Are you an experienced commercial insurance Underwriter?

Are you an experienced commercial lines insurance Underwriter? If so, we'd like to talk to you about exciting opportunities to join our company. Colorado’s robust economy is adding workload such that we need to increase our underwriting capabilities and we're looking for experienced Underwriters looking to move ahead in their careers. Exposure to workers’ compensation insurance and the Colorado market a plus but not required and we are willing to consider both in-state as well as out-of-state candidates looking to relocate for these opportunities. Ideally you'll also have five years or more of commercial insurance underwriting experience. This is a great opportunity to join Colorado's leading provider of workers' compensation insurance. Interested candidates are asked to complete an expression of interest via our company website.

Pinnacol hosts 9Health Fair for the 13th year next Wednesday

Next Wednesday, April 13th, from 7 a.m. to noon Pinnacol will be hosting the 9Health Fair at our company headquarters at 7501 East Lowry Blvd. in Denver. More than 150 Pinnacol employees will be joining a large group of medical volunteers to provide free or low cost health screens to the community. Here are some of the screening services that will be available:

The following health screens will be offered at the fair this year:
• Blood Chemistry Screening (blood draw) - $35
• Blood Cell Count (blood draw)- $20
• PSA (Blood draw for Prostate Surface Antigen) - $30
• Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Screening (blood draw) - $45
• Hemoglobin A1c (blood draw) - $30
• Colon Cancer Screening kit - $25
• Blood pressure/Height/Weight - Free
• Vision & Eye Health Screening - Free
• Hearing - Free
• Talk with medical professional - Free
• Skin Screening- Free
• Foot Screening - Free
• Hand Screening -Free
• Lung Function Screening - Free
• Spinal Screening - Free
• Sleep Apnea Screening- Free
• Oral Health Screening - Free
• Nutrition by Cooking Matters - Free
• Stress Management - Free
• Diabetes Risk Education by the American Diabetes Association
• Colorado Quitline

Our friendly volunteers look forward to seeing you!

If you can't visit with us at our site there are locations around Colorado and dates through April and into May so there is no excuse for not visiting one of this year's Fairs. Of course, we'd love to see you at our location. Many of our employees have volunteered at all the Fairs held at our site and they'll take great care of you when you visit!

Talent Acquisition roles now open at Pinnacol!

Only in Human Resources does one get the opportunity to post for one's own position! I'm fortunate to be able to retire from Pinnacol at the end of April after 19 years of service. As my LinkedIn profile has said since LinkedIn first went up: 

"My job is to attract great people to our company and I think I have the best job in the organization (although 600 of my co-workers might argue with me about that!). I've been with the company for 18+ years which is pretty rare in today's world, but which speaks volumes about the way my company treats us as employees!" 

With my leaving someone has to take up that role and I'm excited for whoever is selected to continue the work I've passionately pursued on behalf of this great company. 

Talent Acquisition, Recruiting, Human Capital Management - whatever you want to call it - it's all about being able to develop and implement staffing plans and strategies that ensure diversity, high quality, and cultural/organizational fit throughout the recruitment and hiring process. We're willing to look at candidates having 3+ years professional experience in a direct recruitment role. As you might expect, candidates should also bring extensive knowledge of the legal requirements for recruiting and hiring along with comprehensive knowledge of current and key HR practices-recruitment/staffing, employee relations, compensation, and employee development. PHR or SPHR designations are strongly preferred. If you have a passion for this kind of work we'd love to hear from you! We ask interested candidates to please complete our on-line application. 

When I first started I would have been faxing a copy of this job announcement over to our contact at the Denver Post to run in the Sunday (do I need to even say it: print) edition. That's where everyone looked for jobs back then. Now you can find out about jobs on your handheld mobile device. The technology has certainly changed but at the end of the day this is still very much a people business. That's what has kept me excited to come to work every day and hopefully that will remain the case for whoever assumes my role in the future!

Marketing: Agency Relationship Manager position now available!

At Pinnacol we call our marketing team Agency Relations and we are currently looking for an experienced Agency Relations Manager to manage the relationship, communication methods, education/training and performance metrics (production/sales, loss ratio, growth, and combined ratio goals) for assigned agents and safety groups.

For this position a Bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred although relevant work experience (similar kind of work at a similar level of work as described in the essential duties) may be substituted for the bachelor's degree. Pinnacol always encourages and supports the completion of a degree. In terms of experience we are looking for someone with three years working with agency relationships or related underwriting/marketing experience. CPCU, CIC or other insurance certifications are a plus as is knowledge of underwriting procedures, the NCCI underwriting manual, and the regulations and law for workers’ compensation insurance in Colorado. Candidates must have excellent computer skills in Microsoft applications and must have strong time management skills, verbal, written, interpersonal and customer service skills and be capable of handling multiple assignments and priorities.

In this position candidates should expect extensive telephone and computer work both in an office and home environment including extensive field activities. Travel within the state is required so candidates must also possess a valid Colorado driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance.

