I'd share a cell phone shot I captured as I returned to the office. I know our commute home won't be much more fun than it was this morning, but with all of that, the world is still a very beautiful place.

Pinnacol Foundation Scholarship Program now accepting applications!

2012-01-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

The Pinnacol Foundation provides scholarships to the children of Colorado’s injured workers and is now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year with an application deadline of March 31, 2012.

Since its inception the Pinnacol Foundation has provided scholarships to children whose parents have been killed or seriously injured in work-related accidents. The scholarships can be used for vocational training or college, including graduate school.

“We are proud to have awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to Colorado students since 2000,” said Carole Sumption, chair of the Pinnacol Foundation. “These are students who have faced significant obstacles in their pursuit of post-secondary education because of the loss or serious injury to a parent. Through the Foundation, these individuals will have the opportunity to maximize their talents and achieve their educational goals.”

Last year the Pinnacol Foundation awarded $579,000 to 136 Colorado students for college or vocational training. Scholarships are funded through the donations of Pinnacol stakeholders and other friends of the Pinnacol Foundation. Award amounts vary, but the average scholarship is approximately $5,000 for each school year.

To qualify, students must be the natural, adopted, step-child or full dependent of a worker killed or seriously injured in a compensable work-related accident while employed by a Colorado-based company, regardless of insurance carrier. Students must be between the ages of 16 and 25 at the time of application.

If you know of someone who might qualify and benefit from the scholarship please have them visit www.pinnacol.com/foundation or call 303-361-4775 for more information.

How to complete an application in our new system...

2012-01-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

At the start of January we brought online a new application system for candidates interested in being considered for positions with our company. I thought I'd share some insights and helpful tips for folks interested in submitting their application in the new system.

The first step is to simply review the list of current openings on our company website (http://www.pinnacol.com/careers/current-opportunities). Here you will see the title of the position and a brief synopsis of the position.

If you see a position you are interested in applying for you will click on the application link (https://www5.ultirecruit.com/PIN1003/JobBoard/ListJobs.aspx) which will take you our on-line job board where you will actually complete the application.

Click on the title of the position you are interested in and it will bring up more detailed information including the full job description. From this page you can click on APPLY ONLINE to submit your application or SEND THIS JOB TO A FRIEND to forward the job announcement to someone you know.

When you click on APPLY ONLINE it will ask you to create a new account, or simply sign in if you already have an account. When you first create your account the system will ask you to copy and paste your resume and then will gather some additional basic information. The online system will retain your information so you will need to enter most of it only one time.

Once you have created your account, click on the NEXT button at the bottom of the page to continue to fill out the application. The next screen begins the true application. My recommendation is to completely answer every question asked and I can tell you from reviewing thousands of applications each year it always raises red flags when questions are left blank.

Clicking on NEXT takes you the screen which asks about education.

After this, the next screen asks about any Licenses or Certifications you might have. From there its on to the real heart of the application - your employment history. Don't make the mistake of assuming that because we have your resume you can fly through this page! I've blogged about this before, but everyone understands that resumes are sometimes embellished as they are really your personal advertisement, but what you enter on the Employment History screen should be 100% accurate and complete. We ask for 10 years of employment history. For folks just entering the job market (recent grads for example) we know you may not have 10 years experience. That's fine - just detail what you do have.

The NEXT screen will ask about additional specific skills you have (typing, computer software, bilingual etc.). The last question on this page asks you to describe any other skills, education, or experience that might help qualify you for the position you are applying for. This is a golden opportunity to sell yourself in your own words - so don't pass up on the occasion to do so!

Still with me? Good, because you are almost done! The next screen is going to ask you to list references - 3 people, preferably current or former supervisors - who will put in a good word on your behalf. This screen also asks you to list any of our current employees who know you, and yes, we do circle back with them to get their thoughts on why you would be a good fit for Pinnacol.

Clicking NEXT brings us to the third to last screen that will ask you to verify that the information you have given us is true and complete. Simply type in your name and date and you are just two quick screens away from being finished!

The next screen will ask you how you heard about the position (were you referred by one of our employees, saw us on the internet, saw a job ad, etc.). Then you are on to the final screen which asks for voluntary self-identification (gender, military service, and ethnic background). You don't have to give us this information but we appreciate it when you do. This information is confidential and is not viewed by those reviewing your application for the position you are applying for.

At the end of the application when you are finished you should see the following screen pop up indicating that your application has been received.

Done!

We know the new application takes a little longer than our old system but it really does give our hiring managers more complete information as they review candidates for their open positions. Thank you for your patience in completing our application and for your interest in our company!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

And welcome to 2012! 2011 proved to be an interesting year, but in 20/20 hindsight what year doesn't?

We have several opportunities open already as well as a system change in how we accept applications from candidates. First the current openings:

SIU Investigations Assistant. This position provides assistance to our Investigators as they investigate allegations of fraud and is responsible for conducting records research and obtaining documentation from courts, law enforcement agencies, and state and local entities. This position also obtains driving records, registrations, photo identifications, and driver's license applications, and conducts background investigations. The successful candidate must be assertive, thorough, and diligent in conducting the research necessary to obtain the required information. Two years in worker’s compensation insurance, investigations, or paralegal/legal/records research experience is preferred along with strong PC/software skills. This is an ideal entry level opportunity for recent graduates in Criminology. Travel within the state via personal vehicle is required so candidates must possess a valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance.
Business Services Representative. Our BSR'smust be exceptionally customer-oriented as they provide administrative support to underwriters, claims adjusters, nurses, other team members while interacting with Pinnacol customers via the phone. This position often leads to promotional opportunities within our company. A High School diploma or GED is required, and candidates with some college or a college degree are also 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.
Software Quality Analyst. We are looking for an experienced Software Quality Analyst to test business intelligence software applications and other systems using defined quality control and quality assurance methodologies to ensure a high level of software quality. This position is part of our Decision Support team and will measure quality and identify defects, using a variety of testing techniques in accordance with pre-developed test plans. Documents and logs all defects using Pinnacol’s systems for quality assurance, work management, and project management and performs risk analysis for assigned projects and develops test cases, including the selection of testing techniques, to mitigate risks. The position requires Bachelors Degree in computer science, information technology, or related field, or equivalent experience on a year-for-year basis along with 3+ years in testing and QA. Work with SQL and a solid understanding of relational database concepts is also needed and experience in automated testing is a plus.
Business Intelligence Programmer. This position develops, maintains, and assists 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. 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. Position plays 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, PL/SQL and SQL*Plus, 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). Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience; computer science degree/MIS, business/economics or statistics preferred. 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 required.

That's quite a mix of opportunities, from investigations, to business team support, to business intelligence and all in the first week of the year! Something else that happened this first week of 2012 is that we switched our Candidate Application system. The new system will streamline our getting candidate information in front of hiring managers for their review which is a good thing for all concerned! It will also streamline the process for candidates by allowing all applicants to complete an actual application that will now be stored and can be edited as you apply for different positions with our company.

One important note: we are asking candidates who have applied in recent months by completing an application in our old system and are interested in being considered for our current openings to please complete an application in the new system. If you have feedback on the new system from a candidate's perspective I'd love to hear it. Let me know your thoughts at david.mabry@pinnacol.com. As always, you access to our job openings and the application though our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

So, we are off to a busy start. Here is wishing everyone a bright and successful new year!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Pinnacol Assurance!

2011-12-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Pinnacol is strongly committed to giving back to Colorado. As a part of that, we provide our employees time off in which they can volunteer in the community. From Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the National Sports Center for the Disabled to Volunteers of America and Junior Achievement, as well as with many other organizations, Pinnacol employees volunteer thousands of hours every year giving back to the communities we serve and in which we live.

At this time of the year some of our employees visit local assisted living centers and serenade their residents with songs of the holiday season. I thought it would be fun to catch up with these folks and share some of what they do with you!

Write It Right - Keep It Simple!

2011-12-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Michelle of our communications team this month focuses on eliminating obfuscating buzzwords from everyday conversations. She probably wouldn't approve of my use of the word obfuscating, as she might feel it unnecessarily confuses things, but oh well... So in the spirit of KISS - keep it simple... - here goes:

When in doubt, just use plain English!

It happens every few years: A new set of business "buzzwords" starts cropping up in meetings, emails and everyday conversations. Here are some that simply need to go.

1."Capitalizing": This can mean "make money from," "make the most of" or a number of things. Be specific instead of relying on the buzzword.

2."Deploy": Even if the project seems important, it's probably not equal to sending troops into battle. "Start" or "begin using" work just fine.

3."In brief": Keeping things concise is great! So, why not eliminate these two unnecessary words as well?

4."Mission critical": See #2. Unless you work at the Pentagon or NASA, this is fairly pretentious. "Important" works well, or simply "critical" if the situation seems dire.

5."On the same page": But heavens, what if we’re on different paragraphs? Seriously, just use “agree.”

6."Ramp up": "Increase." Enough said.

7."Spearheaded": See #2 and #4. "Led" will usually work just fine.

8."Streamline": Does this mean to make something "faster," "simpler," "easier to use" or many others? Again, be specific — and use plain English.

9."Think outside the box": Ironically, using this hackneyed phrase is the opposite of original thinking. Instead, just ask for some "fresh ideas."

10."Utilize": Please, just use "use."

Thanks Michelle for some great tips. On a similar vein, the Harvard Business Review recently had an interesting blog about eliminating meaningless words that you also might want to check out.

And finally, from a piece attributed to one of the masters of the written word - Mark Twain (though there is some debate as to whether he actually penned these words himself) - I'll leave you with his plan for improving the English language...

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all.

Generally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeiniing voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x"— bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez —tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivili.

Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

Opportunity for Quality Assurance Migration Analyst!

2011-11-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

We have a rather different opportunity available right now for an individual to help manage the migration of new code and new programs from the test to the acceptance to the production environment. The formal job announcement is below but in talking with the hiring manager, Stewart, I found he is looking for someone with strong related technical skills as well as the ability to interact very effectively with other team members and customers. This position does work occasional nights and weekends as items are migrated and this position is also on-call on a rotating basis with other members of the team. If you have the skills listed below we would love to hear from you!

Quality Assurance/Migration Analyst

Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance, is seeking an experienced Quality Assurance/Migration Analyst who’s primary responsibility is to maintain version control while working with developers to implement all changes and maintain the turnover process of programs and procedures from the test environment to production. Among the key duties are:

• Design, manage and optimize daily batch processes.
• Update and maintain Designer with all table modifications, new tables, views, sequences and generating the appropriate ddl's.
• Apply all changes to the Acceptance database for user testing.
• Maintaining and administering Mitigation of Objects.
• Coordinating moving of modules and insuring that the proper versions are moved.
• Promote all objects to appropriate environment and ensure that all invalid objects are recompiled.
• Work closely with the developers to implement their projects into Acceptance database and ensure that everything is production ready.
• Communicate with Database Administrators when changes are ready for production and the proper sequence for the changes to be made.
• Monitor nightly production batch.
• Ensure that the acceptance environment is in sync with production for accurate batch testing.
• Assist developers with Appworx questions and design.
• Notify and assist print operations with batch processing questions, reprints, and problems.

Knowledge of, and experience with Unix and SQL Plus are required with exposure to Oracle Forms and Oracle Designer a plus. This position also requires effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communications skills, excellent organization skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities. Bachelors Degree in Computer Science or Business preferred but will consider equivalent related technical work experience on a year for year basis. 2 to 3 years experience in programming required with 1-3 years related experience in a quality assurance role a plus.

This position does require that a beeper be carried at all times and employee be on-call at designated times. When on-call, the employee must be able to respond to a pager call within 15 minutes. Employee will be required to resolve the issue/problem either by dialing in from home or returning to the workplace within one hour if required. Occasionally will work evenings and weekends to migrate code to production environments.

For immediate consideration, please complete an expression of interest via our company website at http://www.pinnacol.com/careers/current-opportunities. To explore what it is like to work with our company please visit our Careers Blog at http://pinnacolcareers.blogspot.com/.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

2011 has flown by and here we are a week away from Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the traditional start of the Holiday season. Of course the holiday ads are already well underway on T.V. and driving home from work last night I saw several houses already decked out in their holiday lights.

Thanksgiving in this country dates back to 1621 though it wasn't until 1863 that it was recognized as a national holiday (for a quick history of Thanksgiving click here). The "banquet" the survivors of the Mayflower partook of 390 years ago bears little resemblance to the 'traditional' feast many Americans look forward to today, but the heart of the holiday still remains the same - taking a moment to pause and give thanks.

One of our staffing partners, Stivers, sent me a letter yesterday that included the following reflections on this that I thought I'd share with you before we all get caught up in the inevitable hustle and bustle that this time of year brings.

On Second Thought,

I’m Thankful for

…the mess to clean after a party, because it means I’m surrounded by friends

…the taxes I pay, because it means I am employed

…the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat

…my shadow who watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine

…a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home

…all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means we have freedom of speech

…the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking

…my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm

…the lady behind me who sings off-key, because it means I can hear

…the piles of laundry and ironing, because it means my loved ones are nearby

…weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been productive

…the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means I am alive to see another day

In today's challenging times I know not everyone enjoys all of the blessings mentioned above. Still I appreciated the sentiment that the very things that we sometimes see as burdens may actually be reflections of the things we have to be thankful for. With that in mind, here is wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

New Business Representative opportunity now open!

2011-11-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

Pinnacol Assurance has 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.

This position 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 attending 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 (Spanish) is a plus. Two years of college with 1-3 years of customer service are also required.

Interested candidates are asked to complete an expression of interest via our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers. We had an opportunity in this area a couple of months ago and you can see a video of one of our NBR's discussing the position under that announcement.

Write It Right: re·dun·dan·cy

2011-11-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

I was meeting yesterday with one of our managers and reviewing resumes of candidates applying for one of our current opportunities. Like may of our managers she has a pet peeve against spelling, punctuation, and gramatical errors on cover letters and resumes. She's pretty quick to move those containing such errors from the 'maybe' pile to the 'no' pile.

Michelle, who works on our communications team, continues to write articles to help our employees improve their writing skills, and many of these articles are pertinent to candidates interested in positions with our company. Michelle's latest article concerns redundancy (re·dun·dan·cy Excessive wordiness or repetition in expression):

Some things that sound OK in conversation look fairly silly in writing.

Some words simply "say it all." Avoid these redundant words and phrases in your writing.
•"We're absolutely certain the figures are correct."

"The results are absolutely guaranteed."

If you're certain, then you already have no doubt. And a guarantee is by nature absolute. "Absolutely" is unnecessary — and redundant — in both cases.

•"We arrived at these conclusions through actual experience."

"It's an actual fact that revenue is down."

An experience is something that occurred. A fact is something confirmed to have happened. "Actual" is extraneous in these instances.

•"They may add additional benefits to the program."

To add is to provide another of something. "Additional" is extraneous.

•"We're offering this as an added bonus."

A bonus is an extra feature, so "added" is unnecessary.

•"We should provide some advance (insert any of the following) notice/planning/warning for this change."

Notices, planning and warnings are all actions that occur before an event.
"Advance" is superfluous.

•"At the present time, we are addressing the issue."

"Are" is a present-tense verb, i.e., it's happening now. "At the present time" is unnecessary.

•"I'll provide the basic (insert either of the following) fundamentals/essentials for the project."

Fundamentals and essentials are by their nature elementary. Remove "basic" from either phrase.

•"The accident occurred at a time when safety procedures weren't being followed."

