Revealed: Insurance skills most in-demand in 2021

It's time to hone your insurance skills. According to recruiting expert Hays, insurance skills are among the 100 skills most in-demand for 2021.

Hays has revealed nearly 100 skills that will be in greatest demand across 27 industries and sectors next year. Within Australia's contact centre jobs, they’re looking for claims consultants with industry experience to fill roles created in response to catastrophic events and compulsory third-party insurance.

Within Australia's insurance job market, the skills in greatest demand are as follows:

• Brokers with a tier 1 qualification and at least five years of experience, as the lack of entry-level roles over recent years has created today's shortage of experienced professionals.
• Assistant account executives with solid experience who wish to remain in this role. Most candidates advance to become account executives.
• Liability & professional indemnity claims handlers at the consultant and manager level with specialised experience in liability and professional indemnity.
• Dispute resolution officers with experience in specialist areas, such as travel and life claims, as it experiences growing demand as insurance companies move this function in-house.

Insurance lawyers for both the public sector and law firms are also in demand next year, particularly those who can work on child and sexual abuse claims following outcomes on royal commission investigations and subsequent historical abuse claims.

“Demand for these key skills is high, especially those deemed critical to project delivery or business operations. Also ranking highly are jobs that allow organisations and people to perform at their peak,” said Nick Deligiannis, the managing director of Hays in Australia and NZ.  

“In terms of the balance of temporary and permanent roles, while contract remained resilient throughout 2020, permanent vacancy activity is bouncing back as business confidence increases.”