The term neurodiverse covers a range of very different conditions including autism, ADHD and dyslexia. As the insurance industry struggles with a talent deficit and the need to adapt to new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), some industry stakeholders say employing more neurodiverse people can help the industry meet these challenges.
“As a dyslexic, I think the demand to ‘think differently’ will be seen as a strength rather than a weakness of non-conformity,” said Sophie Krynauw (pictured), head of operations for Canopius Australia.
Krynauw is the moderator of a panel at the upcoming Women in Insurance Summit on August 21 that will focus on closing the industry’s growing skills gap.
She said technology has significantly reduced the barriers to success that once stood in the way of neurodiverse people like herself. One way technology has helped, she said, is by enabling her to complete tasks, sometimes simple for others to finish, that, until recently, could stop her career progression. These often routine tasks, said Krynauw, no longer stand in the way of a career in insurance.
For that reason, she suggested that neurodiverse people should now be taken more seriously as a new source of industry talent. “In a world of increasing automation, understanding how humans behave and why they do certain things will become increasingly important,” said Krynauw.
She said neurodiverse people can help offer insights as insurance firms struggle to find new leaders and answer questions around organisational and customer psychology. “I believe, thanks to this reduced friction to be able to enter professional jobs, we will see different types of leaders emerge,” said Krynauw. “Having leaders with diverse ways of thinking allows us to rethink what skills our leaders need.”
She said the top, “future ready” skills for the insurance workforce need to include:
In terms of reskilling, she said successful programs need to heavily link to the outcomes the organization is seeking to achieve. “For example, training everyone in data skills is less effective than understanding how data can really impact our strategy and working out how we empower people with these skills to make a difference,” said Krynauw.
At her own firm, she said, career pathways are designed with the business’s overall strategy in mind. “The strategy should breed the opportunities for employees to develop,” said Krynauw.
One overlooked talent challenge, she said, is workforce sustainability. “As our clients transition to a greener economy, we need to create opportunities for our existing workforce to address a changing world,” said Krynauw.
Some of those opportunities, she said, are coming from AI. “Right now, Canopius is in the early stages of implementing AI into our business,” said Krynauw. “We’re challenging our employees to utilize it daily and build compounding routines to change how we approach problems.”
Many insurance firms are using AI to drive efficiencies across the business. Krynauw encouraged them to go further and see AI adoption also as a boost to their employees’ careers. “I’m personally also working on my ‘systems thinking skills’ [with help from AI], as I believe the challenges of tomorrow will involve the heavy redesign of systems we know today,” she said.
Krynauw said a large focus of her time is around developing data and AI skills. “We are all emerging in this space, especially on the art of the possible for AI,” she said.
“We think this approach good for our business and it’s good for their career development, wherever they may go in the future,” said Krynauw.
How do you see the talent and recruitment challenges facing the insurance industry? Can employing more neurodiverse people help? Please tell us your thoughts below.