"When" is more than adequate as a time reference here. "At a time" is redundant.

•"The two teams should (insert either of the following) collaborate/meet together."

"Collaborate" and "meet" are both actions done collectively. "Together" is unnecessary in either case.

•"I am currently working on the proposal."

"Am" is another present-tense verb; therefore, "currently" is unnecessary.

Michelle will look at more redundant words and phrases in a future upcoming (oops) column.

Business Intelligence Programmer opportunity

2011-11-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

I had just posted a Microstrategy Architect position and am now adding an additional opportunity for a Business Intelligence Programmer. Both of these positions are part of our Decision Support team. The Business Intelligence Programmer develops, maintains, and assists 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 also 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.

This position plays 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, PL/SQL and SQL*Plus, 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). Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience; computer science degree/MIS, business/economics or statistics preferred. 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 required. Phew! If you have all that, we'd love to hear from you!

Microstrategy Administrator opportunity now open!

2011-11-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

Our IT group has a full crew of programmers and developers, database administrators and network engineers, and help desk staff to support all the technology we depend on. We also have a group of dedicated staff who work in our Decision Support team who's job it is to get the right data from the database and then translate it into useable information for the business side. We use a tool called Microstrategy to aid in this function and we have an opportunity for a Microstrategy Administrator. The requirements for this position are pretty specific and there are not a whole lot of these folks out there, but if you have the skills described below we would love to talk with you! Local candidates as well as candidates interested in moving to Colorado should submit their information via our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers/current-opportunities. Here is what we are looking for:

Pinnacol Assurance is looking for a Microstrategy Administrator to be responsible for design and implementation of the Microstrategy schema layer, Microstrategy web interface, object and user management and assisting analysts with complex problem solving.This position architects highly reliable, scalable, extensible, and maintainable BI projects using MicroStrategy.

Working with business users and Product Managers to understand project requirements, the Administrator creates and maintains MicroStrategy metadata objects, handles MicroStrategy user and Microstrategy Narrowcast management and provides support to report developers in creating complicated objects. This position also works closely with data modelers to make sure physical database schema is optimal for MicroStrategy usage and works closely with DWD and Analysts to define and architect features and products that require significant cross-component coordination.

Responsibilities also include evaluating and suggesting ways to optimize systems usage, supports team training projects as needed, and acts as a mentor and role model to team members by assisting them with required job responsibilities and providing input to their skill and knowledge growth. Requirements include experience as a MicroStrategy schema manager, user management, narrowcast and report creator, and BI project design experience with MicroStrategy. SQL, PL/SQL and SQL*Plus, Oracle and Unix, Data warehouse and data modeling skills, Web development languages- Java, ruby, flash, and Writing design documents and technical specifications are also important competencies.

Records Technician opportunity now available!

2011-11-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol Assurance has an opening for a Records Technician to deliver and maintain accurate corporate claims and policy files and to continue to create a "paperless" file system by scanning physical files to electronic form. We haven’t had one of these openings in quite some time so I caught up with Amanda, who manages this group, to find out what she is looking for in the ideal candidate. What I found out is that this really is a tremendous opportunity for the right candidate to join our company and begin growing their career. I wasn’t surprised to find that this position requires good spelling, punctuation, grammar and filing skills. Strong time management and accurate and thorough data entry skills are also a must. And, as you might imagine, our Records Technicians also need to have strong attention to detail along with an ability to work independently with little direction or supervision. A minimum of a High School Diploma or GED is required but Amanda will also consider those with higher education seeking to begin their careers and wishing to advance within our company. If interested in this opportunity please complete an expression of interest via our company website.

Help Desk Specialist opportunity!

2011-10-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

It has been several years since we have had an opening in our Help Desk team so I'm excited to announce that we have a vacancy for a Help Desk Specialist. I touched base with the hiring manager, Tim, to get his thoughts on what he's looking for in the next addition to his team. As you'll hear, Tim has been with us for 22 years. As impressive as that is, his vacancy is open due to an upcoming retirement of an employee who has more than 30 years with us! Needless to say, some big shoes to fill, but a wonderful opportunity for someone with the right skills.

This position will also be advertised so I am including the actual job announcement as well:

Help Desk Specialist

Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado's leading provider of workers' compensation insurance, is seeking a Help Desk Specialist to provide the information and assistance to users of our information systems to ensure that technical problems are resolved before they become an impact to our customers. This position answers telephone, E-mail, and personal requests for help and information and provides first and second level support on Word, Excel, Internet e-mail applications, Windows OS and Mac OS environment as well as all company telecommunications hardware, including voice mail. Responsibilities include remote access set-up and support, including remote device support. Our Help desk Specialists utilize a call tracking and asset management system, and document all problems and their resolution. This position also visits customers at their workstations for problems that require it and swaps out hardware as needed to ensure that impact to the customer is minimal and reacts to potential network and system problems before they impact the customer.

The Help desk Specialist position requires outstanding customer service skills, a passion for helping others, and professional level communications skills along with the ability to troubleshoot and performance tune workstation hardware and software. Proven operational problem solving abilities and the ability to work and contribute in a team environment are critical.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of a High School Diploma or GED, some college level courses and/or certification program(s) in Computer Science, Data Communications, and Telecommunications or equivalent experience. Microsoft and Apple certifications are desirable. 1-3 years related experience in a Customer Service field, two years support experience in a client / server environment, and one year experience using a Help Desk call tracking/asset management software desired.

This position requires that a smart phone be carried at all times and employee will be on-call at designated times. As a requirement of being on-call, the employee must be able to respond to a call within 15 minutes. Employee will be required to resolve the issue/problem either by remote access from home or returning to the workplace within one hour if required.

If interested, please complete an expression of interest via our company website.

Pinnacol Employees celebrate Diversity with Food Festival

2011-10-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Every other year our Diversity Task Force hosts an Around the World Food Festival to celebrate the vast array of backgrounds our employees bring to Pinnacol. This is always one of the most anticipated and well-attended company events and this year was no exception.

Employees were able to sample foods from more than 20 countries featuring recipes such as "Blue Drawers" from Jamaica and "Doro Wot" from Ethiopia to "Okroska" from Russia and "Chiftelute" from Romania. We have a lot of great cooks at Pinnacol and this is a great way to bring people together. If only it was held every year...

Write It Right!

2011-09-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that proofreading and spellchecking one's resume and cover letter are critical must-do's before candidates hit the "SUBMIT" button as they apply for jobs. We still see a lot of these coming in with all sorts of spelling and grammatical errors and I have several managers who won't consider a candidate further if they see these kinds of mistakes.

One of the folks in our Communications team, Michelle, regularly shares great tips with our employees on the proper use of the English language so I thought I might start sharing them with readers of our Careers Blog. This month Michelle offers up a variety of words and phrases; do you know the right way to use them?

We use these words and phrases every day. See if you're using them correctly.

a lot vs. alot
Write "a lot" as two words. In most cases, "many" is a better choice than "a lot":

The business team has many options. (more succint and professional)
The business team has a lot of options. (more casual, less professional)

all ready vs. already
"All ready" means "fully prepared": "We were all ready to go."
"Already" means "previously": "Some of us have already made the trip."

amount vs. number
Use "amount" to indicate quantities that cannot be counted or expressed in a number: "The proposal required a large amount of work.”
Use "number" to indicate quantities that can (or could) be counted: "A large number of policyholders will be affected."

"between you and I" vs. "between you and me"
"Between you and me" is correct, because the pronouns ("you" and "me") are objects of the preposition "between." However, because the incorrect phrase is used so commonly, the correct phrase may "sound wrong" to some:

"Between you and I, the concept simply won't work." (incorrect)

“I” is a subjective pronoun; in this sentence, the subject is “the concept.” When following the preposition “between,” the objective pronoun “me” should be used.

"Let's keep this between you and me." (correct)

The objective pronoun "me" is correctly used following the preposition "between."

bring vs. take
Use "bring" when an object is being transported toward you:

"Please bring me a copy of the report."

Use "take" when an object is being transported away from you:

"Please take a copy of the report to Mr. Johnson."

cannot vs. can not
These are used interchangeably, and "cannot" has become the more common spelling. But linguists argue that there are subtle differences between the two:

"I cannot attend the meeting today."

This implies that attending the meetings is impossible, or "not an option."

"I can not attend the meeting today."

This implies that attending the meetings is an option, and that "not" attending is a choice that "can" be made.

Keeping these differences in mind, also remember that "can't" should be used as a contraction of "cannot" but not "can not."

"different from" vs. "different than"
"Different from" is correct.

disinterested vs. uninterested
They're not the same. "Disinterested" means impartial or neutral; "uninterested" means bored or lacking interest: "In baseball, a good umpire is disinterested, but not uninterested."

farther vs. further
Use "farther" to indicate physical distance: "He threw the ball farther than his teammates."

Use "further" to indicate an extension of time or degree: "We'll look into it further."

Pinnacol releases Annual Report

2011-09-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol has released it's Annual Report. Many candidates, doing their research on companies, find Annual Reports to be a helpful source of information into the organization's priorities, financial performance (especially important in today's economic climate!), and culture. The Pinnacol Annual Report provides insights into all three. To view the Annual Report click here.

Project Coordinator Opportunity Now Open!

2011-09-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

We have a very rare opportunity for someone to join our company in the capacity of a Project Coordinator. To find out what exactly this position is all about I sought ought Beth who has been in this role with us for the last 2+ years.

As Beth mentioned, we also have full-fledged Project Managers on staff. The Project Coordinator role is somewhat junior to a full-fledged Project Manager so things like PMP Certification are not among the requirements.

Beth's progression is typical for this position - someone with administrative duties becomes involved in small projects, then works on larger ones and discovers that they have an aptitude and a passion for it. I'd guess similar progressions from administrative staff into project work exist at other companies and if this sounds like something you've done we'd love to hear from you. If interested, please complete an on-line expression of interest via our company website.

The following is the actual job announcement:

Project Coordinator
Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance and recognized as one of America’s Best Places to Work, is looking for a Project Coordinator to lead business projects, with emphasis on process, efficiency and quality improvements. The ability to provide clear direction and help clarify project goals, from both process and desired outcome perspectives, is critical. This position leads teams through the implementation process, develops and supports relationships within each project and functions as the hub for project execution and coordination. The successful candidate will be able to assist in developing best practices and tools for project execution and management while leading project proposal efforts in order to assist project champions with presenting the most complete and accurate business cases for approval and confirmation.

Other key functions:
• Plans and facilitates project meetings that are well organized, efficiently run, and ensures complete participation.
• Creates project work plans and revises as appropriate to meet changing needs and
requirements.
• Identifies project roles and resources needed.
• Monitors day-to-day project lifecycle activities. Manages stakeholder expectations by working with the project sponsor and team to define and control project scope.
• Resolves and/or escalates issues effectively and to the appropriate levels and identifies potential risk exposure and suggests solutions.
• Ensures project documents are complete, current, and stored appropriately while providing project status reports on a timely basis to stakeholders.
• Keeps project team and stakeholders well informed of changes within the organization that may affect the project and helps ensure that each project team member is utilized appropriately.
• Motivates project team to work together in the most efficient manner and mitigates project team conflict and communication problems.
• Conducts post-project reviews and reports recommendations in order to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements.

Requirements:
• Basic understanding of project management principles and practices, project lifecycle and processes, including demonstrated ability to effectively lead projects.
• Some knowledge of workers’ compensation/insurance industry preferred.
• Highly organized and detail oriented, yet able to see and grasp the `big' picture.
• Ability to effectively communicate in written and oral form and possesses facilitative leadership and presentation skills. Proficient in Microsoft Windows, Excel, PowerPoint. Experience and/or working knowledge of Microsoft Project desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to manage customer expectations throughout the project lifecycle.
• Bachelors Degree or equivalent professional experience required.

Interested candidates are asked to express their interest on-line at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

Pinnacol Hosts "Promote Yourself" Sessions for Employees

2011-09-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago three of our Business Directors - Sheri, Shelley, and Jerica - came up with the idea of hosting a "Promote Yourself" Week for our employees to better prepare them for promotional opportunities as they occur within the company. Pinnacol makes an effort to promote from within whenever possible so their idea really struck a chord.

After several months of planning, and the involvement of a whole lot of people, this week is the culmination of a lot of work to provide our employees information and tips on all sorts of topics including:

Interview Preparation,
Resume Writing,
Behavioral Interviewing, and
What To Do After The Interview.

I just came from the Interview Preparation session and like the first session on Monday it was very well attended with more than 60 employees eager to listen and learn. The three presenters this afternoon - Sheri, Jerica, and Mark - were all living examples of success stories of folks who had come into our company and moved up. Jerica, for example, had joined our company five years ago in an administrative capacity, had then moved into a claims position, and is now a manager of one of our business teams. These sessions are just one example of the many learning and development resources available to our employees who we recognize are responsible for the future success of our company.

Thank you to Sheri, Shelley, and Jerica for coming up with this great idea and to all those who have helped develop the materials and presentations for "Promote Yourself" Week! I'll leave you with one of the videos presented in today's session that made me chuckle. I can't wait to see what the rest of this week's sessions will offer...

Interesting Training...

2011-09-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol has a strong Learning and Development team that facilitates and provides all sorts of training opportunities for our employees. As Amy, one of our current Business Directors, has said, "We are a continually learning organization." This is something I also stress as new employees come on board.

I try to attend as many of the training sessions as my schedule allows, and yesterday I attended one that was a take-off on our Pinnacol Book Club format where we read a business-related book and then discuss what we think and what we learned. Rather than a book though, the session yesterday presented two inspiring TED Talk videos. Immediately after the training I was interviewing a candidate and mentioned the session I had just come from and she was unfamiliar with TED Talks. It struck me that some of you may also not be familiar with them. TED Talks have been around since the mid-80's and feature all sorts of interesting and inspiring speakers.

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

The TED Talk videos are usually short, less than 15 minutes, and I have yet to see one that doesn't make me think. TED Talks presentations are also available in Denver through Denver University (TEDxDU) and other locations. I've seen enough of the videos by now that I look forward to being able to attend one of these local sessions in person. One of the employees at yesterday's training went earlier this year and he thought it was incredible!

Here's one of the videos presented at our training:

Pinnacol once again in very good company...

2011-09-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons, has announced its 2011 list of Best Employers for Workers Over 50 and once again Pinnacol is pleased to be among the great companies being recognized. Pinnacol has been on the AARP list for 6 years. Many of the benefits that AARP found are attractive to older workers benefit those who are younger as well, and Pinnacol has worked hard to provide it's 600 employees with a benefits package and work environment that supports our company focus on providing outstanding customer service.

“Having workers over 50 is a tremendous benefit to the company,” said Ken Ross, our president and CEO. “They bring industry expertise, the ability to identify trends and the skills to build relationships with our stakeholders. Pinnacol is proud to be recognized for having a work environment that attracts and retains this valuable group of employees.”

Congratulations to all the companies on this year's list!

Pinnacol has an opening for an experienced Underwriter

2011-09-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Our business teams operate as multi-functional insurance teams consisting of Underwriters, Claims Representatives, Nurses, Auditors, and Administrative staff all working on behalf of the same group of customers. One of our Large Account teams has an opening for an experienced Underwriter to write and price workers’ compensation insurance policies, review and resolve policy problems, and proactively manage a book of business. Some travel is required to attend meetings with agents and policyholders. Successful candidates will have at least 3 to 5 years related experience in property/casualty insurance underwriting with direct experience with workers’ compensation insurance preferred and must possess strong interpersonal, customer service, analytical, and presentation skills. A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required. If interested, please complete an expression of interest via our company website!