If the Agency Relationship Manager position sounds of interest we would love to hear from you! We do ask candidates to complete an on-line application via our company website.

MyPath a great resource for exploring insurance careers...

If you or someone you know is interested in exploring what an insurance career is all about, MyPath is a great resource. MyPath is dedicated to educating students and young professionals about the insurance industry, as well as about the limitless career opportunities it has to offer. As a collaborative insurance industry effort, The Institutes and their affiliates — The Griffith Insurance Education Foundation, the CPCU Society, and the CPCU — Loman Education Foundation — created the MyPath website as a marketplace of information and are leading the collective initiative to provide educational information about the insurance industry.

MyPath also has a great blog full of useful articles. Some of the recent topics include:

• Why Insurance Professionals Love Their Careers
• Choosing a Career - 10 Practical Tips For Deciding What To Do With Your Life
• Majoring In Risk Management - What to Expect
• Insurance Claims Careers - Restoring People's Lives, One Story At A Time
• Insurance Underwriter Careers - Analyzing Risk From Shipwrecks To Sports Cars

One of my favorites was actually from this past Holiday season and was aptly titled "A Risk Manager's Guide to Holiday Gift Buying". And for those still in school it even has a resource to help find and land an internship. It's really a great resource to check out! 

Surviving the Blizzard of '16

Tuesday night after work I went for a bike ride in shorts and a light jacket and the temperature was near 70 degrees. That morning when I was driving into work at 6:00 it was already 52 degrees and the wind was strong from the south. I noticed that the barometer was also pretty low and still falling. For March in Denver that combination should give pause and the meteorologists were already hyping up the approaching storm slated for the next day.

Pinnacol has a dedicated team of folks who assemble when the weather looks to turn bad who have the hair-pulling job of deciding whether to close for the day. They are usually about their work around 4:30 in the morning and yesterday was no exception. There are at least six people involved with the decision and they live around the metro area. As they phone conferenced the weather was being typically uncooperative. A couple of folks were reporting rain at their location and others indicated they were receiving just light snow. Didn't seem that bad and nothing like the blizzard conditions that were forecast. The initial signal to employees was for a delayed start but as the storm intensified the word quickly went out that yes indeed we would be closed for the day. By that time anyone looking out their window at the snow blowing horizontally in the howling winds would have agreed with, and been thankful for, that smart decision.

Heavy Equipment clearing snow in 2006

If you've been in Denver for any length of time you can probably rattle off the major Denver blizzards you've been through (dare I use the term "survived"?). The Christmas blizzard of 1984 is the first I can truly remember and it too had started out with unseasonably warm weather before smacking the town with so much snow they had to get out front-end loaders rather than plows to clear the major roads. Back then the wisdom was to let mother nature take its course and allow the snow to melt from the streets and that decision ended up costing a Denver Mayor his job come the next election. Blizzards tend to bring us together as a community as we collectively share the experience of watching what nature can do. For those new to Denver the blizzard of '16 will likely be what the blizzard of '84 was for my family. Fondly or not so fondly, years from now you'll likely remember yesterday's maelstrom. Of course yesterday's event was no worse than others that preceded it or others yet to come.

Pinnacol's offices this morning

I think Denver is at its prettiest after a major snowstorm and this morning was no exception. Those famously blue Colorado skies and a morning sun glinting off the still pristine snow made a challenging commute that much more tolerable and reminded me once again why I make this place my home. I take Colorado Blvd. as part of my route to work and looking to the west at the City of Brest Park (Cherry Creek Drive South & Colorado Blvd.) the snow covered trees were absolutely breathtaking. I don't think too many of my fellow commuters took advantage of the sight though and mores the pity but I can't blame them for their white-knuckled focus on the road in front of them. Our office building too looks nice under a mantle of freshly fallen snow and it was nice to arrive safe and sound. I had an 8:00 interview scheduled and kudos to the candidate for his efforts to make it in through some challenging driving conditions.

By this afternoon the roads will hopefully have improved, the snow will take on a brownish tinge, and the drive home will likely be a slush fest. By tomorrow yesterday's blizzard will be just another memory. The good news? There's another storm forecast for Saturday!

Looking for a great Paralegal to join our Legal team!

We are looking for an experienced Paralegal to provide comprehensive paralegal and litigation support to our subrogation counsel. A Bachelor’s Degree is strongly preferred although relevant work experience (similar kind of work at a similar level of work as described in the essential duties) may be substituted for the bachelor's degree.

Candidates should bring three or more years paralegal experience in legal department or law firm. Paralegal certification is required and may be substituted for years of experience. Knowledge of legal and medical terminology helpful as is knowledge of general principles of law, workers compensation, Colorado Civil Rules of Procedure and Colorado Appellate Rules of Procedure.

If you are interested in this opportunity we would ask that you please complete an application via our company website.