New Job Announcement for Entry Level Claims Representative

2011-08-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

We have several claims adjusting opportunities currently available. Some of these require substantial claims experience but this morning I'm pleased to announce we have an opening on one of our teams for an entry level candidate interested in pursuing a claims career. The Team Leader is indicating that they are more than willing to train the right individual, if they bring with them a high level of energy, enthusiasm, drive, willingness to learn and an appreciation of the unique challenges a claims career offers.

Claims is not the right position for everyone - our claims representatives deal with people at some of the lowest points in their lives as they deal with the aftermath of a work-related injury. The work can be very challenging and demanding, but also very rewarding. This entry level position does require a Bachelor's degree and the ability to pass a critical thinking test, but for those looking for a career where they can really make a difference in people's lives, this might just be the opportunity you have been waiting for. If interested in being considered, please complete an expression of interest via our company website.

Pinnacol Foundation Event Raises $200,000 for College Scholarships

2011-08-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, July 28, 2011 Pinnacol Assurance hosted the Eleventh Annual Pinnacol Foundation Charity Golf Tournament at Red Sky Ranch Golf Club in Vail, Colorado.

It was a perfect Colorado day with 142 golfers participating and nearly 100 scholarship students and families present at the awards luncheon following the golf tournament. Even better, the Foundation raised over $200,000. In the past 10 years, Pinnacol has raised $2 Million in scholarship funds to help the children of Colorado workers killed or seriously injured on the job (regardless of their insurance carrier). This year, once again, sponsors and golfers came together to support these young adults with college dreams.

Karsh Hagan, one of our advertising agency partners, is also passionate about the work of the Pinnacol Foundation and supported the organization by donating agency time to the production of a Foundation video which was shown at the Golf Tournament. As you'll see in the video, the Pinnacol Foundation continues to make real differences in the lives of Colorado children.

Colorado Sees Something It Hasn't In 20+ Years...

2011-08-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before my fascination with the variety of jobs Coloradans (or is it Coloradoans?) perform on a daily basis but this weekend gave me the chance to see some folks working at something you don't regularly get to see in our great state. If you were one of the 100,000 plus folks who crowded into downtown Denver on Sunday, you were witness to the finish of the inaugural US Pro Cycling Challenge. Not since the Coors Classic has Colorado been host to this level of professional cycling, and the variety and scope of work it must have taken to put on such an event is staggering. From the planning stages, to arranging the lodging and transportation, to the drivers (both car and motorcycle, including our own Colorado State Patrol) supporting the racers during the stages, a tremendous number of people had to have been working behind the scenes.

One of my favorites, though they were probably not noticed by many, were the guys who's job it was to drive the course and mark with spray paint all the cracks and hazards so the riders could avoid them. At the other end of the spectrum you had the announcers, the people who fed all the VIP's, and the ubiquitous podium girls who's job it is to stage manage the dignitaries and the riders when they come up to receive their awards. I'll have to check with our underwriters to see what sort of risk classification these young ladies fall under as they dutifully plant their kisses on the stage winners day after day. Congratulations to everyone who worked on this first year's event, it really was something to see.

Claims Representative Position also posted on Careerbuilder

2011-08-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

We are still looking for great candidates with Claims Adjusting experience who are interested in joining PInnacol Assurance. We haven't had many claims openings in the last couple of years so the current openings present some nice opportunities for claims professionals to join the leader in Colorado workers' compensation. I've added our job announcement to Careerbuilder.com. Brian, our representative for Careerbuilder, is based in Phoenix, AZ, and after talking to him this morning it's a good thing to be in Colorado! They've been experiencing 100+ degree heat for weeks on end, and they've had a couple of major duststorms thrown in for good measure. I guess their duststorms, or "Haboobs" as they call them in Arizona (Youtube has some fantastic video of these storms), are their summer equivalent to our winter blizzards. As much as I'll complain about it in January I think I'll stick with the snow! If you are interested in the claims opportunity, please complete an expression of interest via our company website.

New Job Announcement for Claims Representative

2011-08-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

We have a new opening for an experienced Claims Representative (Claims Adjuster) that just became available. It will be advertised on-line starting Monday but wanted to give our readers the heads-up immediately.

Our Claims Representatives work as part of a multi-functional team to bring claims 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, RTW 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 also serves as a technical resource to the team 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.

As always, if you are interested in being considered for this position please submit an expression of interest on our company website!

Pinnacol Foundation 2011: Making a Difference

2011-08-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Since 2000 the Pinnacol Foundation has awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to children who's parents have been injured in work related accidents so that they can realize their dream of attending college. The Foundation, which accepts applications from January through March, is proud to present some of this year's recipients as they discuss what receiving these scholarships mean to them. As a Colorado-based, and Colorado-focused, company Pinnacol believes strongly in giving back to the communities we serve on a daily basis, and the Pinnacol Foundation is just one way in which we are pleased to be able to do this.

We still have additional Nurse Case Manager opportunities!

2011-08-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

In June we had posted a Team Nurse Case Manager. As luck would have it we are now looking for a couple of additional Nurses to join several of our teams. Our
RN Team Nurse Case Managers provide 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. A broad clinical background, and experience with rehabilitation, occupational health, managed care, or emergency nursing preferred. Requires current Colorado RN license with a BSN a plus.

Back in June I had a chance to sit down and chat with Sheri, one of our Business Directors (Team leader) about what we are looking for. Sheri has a unique perspective because she herself joined Pinnacol in this position before being promoted to head up one of our multi-functional insurance teams.

We had also blogged about our nursing position a while back, and if you are interested in this type of position with us I would encourage you to also view that posting. If interested in being considered, please submit your expression of interest via our company website.

New opportunity for Advanced Web Applications Developer

2011-08-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

We are seeking an experienced Advanced Web Applications Developer. This position utilizes Adobe FlashBuilder and Flex SDK to design and build graphical user interfaces for web applications used by internal business users. The successful candidate will have the ability to work in a team setting utilizing Agile development processes to produce software products and will have experience using modular and object oriented approaches to building Flex applications (sub-applications, custom components, custom skinning). Position also requires experience using test driven development methodologies to produce software applications which support automated unit and regression testing (FlexUnit, continuous integration) along with experience using the various forms of Flex frameworks as needed to standardize and organize code in large products (Swiz, Robotlegs).

OK, so that's the job announcement. I have to apologize for all the links embedded in the announcement, but I'll be the first to admit that I had no clue what some of these things were until I Googled them. Having done that I now have only a slightly better understanding of what things like Swiz and Robotlegs are.

If you are like me and have no clue as to how to use these different tools then this might not be the right position for you. But for those of you who are thinking "Geez, this is really pretty basic stuff" then we'd really like to hear from you. For the rest of us, feel free to browse the hyperlinks and if you can figure out what they are talking about, please let me know!

Pinnacol Again Hosting Arrupe Students

2011-08-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege this morning of facilitating the orientation session for our new Arrupe student interns. This is Pinnacol's 6th year participating in the Arrupe Corporate Work Study Program and we have 4 students working with us for the 2011/2012 academic year. From all of us at Pinnacol, welcome Jessica, Dianna, Miriam and Juanita!

For those of you unfamiliar with the Arrupe program, it is a unique opportunity for companies to financially support education at a time when funding is critical while exposing students to what it is like to work in the real world. Arrupe students are placed at partner companies where they work one day a week during the school year. In speaking with our new students this morning they impressed me with their eagerness to learn and to avail themselves of new opportunities.

While at Pinnacol Jessica, Dianna, Miriam and Juanita will be assigned to specific teams and will each have assigned mentors to help them on their journey of exploring corporate life. Many companies in the Denver area participate, but I'm sure Arrupe would welcome additional organizations who, like Pinnacol, understand how critical a well-educated and well-prepared workforce will be to a successful future.

Our CEO, Ken Ross, shares his thoughts

2011-08-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Recently our CEO, Ken Ross, was interviewed by Ann Spoor of the Executive Lattice. Some of Ken's comments illuminate what we look for as we hire new employees so I wanted to share them with you. Pinnacol and its predecessors (CCIA, the State Compensation Insurance Authority, and the State Compensation Insurance Fund) has had only a small handful of Chief Executives through the course of its 96 years. One thing that has remained critical is for all of our employees to understand where the leadership team wishes to take the organization. Ken and the current leadership team all have open door policies and spend the time not just talking to employees but listening to them as well.

Pinnacol's employees have come to know and appreciate Ken in a way the general public never sees, and Ann's interview gives some insights into the person behind the title at the head of Pinnacol Assurance.

Update on Current Openings as of 08-10-11

2011-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick update on our openings as of today. Two positions, Medical Director and Business Director, have now been filled. Our thanks to all of you who expressed an interest in these two opportunities. I had the chance to meet with many of the candidates for both of these vacancies and I am always impressed with the calibre of talent that we see.

We are still actively looking for candidates interested in our Customer Service opening which just became available, as well as for our Nurse Case Manager opportunity. And as you'll see if you visit our company website we also still have listed as active the openings for Audit Analyst (though interviews are well underway), Oracle Developer, Underwriter, and Safety Consultant. The Underwriter opening is primarily geared at experienced candidates, but the Safety Consultant opening is open to entry level graduates with related safety/occupational health degrees. We look to start scheduling interviews for both the Underwriter and Safety Consultant openings shortly as the hiring managers make decisions on who they would like to speak with.

New Opening for an Audit Analyst!

2011-07-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

I met with one of our Business Directors, Shelley, about a new vacancy she has on her team for an Audit Analyst. As many of you may know, Pinnacol actively tries to promote from within wherever possible and this vacancy is a result of us being able to do that in some other positions that were open.

The position of Audit Analyst is probably unfamiliar to many of you so I wanted to share some additional information on this position and what we will be looking for. If you are a business owner you are billed for your workers' compensation insurance based primarily on two factors: the type of work you are doing (each particular job - nurse, gardener, accountant, ski lift operator, etc. - has a unique risk of being injured on the job associated with it) and the amount of payroll you have in each of those jobs. Policies are audited to see if there have been changes in those factors. For example, an increase in payroll usually means the policy premium will increase; alternatively, if the payroll declines Pinnacol may owe the policyholder money back. The Audit Analyst plays a critical role in this process as they help policyholders complete the necessary paperwork to ensure we have complete and accurate information regarding their policy with our company.

The Audit Analyst handles mail audits where we aske the policyholder to provide information and then return the information to us. As a result, Audit Analysts work in the office processing this paperwork. We occasionally have openings for another type of Auditor, a Field Auditor, who goes out and visits policyholders at their sites to review records and documents, but that's a subject for another posting!

Our Audit Analysts handle one to two hundred audits in a normal month (approximately 9 per business day) and based on this level of production we are looking for an individual who can really focus on getting a high volume of work done and who doesn't mind that the job is fairly routine and repetitive in nature. In the copy of the job ad below you'll notice the position requires "basic accounting/math knowledge". What that means is strong competencies in all things related to addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, percentages, decimals, and fractions. And yes, a math test, as well as a typing test, will be given to those who interview for this opportunity.

Things like attention to detail (the work in this role is really nothing but details!) and the ability to help our customers are other must-haves. A degree, though not required, is a plus so recent college graduates in finance/accounting will be considered. Experience in dealing with audits, payroll, and related areas is also sought. If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete an expression of interest via our company website. What follows is a copy of the job announcement which will be advertised on the web:

Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s leading provider of workers’ compensation insurance, is looking for a detail-oriented individual with excellent customer service skills to join our team. With minimal supervision this person is responsible for the review, analysis, and processing of a variety of voluntary audits from policyholders. The position requires an analytical aptitude, basic accounting/math knowledge, and some experience with payroll is helpful. Candidate must have strong computer skills. This is a high volume production position requiring attention to detail, decision-making, and helping customers on the phone. Experience in handling insurance audit reports within the workers’ compensation insurance industry preferred. A degree, though not required, is a plus so recent college graduates in finance/accounting will be considered. For immediate consideration please submit an expression of interest via our company website at http://www.pinnacol.com/careers/current-opportunities.

What Does Your Email Address Say About You?

2011-07-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to do some internal training for our employees on ways they can better present themselves on paper (resumes), internal job bids, and in interviews. In one of the planning sessions it came up that e-mail addresses should (obviously!) be included along with address information on resumes and that the e-mail address needs to not negatively portray the person. Addresses like ihatework@letsparty.com, or partyanimal@hatetowork.com (these are fictitious examples) are less likely to grab a hiring manager's positive attention than things like topofclass@ivyleague.com or topinsales@salesforce.com (again, fictitious examples). Most savvy candidates have several email accounts, with one address used in their job search and others used with family and friends. If you haven't thought about it, you might want to take some time to consider what impression the email address on your resume gives to someone who has never met you, knows little about you, but whom you want to call you in for a job interview.

Now I come to find its not just what comes before the @ that is important. Your email provider is now being viewed as significant. People are now judging you on the email service you choose--whether it be Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail or AOL. HunchBlog did a survey and found some interesting stereotypes regarding who is using which email service. Techies tend toward Gmail, older, less tech-savvy folks tend toward allegiance to their AOL monikers. Other findings have found that at the extreme if you are applying for a tech job, having a Hotmail or AOL account may totally eliminate you from contention. The folks at Hunch also came up with some interesting generalizations about the type of person who uses each type of account. Here is some of what they claim to have found:

AOL users are most likely to be women ages 35-64 who have a high school diploma and are spiritual, but not religious. They tend to be politically middle of the road, in a relationship of 10+ years, and have children. AOL users live in the suburbs and haven’t traveled outside their own country. Family is their first priority. AOL users mostly read magazines, have a desktop computer, listen to the radio, and watch TV on 1-3 DVRs in their home. At home, they lounge around in sweats. AOL users are optimistic extroverts who prefer sweet snacks and like working on a team.

Gmail users are most likely to be young men ages 18-34 who are college-educated and not religious. Like other young Hunch users, they tend to be politically liberal, single (and ready to mingle), and childless. Gmail users live in cities and have traveled to five or more countries. They’re career-focused and plugged in — they mostly read blogs, have an iPhone and laptop, and listen to music via MP3s and computers (but they don’t have a DVR). At home, they lounge around in a t-shirt and jeans. Gmail users prefer salty snacks and are introverted and entrepreneurial. They are optimistic or pessimistic, depending on the situation.

Hotmail users are most likely to be young women ages 18-34 (and younger) who have a high school diploma and are not religious. They tend to be politically middle of the road, single, and childless. Hotmail users live in the suburbs, perhaps still with their parents, and have traveled to up to five countries. They mostly read magazines and contemporary fiction, have a laptop, and listen to music via MP3s and computers (but they don’t have a DVR). At home, Hotmail users lounge around in a t-shirt and jeans. They’re introverts who prefer sweet snacks and like working on a team. They consider themselves more pessimistic, but sometimes it depends on the situation.
Yahoo! users are most likely to be women ages 18-49 who have a high school diploma and are spiritual, but not religious. They tend to be politically middle of the road, in a relationship of 1-5 years, and have children. Yahoo! users live in the suburbs or in rural areas and haven’t traveled outside their own country. Family is their first priority. They mostly read magazines, are almost equally likely to have a laptop or desktop computer, listen to the radio and cds, and watch TV on 1-2 DVRs in their home. At home, Yahoo! users lounge around in pajamas. They’re extroverts who prefer sweet snacks and like working on a team. Yahoo! users are optimistic or pessimistic, depending on the situation.

Bear in mind these are broad (very broad!) generalizations. But if I was a candidate I'd take a moment to think about what my entire email address is portraying about me.

"I generally keep the volume on my work computer on mute, only turning it on when my career calls for it… However, sometimes I forget to turn the volume down again, and this has, on occasion, led to the embarrassment of “You’ve got mail!” being shouted by my computer at the entire office."

That’s right; I still use AOL as my personal email provider. I know. I can feel you looking at me with pity, thinking, “Oh my God, what century does this guy come from?” (The same one as Buster Keaton.)
-Sam Barry, “The Daily Sam Confessional: I Still Use AOL”

New Opportunity for Oracle Developer

2011-07-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

We have a new opportunity available for an Oracle Forms and Report Developer to help maintain our enterprise applications. I checked with Tamela, the hiring manager, to see what specifically she is looking for, and as usual, she had some very specific thoughts. In brief, the successful candidate will have the following experience:

On a scale of 1-5, 1 being not so much and 5 being an expert:
· Oracle Forms 10g (4+) --- Working with and/or building Customized forms is a must.
· Oracle Reports 10g (3+)
· PL/SQL (4+)
· SQL (5)
· Linux/Unix (shell scripting helpful) (2)
· Java (or any OO language) (2)

Some additionally desired skills include:

· Exposure to Flex (1+)
· Ruby/Rails (1+)
· Background in Medical Payments or Health Care (1+)
· Unix shell scripting
· Appworx

According to Tamela, we are in the process of transitioning, over the next several years, from Oracle Forms to Adobe Flex for core user interface and Ruby on Rails for the middle-tier services. Ideal candidates will have strong Oracle skills, such as SQL, PL/SQL, Oracle Forms, performance tuning, etc.; additionally, candidates with exposure technologies such as Adobe Flex and Ruby on Rails or other object oriented languages such as Java is preferred.

If you have this mix of skill sets we'd love to hear from you! Interested candidates are asked to submit their expression of interest via our company website and apply for the position “Information Systems: Software and Application Development”.

Update on Current Openings

2011-07-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

I just returned from taking some vacation time and am getting back up to speed with the status of all the openings we currently have open so thought I'd share a quick update on where things stand with the various positions.

We are still actively accepting candidates for several positions including our Team Nurse Case Manager, MedPay Liaison, Safety Consultant, Underwriter, Business Director and Medical Director opportunities. More information on each of these positions is available at our company website. As always, interested candidates are encouraged to complete an expression of interest!

Entry Level Safety Consultant Opportunity Available!

2011-06-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

We don't see much turnover within our Safety Consultant group so this is a relatively rare opportunity. Normally when we fill one of these positions we are looking for someone with lots of experience, but for this opening we are willing to train a recent graduate with a safety related degree. Safety consultation is one of the cornerstone services we provide to Pinnacol policyholders. The Safety Consultant role is focused on preventing accidents wherever possible, and reducing the severity of the accidents that still occur. As I always tell people I meet with, the best claim is the claim that never happened, and our safety folks play a crucial part in working toward that objective.

I spoke with Troy, a Safety Consultant who has been with us for a couple of years, about the position and words of wisdom he might share with candidates interested in this line of work:

Here is a copy of the job announcement as it is being advertised:

Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s leading workers’ compensation insurance company, has an entry level opportunity for a recent graduate with an environmental health and safety related degree to be based in the Colorado Springs or Pueblo area. This position will conduct or assist in implementing one or more of the following services to policyholders: safety program development and on site safety inspections, Cost Containment Certification assistance, accident and injury trend analysis, onsite Train the Trainer programs, OSHA compliance assistance, construction safety, and ergonomic resources in the southeast Colorado region and will research & update other staff on changing regulations & emerging safety issues. Position requires considerable travel throughout the state. Individual must be a self-starter, well organized and have good computer, communication, and presentation skills.

As always, interested candidates are asked to complete an expression of interest via our company website.

Pinnacol Partners with 9Cares Colorado Shares: Good Makes Good!

2011-06-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today, June 14th, Pinnacol employees were encouraged to donate non-perishable food items as part of the 9Cares Colorado Shares campaign. Denver's Channel 9 and Goodwill have teamed up to encourage local companies to host employee donation drives. At Pinnacol we named our drive "Beans for Jeans" as all employees who participated earned an extra casual day where they could wear jeans and dress down from their normal business attire. On Friday, June 17th, be sure to tune in as Greg Moss from Channel 9 will be visiting Pinnacol from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.

The folks at Channel 9 tell us that Summer is historically a very busy time for food banks as they see an increase in need as families try to feed students who had been receiving federal free and reduced-cost lunches at their schools. The donations of food and toiletries will supply more than 125 food banks in metro Denver and along the Front Range from Fort Collins to Castle Rock through Food Works. Food Works coordinates the food distribution for 9News.

Clothing and other household items will be donated to Goodwill. Profits from the sale of these items help over 30,000 individuals with much needed workforce development skills, putting them on the path to success and giving them to tools they need to support themselves and their families.

During the 9Cares Colorado Shares Summer Drive, non-perishable food, toiletries, clothing are collected. Any non-perishable food is appreciated; however, food banks prefer foods high in protein. Those include peanut butter, tuna fish, and dry beans. They also always need soups and stews, Mac and Cheese, hot cereals, oatmeal, canned fruit and vegetables, and baby formula with iron. Food banks also need toiletry items such as diapers, shampoo, condition, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Goodwill also accepts all clothing. Goodwill is a non-profit organization that will use the funds created by the clothing to fund their programs which serve at-risk youth, individuals moving from welfare to work, and disabled individuals. In return, Goodwill provides clothing vouchers for area clothing banks to allow those in need to shop at Goodwill stores.

The public can also get involved - on Saturday, June 18th from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Staff and volunteers will be collecting non-perishable food, toiletries, and clothing at the 9News Studios and over a dozen regional locations for the less fortunate in Colorado.

Nurse Opportunity Now Available!

2011-06-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol Assurance is looking for an RN Team Nurse Case Manager to provide 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. A broad clinical background, and experience with rehabilitation, occupational health, managed care, or emergency nursing preferred. Requires current Colorado RN license with a BSN a plus.

I had a chance to sit down and chat with Sheri, one of our Business Directors (Team leader) about what we are looking for. Sheri has a unique perspective because she herself joined Pinnacol in this position before being promoted to head up one of our multi-functional insurance teams.

We had also blogged about our nursing position a while back, and if you are interested in this type of position with us I would encourage you to also view that posting. If interested in being considered, please submit your expression of interest via our company website.

Business Director Opportunity Opens!

2011-06-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

We have a new opening for a Business Director to lead one of our multi-functional insurance teams consisting of underwriters, claims adjusters, nurses, customer support staff, and others. Our Business Directors, who are responsible for managing a fully loaded profit center with premiums in excess of $50M, direct efforts in developing and implementing strategies to provide competitive services and promote sales of new and existing insurance products and services. The ideal candidate will be an experienced insurance professional with proven team leadership skills as this position will lead 20 or more insurance professionals. If interested, please apply via our company website!

Opportunity for a New Business Representative

2011-06-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Our company tries to promote from within whenever possible. Due to a couple of recent promotions we now have an opening 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. This position 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 attending agency visits are key functions of this role.

As you might expect, 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 (Spanish) is a plus. Two years of college with 1-3 years of customer service experience are also required.

I had a chance to sit down with Amanda, one of the folks being promoted from the New Business Representative role about what the position is all about:

If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity, please complete an on-line expression of interest via our company website.

Pinnacol Opening for Medical Director

2011-06-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol has a rare opportunity for an experienced Medical Director to assume responsibility for the development and maintenance of quality medical management strategies and network programs.

This position serves as a direct medical authority on behalf of Pinnacol and acts as liaison to the medical, legal and regulatory communities and formulates and communicates the company position in areas of standards of care and practice, emerging technologies and experimental or investigational diagnostics and/or treatments.

The position requires comprehensive knowledge of managed care processes and systems and thorough knowledge of Workers’ Compensation laws, industry regulations, licensing and accreditation issues. Requires current unrestricted Colorado Board of Medical Examiners License (MD or DO), current State of Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation Level II Physician Accreditation, and ABMS or AOA Board Certification in a specialty related to clinical care of injured patients. A minimum of five years of clinical experience with at least two years in a supervisory or Medical Director position preferred.

Interested candidates are encouraged to complete an expression of interest via our company website.

U2 and Workers' Comp?

2011-05-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

My wife and I had the opportunity last weekend, after a two year wait, to finally attend the rescheduled U2 concert at Invesco Field. The two year wait was necessitated by the band's lead singer, Bono, injuring his back mid-tour before playing in Denver. For those of you who were there you'd probably agree it was well worth the wait. My wife, who is even more of a fan than I, was doubly ecstatic because she got to meet Bono when the band got out of their vehicle to sign autographs and chat up the crowd by the south stadium entrance prior to the show.

We had arrived early and were in our seats well before the opening act, The Fray, was set to perform. I guess I've worked at Pinnacol too long, but as I sat there looking at the stadium and the amazing stage I started thinking about how much work it takes to put on an event like this. Not just the amount of physical and mental effort, but the number of skills (in insurance lingo: job classifications) as well.

From the folks you see at every similar event - ticket takers, food and beverage vendors, ushers, security - to more specialized jobs like stage setup, lighting, choreographers, and even guitar tuning, the work being done all involves some level of risk of injury on the job. I'm not sure if Pinnacol was covering any of the workers' comp aspects for this particular concert but day in and day out our underwriters have to assess such risk and that can be very challenging. By the way, the coolest job I saw, short of actually being a member of the band, were the folks running the lighting that were hoisted by cables, just before the show started, way up into the four legs of the 'alien spacecraft' that the stage was supposed to represent. They also had the best seats in the house!

Just before U2 took the stage the scrolling screen, which was displaying all sorts of factoids, told the crowd that the height of the stage was 167' tall. I'm sure after the crowds had filtered out after a wonderful spring night in Denver, someone, or many someones, had to climb way up into the stage to start taking it all down, in reverse of the way they had put it up. I wonder how our underwriters might assess the risks associated with that type of work, but given the breadth and variety of the types of work being done all over Colorado every day, I'm sure they'd take the challenge in stride!

New Opening for Med Pay Liaison!

2011-05-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol is looking for an experienced MedPay Liaison to coordinate all facets of medical payment activity between the Medical Payment Department and our business teams. This position provides consultative support in the areas of medical bill processing, coding questions and workers’ compensation regulations including the administration of the fee schedule while facilitating the resolution of bill issues between adjusters, provider relations staff and the bill processors. The MedPay Liaison is also responsible for performing individual bill processor audits to ensure that accuracy and consistency of bill payment is achieved. This position requires a comprehensive knowledge of all codes, medical payment procedures, and medical terminology along with knowledge of bill processing systems and workers’ compensation rules and procedures. Candidates must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and 2 years related experience in medical bill processing. If interested, please submit an expression of interest via our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

New Opening in Customer Service!

2011-05-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

We are currently looking for customer oriented support staff to join our customer service team. Our Customer Service Representatives provide answers to customer questions via phone, internet, fax, and mail.

While not your typical large call center environment (our representatives typically handle between 60-100 calls a day with average talk times of 2-3 minutes) we are looking for candidates who do have some call center experience along with strong PC/software skills, and excellent communication and outstanding customer service skills. Bilingual in English and Spanish is always a plus. This is a great position by which to join Pinnacol as we routinely promote from this level to positions throughout the company. If you are interested, please complete an expression of interest via our company website.

Pinnacol Issues $41 Million General Dividend

2011-05-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol announced yesterday that we will be issuing our seventh consecutive general dividend. This year, $41 million will be distributed to more than 50,000 qualifying businesses — nearly 85 percent of policyholders — throughout the state. The general dividend rewards Pinnacol policyholders who are committed to workplace safety and effective claims management practices. With the 2011 declaration, Pinnacol has returned more than $435 million in general dividends to Colorado businesses since 2005.

“Pinnacol’s ongoing financial stability and strength allow us to return money to our policyholders,” said Ken Ross, Pinnacol president and CEO. “This dividend offers some relief to businesses that continue to feel the pain of the slow economic recovery. We hope it will help create more jobs and provide a boost to the state’s business climate. We applaud our policyholders for their continued commitment to effective claims management and safety practices and thank them for their business and continued support.”

This year’s dividend is based on policyholder performance between June 2009 – June 2010. Dividend checks are calculated based on the size of a policyholder’s annual premium compared with claims costs. Pinnacol’s policyholders represent the full spectrum of Colorado’s industries, including construction, manufacturing, high-tech, transportation, and agriculture.

Pinnacol provides a variety of free resources to help policyholders manage their workers’ compensation policies including a team of 27 loss prevention experts, experienced return-to-work specialists and nurse case managers, a fraud investigation unit and a wide range of training opportunities.

On My Own Time Art Show

2011-05-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

During the work week here at Pinnacol we’re underwriters and claims representatives, nurses and accountants, software developers and safety consultants and all sorts of other roles all dedicated to providing the best service possible to our customers. In our private time we’re also photographers, quilters, artists, sketchers, and sculptors.

For the past several years our company has participated in the On My Own Time Employee Art Exhibition through the Colorado Committee for the Arts. Now in it’s 19th year the Exhibition is a biennial program designed to acknowledge the creative talents of employees of companies around the state. Each participating company hosts an exhibition of artwork that employees and their families have created on their own time. The artwork is judged by a panel of art professionals, but as with most things artistic the real reward is in the creation of the art itself. Here are just a couple of examples of some of the artwork created by our employees…

"Mesa Arch" by Debbie, one of our Field Auditors

"Lake Louise, Alberta CA" by Tom, one of our software developers

"Tiger In the Mist" by Lorin, the daughter of one of our HR Staff

"These Are Men" by Ryan, a member of our communications team

"Humming Around" by Ellen, one of our Safety Consultants

As you are out and about at local businesses keep an eye out for exhibits of their employees works of art. As demonstrated by these Colorado artists, our state has a wealth of talent that extends far beyond the everyday world of work!

Pinnacol's IT Shop: What's It Like?

2011-04-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you are not an IT professional you might not be aware that the IT job market in the local area has apparently turned the corner towards recovery. There are lots of jobs being advertised, and its getting tougher for companies to find top-notch talent. We have several openings available in our IT group right now so I thought I'd grab some time with our Associate Vice President of Application Services, Dave Hoffman, to talk about what it's like to work in IT at Pinnacol.

We have more than 75 folks in our IT group; more than 1 out of every 10 Pinnacol employees works in IT. I sometimes jest that we're actually a computer company that dabbles in insurance, but the world, and our customers, continue to demand more on-line access to us. As you'll hear from Dave, we have everything we need in terms of IT in-house - from application development, to help desk and desktop support, to data and network services, as well as decision support and business intelligence. From our IT staff's perspective this means they have tons of support and resources available to them that in turn allows them to be a better resource to both their internal and external customers.

There are a lot of IT shops out there, and as an IT professional you've got an increasing number of choices, but if you are looking to join one of the best I'd encourage you to check out our openings!

What Brought You To Colorado?

2011-04-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

What brought you to Colorado? Were you born here, or like many of us did you come from somewhere else?

I'm asked by candidates all the time if I'm a native and I have to acknowledge that I am a transplant though at this point I've been in Colorado longer than many natives have been alive. For some, the allure is Denver, the queen city of the Rockies with it's great array of sports, entertainment, and cultural amenities. For me it's always been about the mountains. As my Human Resources colleagues well know I can't seem to get enough of the high country. Good weather or bad, come Friday my wife and I are usually heading for the hills. This last weekend is a prime example. Though mountain folk recognize April as mud season when there is usually too little snow to ski but too much to officially kick off hiking season, this year's weather has been anything but normal. On Friday we loaded up the bikes with the intent of doing some riding at altitude and headed off for the Buena Vista area.

Saturday we woke to one of the prettiest snowstorms I've ever seen. Big fluffy snowflakes floated down all day and by afternoon the trees and peaks were sporting a fresh mantle of white.

Sunday dawned sunny, fresh but not too cold, with about 12-15 inches of spring snow on the ground. Needless to say the bikes never came off the roof rack, but thankfully we had brought our snowshoes just in case. Little did we know that it would turn out to be an epic day, the kind that stays in my mind whenever someone asks me about "why am I in Colorado?"

All this is a rather long segue into mentioning an interesting article in the Denver Post this weekend that talked about the fact that despite Colorado losing a lot of jobs in this recession people continue to move here. From 2008 to 2010 the state lost 130,000 jobs but the population grew by 145,000. Though there was no one within miles of my wife and I on Sunday I know that the kind of day we had is in part why so many people want to make Colorado home. While no one really knows when, eventually the job creation rate will increase as we leave the recession behind. Pinnacol will be there protecting those new workers in those new jobs. The 600 employees I work with are very proud of our Colorado roots and our Colorado focus.

900+ Attend 9Health Fair at Pinnacol

2011-04-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

We were blown away by the attendance at today's 9Health Fair held at our Lowry offices. More than 900 folks stopped by for everything from Nutritional Assessments, to Vision Screens, to being checked for Sleep Apnea. It was busy from the moment the doors opened and we had to extend the closing time to accomodate everyone who came. It was great to see all the people taking the time to do something good for themselves. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

A special THANK YOU! to all of our employees who volunteered their time and effort - we couldn't have done it without you. The good news is you have 364 days before we do it all again!

Business Services Representative Opportunity!

2011-04-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

We are looking for a Business Services Representative who's role is to provide administrative support to our customers as well as internal team members.

This position requires excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, communications and customer service skills along with strong computer proficiency and the ability to type a minimum of 35 wpm. As we are an insurance company a basic understanding of accounting and math is also a necessity!

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with a positive attitude and a willingness to step up and help without being asked. We work in a collaborative environment so the ability to share the work when necessary is critical. A minimum of two years of college and two years related experience preferred. If you are interested in joining our team in this role please complete an expression of interest via our company website at http://www.pinnacol.com/.

Pinnacol Looking for Online Developer

2011-04-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Our IT group is looking for an Online Developer to maintain multiple-tier application programs that combine web browser, application server, and database functionality, using technologies such as Ruby, Ruby on Rails, HTML, XML, Javascript, CSS, PL/SQL, and Unix-style operating systems. You’ll collaborate on assignments with a Product Team while working under the guidance of the Application Resource Manager to meet Customer/End User needs. Our technical must haves are that you’ll:
- Be a Master of HTTP and HTML
- Have experience with at least one scripting language (Perl, Python, or Ruby)
- Possess an understanding of source control systems
- Be comfortable in a unix-like shell and using vi

And some nice-to-haves:
- C
- Ruby/Rails
- Oracle PL/SQL
- Korn Shell Script
- Javascript
- SVN, SCCS
- Experience with a Content Management System like Movable Type or Drupal. Radiant a plus.

I'm a little biased, but this really is a unique opportunity to join one of the best IT teams in Colorado!

9 Health Fair in Full Swing!

2011-04-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

Today's the day! The 9Health Fair is in full swing. It's only eight o'clock and several hundred folks have already come through to do something good for themselves. The Fair's open until noon so if you get a chance stop by. Each year we see more and more people attending the Fair and the excitement among all the volunteers is palpable, though I know by this afternoon they are going to be pretty tired!

Job Announcement for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Colorado

2011-04-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Through the years Pinnacol employees have regularly volunteered their time and energy with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Colorado. Our CEO, Ken Ross, also sits on their Board of Directors. Recently they asked for some help from some of their corporate partners in getting the word out about a position they have open for an Executive Assistant. Since we see more quality candidates apply with us than we can place at any one time I thought I'd pass along their job announcement in case some of you might have an interest in working for another great organization doing wonderful work in our local communities.

If you or someone you know is interested in applying, please submit a brief cover letter and resume by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 to hr@biglittlecolorado.org. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

Here's a copy of the job description:

Position Title: Executive Assistant Reports To: VP Operations
Date: April 2011 Department: Operations
FLSA Status: Non-exempt Salary Grade: 5
Starting Salary: $32,000 - $44,800

General Purpose:

Supports the CEO by facilitating interactions with Community and Corporate Executives, and Nonprofit Leaders. Facilitates and coordinates scheduling and ensures CEO has necessary information in advance of all meetings. Provides appointment scheduling for CEO, VP Fund Development, Dir Corp. Partnerships, Dir Individual Giving and VP Operations. The position serves as a key contact for the State Board of Directors and the Associate Board (the “Boards”). Assures accuracy, detail management and discretion in handling all CEO requests. Performs administrative support for the President/CEO, including managing the calendar, preparing correspondence and answering the phone. The successful candidate must be highly attentive to detail; must work with strong emphasis on accuracy and quick turn-around; must be flexible and adaptable; and must be reliable and trustworthy to work in an environment of confidentiality.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Schedules community appointments for President/CEO and Fund Development Team members including confirming accuracy of appointment time, location, and meeting materials needed; and ensuring communication with meeting participants of any special circumstances or requirements, when known.

• Provides administrative support to President/CEO including tracking deadlines, commitments, meetings, etc. to ensure smooth operation of executive function.

• Provides organizational support for CEO in managing multiple projects and deadlines. Schedules bi-weekly meetings with CEO to manage paper flow and file documents.

• Manages all related functions for Board, Associate Board and Board Governance and Development Committee meetings including: arranging meeting facilities and logistics; notifying participants of time and place; preparing meeting materials and packets; and recording and transcribing meeting minutes. Maintains meeting minutes and contact information for board members.

• Provides support to VP Operations in maintaining corporate governance files.

• Enters information from a variety of sources into Outlook and on occasion Civicore.

• Performs certain office management duties in the absence of the Office Manager such as: sorting and distributing incoming mail, posting outgoing mail and front desk phone coverage, etc.

• Coordinate travel for agency. Book travel for leadership and board members as needed which may include developing itineraries, flight and hotel confirmations etc.

Other Duties/Responsibilities:

• Assists in the coordination and completion of special projects, as assigned by CEO.

• Other responsibilities as may be requested.

Supervisory Duties: none

Job Qualifications:

Knowledge, Skill And Ability:

• Strong written communication skills with the ability to create, compose, and edit clear, concise and quality written materials.

• Attention to detail

• Excellent Multi-tasker with extensive skills in organizing and coordinating multiple projects and deadlines with special attention to organizing electronic and paper files.

• Professional customer service and superior telephone skills.

• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, with particular strength in Outlook.

• Strong computer skills.

• Experience in effective cross-cultural communications with individuals in various industries, e.g. corporate executives, high-profile spokespersons, low-income families, nonprofit professionals, etc. Ability to work well with all staff, volunteers, and board members as well as outside clients and vendors.

Education Or Formal Training:

• BA/BS preferred.
Experience:

• Minimum five years experience that is directly related to the duties listed above.

Material And Equipment Directly Used:

• Standard office machines and Microsoft Office, Civicore database, Outlook.

• Working Environment/Physical Activities: Standard office setting.

Professional Performance:

• Adhere to all personnel guidelines of the agency.

• Maintain professional standards of performance, demeanor, and appearance at all times; act as a “role Model” both at and away from the agency.

• Maintain a creative, team-building approach to job performance and seek to bring a constructive, problem-solving orientation to all tasks.

• Perform all tasks and responsibilities with attention to detail and in a complete and timely manner, complying with agency guidelines and conforming to the scheduling requirements of the job and program.

• Maintain an awareness of the agency’s mission and work to promote the positive individual and social change goals it embodies.

• Exercise discretion and professional judgment at all times keeping with the responsibilities carried personally and by the agency for the care and welfare of the clients; act with honesty and integrity in all aspects of Agency business.

• Actively strive to upgrade professional skills though engaging in appropriate professional training and experience.

• Actively strive to create and maintain a culturally sensitive and appropriate environment through communication and interaction that demonstrates respect for diversity.
Inclusiveness Statement

BBBSC is dedicated to implementing inclusiveness as a tool to strengthen and enrich every aspect of our organization. BBBSC continually strives to meet the needs and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve by valuing and respecting the individuality of all our employees, volunteers, board members, children, families and community partners.
Equal Employment Opportunity

BBBSC strives to make all personnel decisions without regard to race, creed, age, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, gender, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, arrest record, or any other protected class as required by applicable law. All employees are expected to actively support these principles and objectives in our work environment and with others with whom we come into contact.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job. Other duties as assigned.

Pinnacol's Educational Enrichment Award Program

2011-04-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's tough enough for young people to select a college they want to attend, let alone figure out how they and their parents can afford the costs associated with higher education. One of the unique benefits that Pinnacol offers it's employees is our Educational Enrichment Award Program. The Program offers scholarships to the sons and daughters of our employees as they graduate from High School so that they can pursue additional education. We think the program also motivates younger high school students to stay in school. Now in its 9th year, the Program was developed to inspire young men and women to achieve academic excellence, engage in lifelong learning and build leadership skills so they can give back to the community.

9Health Fair: Do Something Good for Yourself!

2011-04-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol will again be hosting a 9Health Fair site. This year's event will be on Wednesday, April 20th from 7 a.m. until noon. Here are some of the screenings that will be available:

• Ask a Medical Question and Get a Referral
• Ask a Pharmacist
• Blood Chemistry Screening (Blood Draw)
• Blood Count Screening (Blood Draw)
• Blood Pressure Screening
• Body Fat Skinfold Screening
• Bone Health Screening
• Colon Cancer Screening Kit
• First Aid
• Foot Screening
• Hearing Screening
• Height/Weight/Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening
• Hemoglobin A1c (Blood Draw)
• Lung Function Screening
• Nutrition Screening
• Oral Health Screening
• Skin Screening
• Sleep Apnea Screening
• Spinal Screening
• Vision Screening
• Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Screening (Blood Draw

That's a pretty extensive list and those are just the "basic" screenings. If I went through all of those I’d need a beer and some pizza just to recover. Seriously though, there’s not an easier way to get a quick health check than visiting one of the many 9Health sites around town during April. And it’s simple to find a convenient location at the 9Health website.

Our employees really love volunteering with the 9Health Fair and Pinnacol has hosted the Fair every year since 2004. Its a great opportunity for us to give back to the communities that support us all year long. So if you are in the neighborhood stop by on the 20th and say hello while doing something good for yourself!

Employee Appreciation Week

2011-04-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

We're just wrapping up Employee Appreciation Week here at Pinnacol. Workers' Compensation is serious work, no question about it, so its important now and then to let our employees know how much their efforts are appreciated. Pinnacol has garnered a lot of publicity over the last several years, some positive and some negative, but through it all our 600 employees have remained focused on our core mission: taking care of Colorado employers and the employees (nearly 1.2 million!) who work for them. When I stand in line at the grocery store, or am simply walking down the street, its never too far from my mind that most of the people around me would depend on the company I work for if they were ever hurt on the job. I know most of my fellow employees share this same sense of responsibility.

This week we've had all sorts of fun activities. On Monday employees wore specific colors denoting their years of service (the average tenure at Pinnacol is approximately 8 1/2 years), on Wednesday employees were treated to an "Around the World" themed lunch, and Thursday was "Wellness Day" (we try to practice what we preach to our policyholders about the benefits of having healthy employees) where we were encouraged to take a healthy walk followed by a healthy yogurt treat. Today is Sports and College Jersey day. Friday's are always casual dress at Pinnacol, but periodically we spice up Casual Friday with some type of theme. Support for all of our local teams is clearly evident, but there are a lot of other team and college colors proudly on display as well.

All in all its been a fun week, and a nice way to say "thank you" to the 600 employees who make Pinnacol the company it is today.

New Opening for Subrogation Claims Paralegal

2011-04-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

We have a brand new opportunity on our Legal Subrogation team. We are seeking an experienced Paralegal to proactively pursue assigned subrogation claims to resolution. This position reviews claim files received from our Business teams to determine if subrogation potential exists, evaluates all facts necessary to determine the most cost effective pursuit of subrogation recoveries, and negotiates settlement of the claim with liability insurance carriers and responsible third-parties on non-litigated cases. This role also supports our Subrogation Counsel, and drafts and files motions in litigated cases and files claims and represents Pinnacol Assurance in small claims court proceedings.

The requirements for this position include knowledge of general principles of law, Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure, Workers' Compensation Act, general criminal law, and tort law along with familiarity with specific case law and statutes that affect workers’ compensation subrogation as well as a basic understanding of medical terminology and human anatomy. Successful candidates will have at least two years experience in plaintiff or insurance litigation or claims adjusting. As always, Workers’ compensation insurance experience is helpful, but not essential. Paralegal certification is desirable.

If you think this is the position for you, please submit your expression of interest via our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

It's an Amazing Thing...

2011-03-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

One of the amazing tools provided by Google is a tool called Google Analytics. For those of you who have blogs of your own you probably already know all about this. Analytics allows a blogger to see how many folks are accessing their blogs, how long on average they spend on the site, what the most-read content is, and where the reader is located. The last, where the reader is located, is always fascinating to me. As a Colorado-based, and focused, company I would have anticipated that most of our readers come from in-state and that is in fact the case. But in the year that this blog has been up we've had readers literally from around the world.

For example, in the last month we've had 14 visits from India. Folks in Hyderabad, Chennai, and New Delhi are spending above average amounts of time reading the blog. I've always wanted to travel to India (congratulations, by the way, for your victory yesterday in the 2nd semi-final of the Cricket World Cup) and when I look at Analytics I wonder about the people behind the numbers - what their lives are like, what they are seeing when they look out from their windows, what the background noise is, and what the air feels like.

Ramakrishna Temple, Chennai

Hyderabad and New Delhi are in the news frequently enough that I am somewhat familiar with them, but Chennai is a complete unknown to me. Curiosity usually gets the best of me so I Googled Chennai to learn more. Turns out that Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is a shortened form of Chennaipattinam, the name of the town that grew around Fort St. George, which was built by the English in 1640 (their first Fortress in India). Today Chennai is the 5th most populous city in India and the 36th most populous in the world. Located on the Bay of Bengal, the city has a booming automotive industry and is sometimes referred to as the Detroit of

Srirengam Temple, Chennai

India. It also has a thriving film industry. Chennai is one of the world's fastest growing cities, and is expected to grow 2.5 times its current size by the year 2025.

I don't know if Pinnacol will ever hire one of our readers from outside the U.S., but I'd like to think that it's a possibility. So, to our readers around the globe, thank you for reading, and if you are ever in the Denver area, we'd like to say hello.

You Can Do Everything Right, and Still Have a Tough Time Finding a Job...

2011-03-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

I know from a candidate's perspective it is very frustrating in today's market to find a job, let alone a new career. I hear it from almost every candidate I speak with, including several today. It's often easy for candidates to fall into the trap of blaming themselves for how long it's taking to find a position and there is no doubt that Colorado's job market is as challenging as it's been in decades.

I've spent the last two days at a conference celebrating Great Places to Work and in getting caught up on my e-mails and news I saw a study highlighted in an article by Greg Griffin in the Denver Post from Wednesday that paints a picture in stark contrast to the companies I saw at the conference who appear poised to surge out of the recession if given half a chance.

Conducted by Colorado State University, the study illuminates what has occurred over the last decade in our state:

While the Western Slope and central-northern mountains created a net 12,200 jobs in the last 10 years, the front range, including the greater-Denver area, actually lost 5,000 jobs over the decade
Since the start of the recession in December 2007, Colorado has lost more than 126,000 jobs eliminating any job growth that had occurred in the first 7 years of the decade
During the same time frame Colorado's labor force added more than 300,000 people and the working-age population soared by 575,000

According to the economists who wrote the report, Martin Shields and Michael Marturana: "In many ways, Colorado has lost a decade."

Job-seekers today can do everything exactly right - have the correct blend of education, skills, and experience, have impeccable references, and network like they invented the term - and still be unable to land a job. That is an incredibly frustrating situation for anyone to find themselves in. This recession will eventually come to an end; when it does it will take a long time to forget the 1st decade of the new millenium.

To see the Colorado State University Study "Has Colorado's Economy Lost a Decade?", click here.

A very interesting day...

2011-03-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

What do you call a day when you get to hear a successful turn-around story straight from the mouth of Intel's VP of Human Resources Richard Taylor, have lunch followed by a keynote address by Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, sit in on several intriguing and informative breakout sessions, and then end with a session by Maxine Clark, the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshops? For folks attending the national Great Place to Work Conference in Denver put on by the Great Place to Work Institute it's just part of the routine. But for me, attending the conference for the first time, it's like being a kid in a candy store. Most of the companies recognized on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in America list are in attendance and there are folks from many different countries as well. I sat next to folks from Finland and Japan and that was just at breakfast.

Why are all these people in Denver? To share their knowledge about what makes a company a great place to work. Pinnacol is honored to have made the Great Place to Work list in the Medium size company category and what I am learning is that we are doing many of the things our larger (much larger!) counterparts are. Pinnacol is not alone in recognizing that taking care of our employees results in our employees taking better care of our customers but every company takes it's own special path to developing a great culture and work environment.

Tony Hsieh was probably the most unique presenter as he detailed his philosophy that delivering happiness (to employees, vendors, customers, and everyone they come in contact with) is the cornerstone of Zappos success. For those of you unfamiliar with Zappos, they sell shoes, clothing, and other items but their real product, what really sets them apart, is service.

The conference, being held at the Hyatt Regency, wraps up tomorrow, but the inspiration will last a long time!

New Opportunity for Decision Support Analyst!

2011-03-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Our I.S. group is busy! We have an additional opportunity for another Microstrategy Decision Support Analyst to create and maintain business intelligence tools.

The ideal candidate for this opening will have 3+ years experience with business intelligence tools (Microstrategy preferred) and SQL. We are looking for a great communicator with the technical expertise to support projects that require heavy analysis and problem solving. This position works independently as well as part of a team designing and constructing BI solutions and candidates will need to be able to effectively communicate findings to management and help devise business intelligence strategies.

A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required. Project management skills and insurance experience are a definite plus. This position is based at our Denver (Lowry) headquarters. If you know someone who might be interested please pass this on. If you are interested, please complete an expression of interest on our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

Should you have a Twitter Account during a Job Search?

2011-03-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Even though we currently have a small number of opportunities open with Pinnacol I'm still out on the web browsing recruiting and job-related sites to see what's trending, to find new ideas and methods, and to stay connected with folks who may someday become Pinnacol employees. That includes monitoring some of the key job sites who, in recent years, have become a much better resource for job seekers than simply a place to find jobs. One of the partners we sometimes use is Great Insurance Jobs.com. This morning they sent me an e-mail that included a brief article by Roger Lear, one of the co-founders of Great Insurance Jobs, about why candidates should strongly consider having a Twitter account. From a job candidate's perspective, Twitter is perhaps the most under-utilized tool out there. I thought I'd pass along his tips as they are as concise and cogent as I've seen:

"Can you tweet your way to the next great job? You may already know that you can use Twitter to find jobs that are "tweeted" by companies (Twitter.com/InsuranceJobs1). What you may not realize is that there a few advantages to having your own Twitter account during a job search that can help you.
Here are some reasons why having a Twitter account can really be beneficial to you during your job search:
1. Depending on what survey you read, over 50 percent of employers today are using Google to find your online identity. A well done Twitter account will put your name and identity at the top of this list.
2. A Twitter account allows you to control the content a potential employer will find about you if they do research your name. For example, if you are looking for a job as a graphic designer, your entire Twitter account can be devoted to tweets about the programs you use, interesting facts and links to your work. In addition, Twitter has a profile section that you can write a short "bio" about yourself, about your skills and your desire to find a great job.
3. You can "follow" companies that you have a desire to work for in the future. Many companies have established Twitter accounts and their tweets usually reflect what the company is doing. By following them, you may get a tweet about jobs open at their company.
4. You can find job leads at companies you don't follow. Twitter search engines allow you to put in search terms like "underwriter jobs Orlando". Any tweet with those words will appear. The better you get at search terms when using Twitter, the better results you will get.
5. Recruiters (in house and third party) and staffing firms are using Twitter to find candidates for their open jobs directly. If you are not in Twitter, they will never find you to contact you about the job they are recruiting for. Many of the jobs recruiters have are NEVER advertised.

Here are some tips to get started:
1. Go to Twitter.com and sign up for an account. Your username should be your name if it is available. If not, use your_name. Do not use any name that is cute or unprofessional.
2. Fill out the bio with key words about what you do and what you are looking for in your next job. Use key words that recruiters would use to find you.
3. Add your picture. This validates your profile. If you don’t have a professional head shot, get one done professionally. (Target does a good job.)
4. Research companies you want to work for and follow them.
5. Tweet regularly about things in your industry. Find tweets from others and retweet them to your account.

Twitter can be a great tool in your job search if done properly. During a job search, Twitter is not about how many followers you have. It is a great vehicle for you to get your name and online identity in the hands of potential employers with you in 100 percent control of the content."

Pinnacol has several Twitter accounts including a company account and one specifically for careers. There is still not (and probably never will be) a one and only best way to look for and find a job. Having a Twitter account just adds another tool to the toolkit.

E-Verify Self-Check Now Active in Selected States

2011-03-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

As an employer, Pinnacol uses the E-Verify System to assist in verifying the work authorization of new employees joining our company. We have been using E-Verify since July 2006 and overall our experience has been very positive. The system slowly continues to expand its functionality. For example, in recent years the system was updated that when someone presents a U.S. passport or some other types of documention the photo from the document appears on-line to verify against the individual we are actually hiring. One can envision the day sometime in the future that all documents provided as proof that someone is eligible to work in the U.S. will have such a photo-matching tool. I'm well aware of the national debate that is swirling around E-Verify but from an employer's perspective any tool that makes it easier rather than harder for us to be in compliance with the law is welcome news.

This morning I received an e-mail notification of a new service from E-Verify meant not for the employer but for the perspective employee. Rolled out initially only to residents of 5 states (Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, Mississippi, and Virginia) and the District of Columbia the new E-Verify Self Check program allows anyone residing in those areas to self-check their employment authorization, even if they are not necessarily applying for a job with a new employer.

Why bother, you might ask? The old adage of 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' applies - finding out that something is possibly amiss with your documents is probably easier, and less stress-inducing, to know about and fix than under the time constraints imposed if an Employer discovers the problem with your documents for you. The most common thing we see with E-Verify (though our experience may not be the same as other employers) occurs with women who have recently been married but have not updated their social security card with the name change. Trying to fix this during the first couple of days as a new employee can be nerve-wracking when added to the stress of starting a new job.

I tested the E-Verify Self-Check for myself this morning and as happens with new systems it wasn't 100% glitch free to start. At first it didn't recognize that I was a resident of Colorado but after a quick call to their support line I was able to enter my information. It took all of about a minute to get the result. If you'd like to give it a try here is the link:
E-Verify Self Check.

Be Notified of Pinnacol Career Postings via E-mail

2011-03-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

The folks at Google do a lot of things right which is part of the reason this Blog resides on Blogger.com. One of their new enhancements, or as they call them -"Gadgets", that I've been waiting for gives you the ability to be notified of our blog postings automatically via e-mail. At the top of the Blog you'll see a header saying "Follow by Email". Simply type in your e-mail address and submit and you'll be sent a daily email message when Pinnacol Assurance Careers has new content.

Two extraordinary lives

2011-03-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Pinnacol has as its core mission providing workers compensation insurance protection to Colorado employers and their employees. Ultimately its about protecting life through preventing accidents on the job wherever possible and ensuring care when an injury does occur.

This morning I was talking with someone and asked why the flags were again at half-staff in front of our building. My first assumption was that it was a soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. That was not the case - there were actually two reasons for the flags to be lowered this morning. One was Governor Hickenlooper's decree that flags be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings statewide on Tuesday, March 15 in honor of Limon police officer Jay Sheridan, 27, of Limon. Sheridan was killed on the job March 9 while serving a fugitive warrant in Limon, 90 miles east of Denver. The other was to honor Corporal Frank Buckles, the last of the more than 5 million Americans who served during World War I. He died Feb. 22 at his home in West Virginia at the age of 110.

Quite a contrast between a life cut short too soon and another that witnessed more than a century's worth of American, and world, history. Frank Buckles was born in 1901 and was 14 years old when Pinnacol's predecessor first was established in 1915. When the U.S. entered World War I he first sought to enlist in the Marine Corp. and then the Navy but was turned down by both. He finally successful in enlisting in the Army in August 1917 at the ripe old age of 16. Pinnacol doesn't even accept applications from candidates this young but off to war Mr. Buckles went.

Buckles at age 16

Buckles was sent to Europe on the RMS Carpathia, which had rescued RMS Titanic survivors five years earlier. While on the Carpathia, Buckles spoke with crew members who had taken part in the rescue of Titanic survivors. Once in Europe he served in England and France as an ambulance driver. Discharged in 1920 he then worked for a variety of shipping companies and was in the Phillipines when Japan invaded in 1941. He would be a prisoner of war for the next 3 1/2 years.

After the second World War he returned to the U.S., ultimately settling on a farm in West Virginia and was still driving a tractor at the age of 103. When asked about the secret of his long life, Buckles replied: "Hope," adding, "When you start to die... don't." Limon Officer Jay Sheridan didn't get that option, and, for today at least, two extraordinary lives will be remembered and honored.

The Story of Water

2011-03-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

Pinnacol tries very hard to promote green activities through its employees. We work in a very energy-efficient building, we have recycling bins on all of our floors, and we have a very active 'Green Team' to keep us on our environmentally friendly toes. This morning one of our employees, Ryan, who works on our communications team, wrote an internal blog for our Green Team's intranet page. I thought I'd share it because it made me stop and think. Even though I have heard the message over and over again, I still, like you probably do, occasionally reach for bottled water. So here's Ryan's gentle reminder that even the simplest of our actions can have a big impact.

It seems like the same few ways to help the environment get drilled into us over and over again: Recycle. Take a five-minute shower. Ride a bike to the store. Ride the bus to work. The problem is, some of these things are a huge pain. A bus ride from my home in west Denver (which is right on two major bus routes) to Lowry takes an hour and 20 minutes, compared to a 30 minute drive - I know, I've done it. And while I very much enjoy the time to read or play a game on my phone without two tiny people vying for my attention, I still like my kids and don't want to spend an extra hour and a half away from them. And have you ever tried to ride a bike with a gallon of milk and a two boxes of Cap'n Crunch? It's not easy - done this too.

That's why switching from bottled water to tap water is so refreshing (pun!). It's incredibly easy. You can re-use a Dasani bottle, or head to REI for a thoughtfully-designed vessel that will make you feel cool. Then simply fill it with delicious Rocky Mountain tap water. Who knows, it may have come from one of those bubbling alpine brooks in the Coors commercials! Take it wherever you go, even to restaurants where you'd be tempted to buy a bottle of water. And we've got ice cold water in the dispensers in every break room here at Pinnacol.

Between the production and disposal of the bottles, plus all the shipping, bottled water is incredibly inefficient and wasteful. Especially considering much of the bottled water you drink is simply tap water, filtered (Dasani, Aquafina). So go out and get a water bottle. And watch the video below for a little background on how fancy bottled water gets to your hands.

Of course, nothing in this world is ever really easy. As I was driving in to work this morning there was an interesting story on the radio explaining that all of these new "BPA Free" water bottles still have plenty of 'estrogenic' chemicals in them. It really is a full time job watching out for Mother Earth, but every baby step we take can still make a difference...

What's next? Apple unveils new IPad

2011-03-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

One of my co-workers had sent me the clip from Apple's unveiling of the new IPad today in San Francisco. I know a lot of our staff are already using the first generation IPad and are exploring what the device means in terms of work functionality (and yes, they are a whole lot of fun too...). Steve Jobs described the new IPad as the next step in "post-P.C." devices. As I write this I'm still typing away on one of those "pre-IPad P.C.'s", but I'm wondering how soon will come the day when the big box in front of me is replaced by a "post-P.C." device, either Apple or otherwise. Generations coming of age today may never actually own a P.C. just as many of you have never worked at a computer terminal.

I was speaking with a couple of our Business Directors and we were wondering about things like doing first interviews via the new IPad. Right now the number of business apps seem somewhat limited, and those there are somewhat clunky, but that will change. As Steve Jobs announced the 2nd generation of his device I couldn't help wonder what the fifth, sixth, or tenth generation will be capable of. Stay tuned! The IPad 2 ships to stores beginning March 11th.

Linking Employee Wellness to Workers’ Comp Costs

2011-03-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Danielle, one of the people I have worked with on our Employee Services team, has taken on a neat new project offering a new service to our policyholders. Danielle's background is rich in training and development but this new project is a great example of how Pinnacol allows employees to continue to expand their horizons. Her new project involves helping to roll out a Health Risk Management program to our policyholders. Ultimately the program is another way Colorado employers can help manage their workers' compensation insurance costs.

Traditionally, when employers look for ways to lower their workers’ compensation insurance costs, they focus their attention on beefing up their safety programs to prevent injuries. While safety programs are essential, what about those employees who, based on their lifestyle, seem to put themselves at greater risk of injury despite the best safety measures?

One of the biggest challenges for businesses today are costs associated with poor employee health. Pinnacol's Health Risk Management (HRM) program will measure the effect of lifestyle and health risks on workers’ compensation costs over a 3-5 year period. Participating employees will have access to a personal Health Risk Assessment (HRA), telephonic coaching, and a wide array of online tools and resources. These resources, offered by one of our vendors -Wellsource Health Solutions, will help raise awareness and empower employees to make healthy lifestyle changes.

The work Danielle is involved in has the goal of enrolling 30,000 policyholder employees into the Health Risk Management program. If you know a Pinnacol policyholder who might be interested in signing up or learning more, have them contact their agent, Danielle at 303-361-4768, or Karen at 303-361-4784.

Thanks, Danielle, with sharing information about this unique work that you are doing, and good luck with the project!

Future Thoughts

2011-02-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to watch a webinar hosted by a company called Broadlook Technologies focused on the future of recruiting. The webinar was presented to an audience of recruiters, both agency and corporate, and was well attended with more than 600 participants. If you are a candidate, most of what was covered might bore you to tears, but there were some tidbits I thought I might share. Number one: the way recruiters find candidates, and the way candidates will find jobs will continue to evolve. No earth-shaking news there, but some of the detail might get you to thinking. Donato Diorio, the founder and CEO of Broadlook is a very forward-thinking guy who's not afraid to make some predictions. He's already thinking in terms of Web 5.0 while most of us are still trying to wrap our minds around Web 2.0, and he makes the year 2020 sound as if it were tomorrow.

Many of us in Human Resources are still trying to figure out the business role of things like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. If Donato's thoughts come true to any extent, we're all going to have some catching up to do!

Here are some of his insights, at least as I understood them...

Social Network Apathy: As people become more and more connected to more and more 'friends' they will become desensitized to what this expanded network is really up to. As more and more social networks evolve, messaging, from companies and individuals alike, will tend to get lost in the noise. I can attest that this is already occurring - Donato challenged us to add up all the networks we are in - not just things like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but sub-groups on LinkedIn, usergroups, newsfeeds, message boards, etc. Like Donato, my count was in the 40's, and I've come to realize there is no way to humanly keep up with them all. The result may be that people will move from sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn in favor of micro-network sites, where only the people you really care about can access you and your information.
Literacy and Communication will make a comeback in terms of importance. As more companies and candidates move their data to the web it will be real communication, rather than simple information transmittal, between the two that will become critical.
Social Sentiment: what's being said about companies, and candidates on the web. This is a subset of business and personal branding, now sometimes referred to as reputation management. Donato has a key insight for candidates: while it usually takes many, many impressions to change the social sentiment of a company, for a candidate a single poorly-worded, or ill-advised posting on someone's Facebook page can potentially ruin an individual's on-line reputation. While you can't judge a company like Coca-Cola or Microsoft by one solitary tweet, individual's often are judged that quickly.
Social Intuition: As candidates develop more and more of a web-based presence, companies will use this information about candidates to tailor their employment offerings to the specific candidate. For example, companies that see on Facebook that you love dogs may emphasize that they offer pet insurance as a benefit.
The importance of LinkedIn connections will be more and more important, at least in the short-term. Donato pointed out that he has more than 10,000 connections via LinkedIn. He can't really know all those people, but if he is looking for someone, he can connect with them directly whereas many of us on LinkedIn still rely on reaching out through our connections for introductions to others. While I may be waiting for my connection to introduce me to someone, Donato's already talking to them directly. More than 50 percent of the webinar participants indicated they were actively trying to grow their LinkedIn connections as large as possible in order to directly connect.
The world is going mobile and there is no turning back - there will be no need for desktop computers save for some very specialized types of computing. The smartphone and increasingly the tablet will contain everything we will need as more and more data moves to 'the cloud' and the device in your hands contains all the apps necessary to access that data. The flow of information will become permission-based and you will have more control over what information you share and what information you receive.

I don't profess to know if all these things will happen the way Donato predicts, but I'd hazard a guess that if we re-read this posting in 5 years we'll all be amazed at what will have changed.

A Whole New Mind, Hot Degrees and Jobs, and other Sundry Stuff

2011-02-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

Normally I would have titled this posting "What's Pinnacol Reading" and simply done a quick review of the latest offering by our company book club - "A Whole New Mind" - by Daniel Pink. The book has been interesting enough that it's got me thinking and relating what it talks about to other things associated with my role at Pinnacol. I haven't even finished reading it and here I am blogging about it which hints at how thought provoking I'm finding the book to be.

What I've gathered so far is that the traditional left-brained approaches to work (sequential, literal, functional, analytical and knowledge-based) are not necessarily the ones that will be critical to keeping America competitive in the future as these skills can be increasingly done by workers in other countries at far less cost or simply automated by computers here at home. Traditional computer programming is a prime example - folks in New Delhi can crank out computer code at a fraction of the cost of their traditional American counterparts.

So what will differentiate American programmers, and workers doing other types of work, from their Indian and Asian counterparts? According to Pink, its the ability to apply the right brain strengths - the ability to think and reason holistically (see the big picture), intuitively, and nonlinearly) in conjunction with those of the left. For too long, he argues, America has emphasized only left-brained thinking, while undervaluing the attributes that the right side of our brain bring to the table. The LSAT/MCAT/GMAT tests may be accurate predictors of who will be good Lawyers, Doctors, and MBA's but leave a lot to be desired in terms of predicting the next Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Mark Zuckerberg.

As I was driving to work this morning they were talking on the radio about one of Colorado's Universities eliminating its Journalism degree program. The advent of the web hasn't been particularly kind to traditional news media such as newspapers, magazines, television and radio. If they are to survive the next decade they will have to reinvent themselves. The smart ones are already well along in this process, and I'd hazard a guess that their ability to remake themselves is being driven by workers using their "whole minds", as Daniel Pink would put it.

The potential elimination of the Journalism program got me to wondering what are the hottest job prospects looking forward so I went to Collegeboard.com to see what they were predicting would be the occupations with the most job openings through 2018. The list surprised me; I was half expecting nanotechnologists and wind farmers to be right up there. Instead, the list had some very traditional job titles - teachers, doctors, lawyers, along with, yes, all sorts of computer-related jobs. That brought me back full-circle to Daniel Pink's "A Whole New Mind" - its not so much what our job function will be but the way in which we will do it.

Filling out an application....

2011-02-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

Used to be that candidates would be invited in for an interview and the first thing they would do would be to sit down and complete a paper application. Technology has of course changed that and now candidates generally complete an electronic application for employment on line. Regardless of the method there are still some do's and don'ts you want to consider as you complete a company's formal application for employment (including Pinnacol's!).

Do list all employment going back a minimum of 10 years. If you have less than 10 years working, list everything you have. If you have more than 10 years you can certainly list it all but employers are most interested in what you have been doing recently than what you were doing 15-30 years ago. Going back too much more than 10 years is also a give-away of approximately how old you are, and I hear from candidates all the time that age discrimination is alive and well out there so think about the real value (how topical is that dated experience to the job you are applying for today?) of going too far back.
Don't fudge ( to fudge: a highly technical HR term for misleading, misrepresenting, or otherwise attempting to deceive!) on an application for employment. Some HR people frown on any fudging on resumes, but the reality is your resume is your advertisement of skills to the world. In the HR world we know the ONLY purpose of a resume is to get someone in a role like mine to pick up the phone and call you. We also know that fudging on resumes is rampant and the initial purpose of an HR person's call is to see how close the reality is to what you've put on your resume. When it comes to completing the application, fudging can lose you the job, both before you've been offered it, and even after you have been in the position for a substantial amount of time. Stories of people who fudged about degrees, military service, job experience, etc. and who got fired from their positions after their misrepresentations came to light are all over the web. Don't fall into this trap. I often tell candidates that the application is a legal document; Pinnacol's application has some very specific language right before candidates submit that says: By clicking on the SUBMIT button I certify that I am ..., that I have completed this application on my own behalf and that all information I have provided in this application is true and complete. I understand that any false information or omission may disqualify me from further consideration for employment and may result in my dismissal if discovered at a later date. Most employer's applications have language very similar to this.
Do give professional references if at all possible, preferably those who have actually supervised your work in the past. Let these people know in advance that you are using them as references so that when someone in my role calls them they aren't completely blindsided. After all, you want them to put in a good word about you. When the first thing I hear from the reference is that they weren't even aware you were looking for a job I know my call is starting on a bad note and probably will go downhill from there.
Don't ever mislead an employer about the level of education you really have. In today's world it's too easy for an employer to check and verify. If you don't have a degree, even if you are just a couple of credits shy, don't claim that you do. This also goes for certifications, licenses, etc. This is where fudging on your resume crosses the line - if you lead someone to believe you have more than what you do, the discrepancy between your resume and the application is HUGE in the eyes of most employers.

I'm seeing an increasing number of applicants making some of the mistakes listed above so thought I'd pass on some quick tips. Just in the last couple of days I've seen one too many applications giving only the most recent employer, or going back only a year or two, when the resume shows many years of experience with a variety of employers. I've never been an avid reader of the National Enquirer, but their slogan is apropos when it comes to filling out an application: "Inquiring minds want to know". I'll leave you with one more quote, this time from a slightly more reliable source, former President Ronald Reagan, who would have turned 100 this month: "Trust, but verify".

Save a Life

2011-02-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

When people interview with me one of the things I always let them know is that the training is pretty continuous at this company. There are always new things to learn, from new people joining the company, to new laws impacting our industry and new technology affecting the ways we do our jobs. Yesterday I and the rest of the human resources and training team (collectively known internally as the Employee Services group) had the chance to go through CPR/AED training together.

For some of us this was simply a chance to renew our certifications, but for others it was their first exposure to this potentially life-saving training. Dana, one of our Safety Consultants, was the trainer. Dana's background includes not just safety but fire-fighting experience as well as serving as an army medic. Dana is a wonderful trainer who brings some real-world perspective to what he teaches. Pinnacol, like many employers, has made the investment to have several AED's and first aid supplies scattered throughout our building, but as Dana pointed out if people are unwilling to use them because they don't know how to use them that can be a bad thing.

I've sat through a lot of these sessions through the years, but Dana's approach to teaching the AED was unique. He queried the group as to who had gone through the training before. Many of us raised our hands. Then he asked who had actually ever used an AED. Fewer hands were raised. Then he asked one of the group who had not raised their hands to either question to come forward. On the floor was the first aid mannequin with an AED. He asked our team member to try to save the life of the person on the floor. Our team member looked petrified at the thought of using the device, but with gentle encouragement he got her to open the AED and then prompted her to simply turn the unit on.

Those of you who have gone through this training know what happens next: the AED speaks to you and tells you step by step what to do. With no further direction from Dana, our team member correctly applied the pads and gave the mannequin a training "shock" with no problem whatsoever. She was amazed at how easy and straightforward the process was. The fear factor had been eliminated.

Dana has conducted CPR/AED training to more than one hundred of our employees and has the goal to eventually teach all of us at Pinnacol how to use these simple tools that can be so critical in a medical emergency. One of the things we cover with new employees during orientation is where our AED's are located, and we point out that if someone is having a heart attack their chances of survival are cut by as much as 50% if emergency aid (performing CPR/ using an AED) is not given within just the first couple of minutes. I'm sure I would speak for Dana if I encouraged everyone, inside Pinnacol and out, to go through this training. You really have nothing to fear but fear itself. And who knows? You might just save a life.

Quick Update on Openings with Pinnacol as of 02/08/11

2011-02-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

We have been receiving a tremendous volume of interest in some of our recent openings so wanted to give everyone a quick update as we have filled several positions but have also had a new opening.

We have recently filled our openings for our HR Administrative Support position as well as our Unix Systems Administrator opportunity. Thank you to all the great candidates who expressed an interest in these positions!

We have recently posted an opening for a Business Intelligence Programmer and there is a specific blog regarding that opportunity. That is a fairly specialized role and we have not seen that many candidates so if you, or someone you know, may be interested, now is the time to apply.

For those of you interested in our open claims position we have completed the intitial interviews and are awaiting a decision by the hiring manager. There were many qualified candidates for this position, some of whom applied late in the process after the interviews had begun, so not everyone was selected for an interview. If for some reason the hiring manager cannot select from the first round of candidates, we may go deeper into the pool.

I wish we could personally touch base with all of the folks interested in working with Pinnacol but I'll try to make sure you are up to date on where we are on our openings via this blog and of course our company website where we list the currently available openings.

Thanks to everyone for their continued interest in Pinnacol Assurance!

Business Intelligence Programmer Opportunity

2011-02-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Pinnacol has a new opportunity in our Decision Support Services team for a "Business Intelligence Programmer" . If you're not an IT wizard, which I am definitely not, just the title is intimidating, so I sought out the hiring manager, David, to share some insights as to what this position really does and what he's looking for in candidates. Joining David in the conversation is Dan, one of our Decision Support team members. If you, or someone you know, are interested, it really is a unique opportunity to join this key team at Pinnacol Assurance.

Here is a copy of the formal job announcement:

Pinnacol Assurance is looking for a Business Intelligence Programmer to 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. 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. Must be able to establish and maintain strong relations with Decision Support Services staff and internal customers. Position plays 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, PL/SQL and SQL*Plus, 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). Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience; computer science degree/MIS, business/economics or statistics preferred. 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 required.

If you understood all of that, you really should apply! Please complete an expression of interest via our company website's careers page.

Pinnacol employees perform on Report Card

2011-02-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

The Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation (DOWC) conducts an annual claims audit of insurance companies in the state to determine how well they are serving Colorado policyholders. In the most recent audit (2009), Pinnacol earned an overall average score of 96 percent. Compared to other insurance companies that compete with us, Pinnacol earned the highest scores in the following five categories:

• Reporting of claims (91 percent)
• Timeliness of compensation payments (97 percent)
• Accuracy of compensation benefits (93 percent)
• Medical benefit payments (100 percent)
• Termination of temporary disability benefits (96 percent)

Pinnacol’s scores in the remaining four categories were:

• Initial positions of liability (99 percent; second place*)
• Final admissions (98 percent; second place*)
• Average weekly wage (92 percent; third place*)
• Waiting period (98 percent; second place*)

The DOWC’s 2009 claims audit measured the performance of several workers’ compensation insurance carriers in Colorado including Farmers, Travelers, State Farm and Liberty Mutual Group.

Pinnacol's claims staff takes pride in the level of service they provide day in and day out. We're not perfect, and there is always room for continued improvement, but kudos to our employees for these very strong scores. To see a brief compilation of the scores click here. The Claims Report Card is a snapshot of all the data for Pinnacol and 12 of our competitors.

"Applying for real life jobs... scary!"

2011-01-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

Pinnacol tries to reach candidates interested in exploring careers with us many different ways. We're on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter. So it's not unusual to see in my in-box that someone new is following me on Twitter. I usually click the link that takes me to their Twitter page just to see who they are and to try to understand why they are following us.

This morning I had a notification from a student, Bailey, at Iowa State University who appears to be brand new to all things tweeted. She had tweeted just once, but her single tweet speaks volumes: "Applying for real life jobs... scary!" And they say that you can't say much in 140 characters or less...

To Bailey I first say thank you for following us - we hope some of the information we share is useful. And second, welcome to the real world - applying for real jobs is scary at any age, so you are in good company. I remember when I was in your shoes getting ready to graduate from college and looking for my first 'real' job. Despite all the help I could finagle from my college career center, friends, and parents I really had no clue what I was doing. From writing a resume and cover letter that would make me stand out from the crowd, to the first face-to-face interview it was all a brave new world.

The job market Bailey is facing is radically different from the one I faced all those years ago. However, some things haven't changed despite all the new technology, social media, and increased competition for every job available. The ability to interact at a human level won't necessarily get you an interview, but by and large it is still what will get you the job. My wife, who is a teacher, constantly is giving me examples of students who can text faster than a speeding bullet but who have an inordinate amount of difficulty actually communicating with others face to face.

I'll give Bailey credit - she actually tweeted a simple, easily understood thought. So many tweets are indecipherable either due to the abbreviation required by the 140 character limit or because you're left guessing at what the person tweeting really meant.

She also made me remember that in just a couple of months a whole new crop of recent graduates will be entering the job market. I wish Bailey well as she begins her search. Scary as the job market may be, it still remains a brave new world out there. That's something else that hasn't changed.

Sometimes little things mean a lot...

2011-01-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

Sometimes little things mean a lot. Literally. Take something as innocuous as a pop-top from a beverage can. At about 1 inch in length and just a couple of grams in weight it doesn't amount to much. But through a recycling program benefiting the Ronald McDonald House pop-tops can make a world of difference for the families of sick children.

One of our company's nurses, Betty, has been championing a program to collect and donate pop-tops to the Ronald McDonald House since 2008. One pound of tabs pays for a family to stay one night at Ronald McDonald House to be near a child in the hospital. It takes approximately 1,300 pop-tops to hit the one pound mark. Just recently, between September and December 2010, Betty collected 22 pounds of pop-tops from teammates, other coworkers, and families and friends of both.

Pinnacol's employees have rallied around Betty's efforts and the goal for 2011 is to collect 75 pounds of pop-tops. Thank you Betty for reminding us that little things really can make a big difference!

I now have the perfect excuse...

2011-01-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

To not shovel snow anymore. With apologies to my wife, a new study confirms what I have known for some time - shoveling snow can be dangerous to your health.

A recent article on EHS Today, an industry publication for those involved in environment, health, and safety, details the risks associated with the timely tradition of getting up at the crack of dawn and dutifully heading out to do battle with the raging blizzard one driveway and one sidewalk at a time.

All joking aside, there really are risks associated with this wonderful winter tradition: an average of 11,500 snow shoveling-related injuries and medical emergencies were treated in U.S. emergency departments each year from 1990 to 2006. The article cites a study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the most common injury diagnoses were soft tissue injuries (55 percent), lacerations (16 percent) and fractures (seven percent). The lower back was the most frequently injured region of the body (34 percent), followed by injuries to the arms and hands (16 percent) and head (15 percent). Acute musculoskeletal exertion (54 percent), slips or falls (20 percent) and being struck by a snow shovel (15 percent) were the most frequent mechanisms of snow shovel-related injuries.

And yes, heart attacks are an increased risk while shoveling in the frigid cold. In fact, the cold alone is a factor for at-risk individuals who have a history of medical conditions. "Cardiac-related events", which I guess is the new euphemism for what is more commonly known as a heart attack, accounted for only 7% of the cases but were responsible for more than 50% of the hospitalizations and 100% of the fatalities associated with snow shoveling.

The article points out that there are some things you can do to mitigate the risk.
The following are a few additional tips for preventing injuries when shoveling snow:

Warm up with light exercise before you start.
Make sure to pace yourself by taking frequent breaks for rest.
The best way to clear snow is by pushing it instead of lifting.
Ergonomically designed shovels can reduce the need for bending and heavy lifting.
When possible, avoid large shoveling jobs by clearing snow several times throughout the day.
Remember to wear warm clothing, including a hat, gloves and slip-resistant, high-traction footwear.

With all due respect to these great recommendations, I think I have a far better solution - the next time its a blizzard with the snow blowing sideways, just stay indoors by the fire. Watch out the window as the snow piles higher and higher and smile, comfortable in the knowledge that Spring is just a couple of months away. My new motto is if it's eventually going to melt away, why shovel it today? Now if I can only get my wife to buy in...

You Say Tomatoe, I Say Tomato...

2011-01-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

One of the folks on our Communications team regularly writes a training column on using proper grammar and language for those of us who are challenged in that regard! This month our official 'keeper of the English language' treads into some really deep water this month with her "Write it Right" (or for this month, "Say it Right"!) column:

"Two-thousand eleven?" "Twenty eleven?"

Happy New Year! 2011 has reignited a spirited (but good-natured) debate that's been simmering for the past year or so: What's the best way to pronounce the years of this century?

At the turn of the century (2000), "two thousand" was the popular choice over "twenty hundred," even though in previous centuries, people opted to say "nineteen hundred," "eighteen hundred" and the like. Of course, these were much easier choices to say than "one-thousand nine-hundred," etc.

In 2001, "two-thousand one" followed suit — some say in part because this pronunciation had been popularized years earlier by the film "2001: A Space Odyssey." It also eliminated the need to say "twenty-OH-one" or the archaic sounding "twenty-OUGHT-one."

The new decade

This convention of using "two thousand" continued throughout the decade. But in 2010, "twenty ten" began to gain support. The Associated Press — whose "AP Stylebook" is Pinnacol's go-to source for grammar and spelling guidelines — adopted it. And other advocates of "twenty" maintain that it should become the standard for the remainder of the century.

If you think about how most years are pronounced, this argument seems to have convention on its side:

1999 — nineteen ninety-nine

1776 — seventeen seventy-six

1812 — eighteen twelve

1492 — fourteen ninety-two

1066 — ten sixty-six

And of course, those of a certain age will always defer to the 1969 hit song "In the Year 2525" (pronounced "twenty-five twenty-five").

Those favoring "two thousand" like its more formal sound. Random postings on the Internet include:

"'Twenty ten' is like nails on a chalkboard..."

"'Twenty ten' is just another lazy tongue in action..."

Who will decide?

Ultimately, this debate won't be decided by linguists or grammarians, but by popular usage. Our guess is that "twenty" will ultimately triumph because it glides off the tongue easily (compare saying "twenty eleven" and "two-thousand eleven") and eliminates a syllable.

What's your preference? When referring to the year 2011, do you say "twenty eleven" or "two-thousand eleven"?

New opportunity for Human Resources (Employee Services) Assistant

2011-01-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Human Resources Administrative Support (Employee Services Assistant)

Pinnacol Assurance is looking for an administrative support individual to be the first point of contact with our internal customers as they visit our Human Resources/Training team. This position will also support the team by performing a broad range of administrative duties. The work schedule will be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office, the ability to type 35+ words per minute, and strong interpersonal skills and a customer service orientation are required along with 2+ years of administrative/clerical experience. As this position will be a part of the Human Resources team candidates with relatives already working at Pinnacol will not be able to be considered.

New Opportunity for an Experienced Claims Representative

2011-01-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

For those unfamiliar with insurance, our industry basically boils down to two things: underwriting and claims. Regardless of the type of insurance, underwriting is about assessing the likelihood of occurrence and cost of risk (risk is all around us - from the likelihood of a hurricane hitting a certain location, to an auto accident, to someone getting injured on the job). In a perfect world the underwriter would assess the risk but the risk would never actually happen (no hurricanes, no auto accidents, no one ever gets hurt at work). In reality, underwriters know that it is just a question of time before some of the risks they've assessed actually occur, and at that point the folks in claims take over to handle whatever has happened.

We are currently looking for an experienced claims representative to help workers who have been injured on the job. The ideal candidate for this opening will have 3+ years of adjusting experience with exposure to workers's compensation preferred. I sat down with two of our claims representatives, Liz and Peg, to get their insight on what our claims representatives do, the skills needed, and what they enjoy about their work:

ASSE Celebrates 100 years of Safety

2011-01-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Many candidates who explore a career with Pinnacol Assurance are new to the insurance industry in general as well as to workers' compensation specifically. A lot of what we do is provide education: education to the businesses who insure through us, education to their employees, and part of my role in Human Resources is to introduce people unfamiliar with our industry and company to the unique services and opportunities we provide.

Informed businesses know that accident prevention is critical to their operations, both from the human perspective as well as the financial bottom line. Pinnacol will be celebrating it's 100 year anniversary in 2015, just 4 short years from now. Workers' Compensation as an industry in the United States has only been around for a century and came into being as the nation industrialized and saw accident rates skyrocket. The American Society of Safety Engineers, or ASSE came into being in 1911 as part of the rising concern about the then catastrophic accident rates. For example, from 1906 through 1911 more than 13,000 miners lost their lives to accidents on the job.

As part of their 100th Anniversary celebration, the ASSE has produced a short video highlighting the history of safety on the job, from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City to exploring what safety challenges await us in the future. For those of you exploring our industry, and our company its a great introduction. And to the ASSE, congratulations on your first 100 years of service, and best wishes for your continued efforts in the future.

Pinnacol Employees Walking their way to Wellness

2011-01-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

What better time of the year to set some positive and healthy resolutions? More than one hundred Pinnacol employees have signed up thus far for our new "Walking to Wellness" program. Participants will accumulate miles as they walk that will be tracked towards the company goal of reaching (virtually!) the Baseball All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona in July and then on to Super Bowl XLVI to be held in Indianapolis, Indiana in February 2012. I don't have a crystal ball, but with Mr. Elway now officially back with the Broncos, I predict our employees will arrive just in time to celebrate in blue and orange!

As recently reported on NPR, studies have shown that walking has all sorts of advantages, and that brisk walking is even better than taking a leisurely stroll. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health evaluated the health of more than 13,000 women who had reached the age of 70. They found that women who regularly walked at a moderate pace had much higher odds of staving off disease and aging successfully than their counterparts who didn't exert themselves beyond leisurely, easy walking.

We've got maps of local walking routes to make it easier for employees to find their way, and of course, there will be rewards as employees reach major milestones in their wellness journeys.

And, just for the record, Phoenix is 751 and Indianapolis is 1,061 miles from Denver. That's about 3.6 million steps our intrepid walkers will have to total.

I just hope they have comfortable shoes!

Pinnacol Foundation ramping up for 2011 Scholarships

2010-12-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

I've shared information on this blog about the Pinnacol Foundation in the past (click here). It's almost 2011 and the Pinnacol Foundation is gearing up for the new year. The Foundation offers college scholarships to children who's parents have been injured on the job. More than 200 students have received these scholarships, and as the video below attests, the extra money towards college can make a big difference in a young person's life who otherwise might not be able to afford the cost of higher education. If you know someone who might qualify, please have them visit the Pinnacol Foundation.

Team Nurse Case Manager: Temporary Assignment

2010-12-21T16:14:00.000-08:00

We have a very rare opportunity for a Team Nurse Case Manager to join us for a short term temporary assignment. The assignment is anticipated to last for several months. I had the opportunity to speak with Jerica, the Business Director of one of our medium account teams, about this opportunity:

We have also advertised this opportunity on Craigslist:
Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s leading provider of worker’s compensation insurance and recognized as one of America’s Best Places to Work, seeks an RN to provide telephonic case management handling the medical aspects of workers’ compensation claims. This is a temporary assignment anticipated to last several months. Our nurses perform self-directed, professional level work in a fast paced team environment as they interact with injured workers, policyholders, and providers. A broad clinical background, and experience with rehabilitation, occupational health, managed care, or emergency nursing preferred along with the ability to collaborate closely with claims representatives and work effectively in a team environment is a must. Requires current Colorado RN license. For consideration apply online at www.pinnacol.com.

Where's the smartest place in America?

2010-12-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Using Census Bureau data, Portfolio.com just did a survey of the 200 largest U.S. markets to determine the metropolitan area with the "strongest brainpower". Boulder, CO, sometimes known as "the Berkeley of Colorado", topped the list. According to the article, five out of every six adults in the Boulder area (82.5 percent) have attended college, and 26 percent of Boulder’s residents hold master’s, doctoral, or professional degrees, the highest figure in the country. Ann Arbor, Michigan and Washington, D.C. were the runners up. Fort Collins, CO was number 5 on the list. The city of Merced, CA, known as "the gateway to Yosemite" was at the bottom of the list. Thirty-four percent of Merced’s adult residents left high school without receiving diplomas and only 11.3 percent hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

For those of us in the Denver area, Denver came in at number 21. 67% of Denver adults had attended some college, with 13% having earned a graduate or professional degree.

And yes, the article does point out that the higher the level of education, the higher the earnings power, with those holding advanced degrees having more than 300 percent higher annual earnings than those who drop out of High School.

Shanghai, China

Other recent studies indicate that overall the U.S. continues to fall behind other countries in educational achievement. One report released just this month showed fifteen-year-olds in the U.S. ranking 25th among peers from 34 countries on a math test and scoring in the middle in science and reading, while China’s Shanghai topped the charts, raising concern that the U.S. isn’t prepared to succeed in the global economy.

At Pinnacol we strongly believe in having a well educated workforce.

That doesn't mean that you have to have a college degree for every position with our company. But as the managers I support constantly tell me, they are looking for what we call "continual learners". In other words, these are folks who can and want to advance their knowledge in a variety of different ways - through ongoing formal education, on the job training, self-study, etc. This ability to constantly learn allows our employees to adapt to an ever more rapidly changing world. The way we do our jobs now is radically different from the way we did them when I first started with this company, and will be radically different in 5-10 years from the way we do them today.

Its that time of year!

2010-12-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

As 2010 rolls to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read this blog since it first went live in March. This blog isn't really mine - it's yours, as you explore potential employment with our company. As the economy rebounds, hopefully in 2011, I know you will have increasing options when it comes to picking employers you might want to work with. All of us at Pinnacol are honored that you would consider working with our company.

From all of us, to all of you, best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and for a bright and prosperous new year!

New Opportunity for Medical Operations Assistant!

2010-12-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

We have a new opportunity available on our Medical Operations team for a Medical Operations Assistant. Our Medical Operations team provides services to our physician network of doctors and other healthcare providers who treat injured workers throughout Colorado.

The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of general office experience, preferably in an insurance or medical setting, and will be responsible for the administrative support of the team. Strong computer, typing, and data entry skills along with the ability to coordinate multiple tasks is required. If you, or someone you know is interested, please apply on-line at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

What's Pinnacol Reading?

2010-12-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

On Friday I attended the Pinnacol Book Club discussion of our most recent book "The Five Disfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni. Written in the form of a business fable, the book chronicles the efforts of a newly-hired CEO of a start-up California Tech company to pull together her group of executives into a high performing business team.

The book is an easy and entertaining read and makes the case for the cause of dysfunctional teams being a combination of factors that build upon each other:

Absence of TRUST
Fear of CONFLICT
Lack of COMMITMENT
Avoidance of ACCOUNTABILITY
Inattention to RESULTS

Overall the Pinnacol Book Club gave the book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. Reviewers on Amazon give it 4 1/2 stars so I guess our Book Club members are a tougher audience! What struck most of the group was that the protaganist, the newly-hired CEO Kathryn, always had the perfect response as her team's weaknesses were unveiled, and we all sensed that, unlike the book, what happens in real life would never be so scripted. Despite its shortcomings, the book certainly shed light on many of the things that can and do go wrong in teams without the members even being aware.

Here's a sample of some reviews from our Book Club Members:

"None of the concepts were earth-shatteringly new, but they were all good reminders of the basic things that really matter. The "fear of conflict" dysfunction was one I've thought about quite a bit. Disagreeing with my team or my peers feels bad, but if everyone has a trusting relationship to start with, disagreeing can be very productive. If there's a good healthy debate about an issue among a group of smart people, you're bound to come out with a better decision than you would if just one smart person made it."

"Overall this book was interesting, presented good concepts and ideas. It was a quick read that held my interest. The only thing I struggled with a little was it almost seemed too neat and convenient at times. Kathryn always seemed to know exactly what to say and how to present her arguments. Additionally, everyone seemed so at ease with making major life changes so quickly and effortlessly without as much pushback as expected. I did take some positive take away that can be applied in a personal setting: conflict can be positive and constructive and maintain commitment to an idea, project or job task."

"The Five Disfunctions of a Team was an easy ready and I enjoyed the story format of the book. Overall, the concepts are good and the model is right on. I would have liked to have read a factual story about a dysfunctional team/organization that turned itself around and sustained it's functionality over time. I certainly agree that trust is the basis for all team success and think the author identified 4 other dysfunctions that quickly tear down a team's ability to be effective. They build on each other but must constantly be revisited to ensure one dysfunction doesn't creep back in to the dynamics of a team."

Have you been reading any good business-related books? Let me know if you have a suggestion for what our Pinnacol Book Club might want to read in the future.