The insurance industry is no stranger to the mounting workforce crisis, fueled by an aging workforce and struggles to recruit and retain young talent. In the Spring 2026 issue of Construction Claims magazine, CLM reached out to some of the young professionals in its community and asked them for their views on how the industry is performing when it comes to recruiting new, young talent. What emerged was a candid, thought-provoking Q&A detailing some of the pain points and successes behind the construction claims industry’s efforts to recruit young talent.
Some points they noted:
- While the construction claims industry is welcoming and offers a lot to new professionals, the industry would benefit from more transparency and visibility with respect to a defined career path, and more educational and training opportunities to deal with the steep initial learning curve.
- More effort could be put toward recruiting students. Efforts could include providing guest lectures and introductory courses or modules on construction disputes and claims.
- There are misconceptions that work in construction claims and litigation is formulaic, uncreative, hostile, boring, and lacking empathy. The industry should find ways to advertise itself better and highlight that the work is analytical, strategic, and innovative.
CLM asked some of its members and fellows with more years of experience in the construction claims industry their thoughts on the young professionals’ views, which we have outlined below:
Q: Which of the above points made by the young professionals would you consider easiest to implement, and most effective for recruiting new talent to the industry?
Chris Carucci, senior vice president, construction claims and litigation management, Gallagher Bassett: The industry should emphasize that a career in claims offers purpose, like helping people during difficult times; impact, like making a difference in businesses and communities; growth, such as opportunities for continuous learning and advancement; and stability in a thriving industry with diverse career paths.
Handling construction claims is ideal for professionals who enjoy solving complex problems, working in dynamic environments, and making a tangible impact on businesses and communities. It offers a rewarding career path with opportunities for growth, stability, and personal fulfillment.
Carolyn J. Crawford, director – construction defect, Nationwide Insurance Company: I’m not sure that any of the three points would be easy to implement at this time. The job market in general is changing rapidly with the implementation and adoption of AI (artificial intelligence). The insurance industry is no exception. Job roles and responsibilities in claims handling are evolving in terms of the approach to the completion of tasks performed as part of the claims process. We are in a transition period between how we’ve always done it and how we’ll accomplish the same task tomorrow.
Lee Wright, vice president, casualty claims, HCC Casualty Insurance Services, Inc.: Recruiting students is, by far, the easiest of these options. It’s something that the insurance industry does not do well and a task at which the claims sector within the industry fails miserably. Of the fifty or so insurance and risk management degree programs in the U.S., none have a serious focus on claims. That needs to change, and the industry needs to drive that change.
Anyone who thinks construction claims are boring and formulaic simply doesn’t understand them well enough to know how complex and challenging they are. If we want the best and brightest, we must present the idea that these claims are where the elite go to pursue their careers. Yes, they are complex and challenging in a multitude of ways, and that’s a good thing.
Bob de Flesco, partner, Cole Scott Kissane: Student recruiting through digital outreach, e.g., student portals, campus platforms, LinkedIn, etc. Branding matters—students must see themselves in this field. None of them dreamed of adjusting construction defect (CD) claims. Branding to these students should tap into an emotional side where students can feel part of a dynamic, trendsetting, autonomous industry that grows with you.
Stephen J. Henning, partner, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP (WSHB): The easiest, and probably most impactful, change is simply getting in front of students and young professionals and explaining what we do. Most people have no idea what construction claims professionals, lawyers, consultants, and risk managers really do on a day-to-day basis. When they hear “construction litigation,” they picture a niche industry, dry technical contract disputes, and endless paperwork. The reality is completely different.
This industry sits at the intersection of business, engineering, strategy, negotiation, psychology, and problem-solving. We deal with real-world crises involving issues that impact every one of us. Every case is different, and the work is intellectually challenging, strategic, and incredibly people-oriented.
I recently spoke with my partner, Frances O’Meara, at Loyola Law School about the realities of the practice of law at a defense firm. Once students understood the complexity of the work, the response was immediate. We received a flood of resumes from students who became genuinely excited about entering the field.
Karen Rice, head of global claim success initiatives, PROACTIVE: The most effective and easiest change is improving how the industry communicates what construction claims professionals do.
Better use of case studies and real-world examples to showcase this work would have an impact. Unlike structural changes to training or recruiting pipelines, this is largely a messaging issue—and one the industry should be able to address quickly.
Put simply, the opportunity is not to reinvent the role, but to more accurately present it.
Phyllis Modlin, director & senior counsel, casualty claims, Markel: Efforts toward recruiting students could include providing guest lectures and introductory courses or modules on construction disputes and claims; and approaching STEM programs and relevant under-targeted fields. The industry should communicate to students, through digital platforms, about what construction claims professionals do and highlight job perks such as flexibility, growth opportunities, work-life balance, and mentorship programs.
It is important to attract new talent at the beginning of their careers when they graduate from college. Many students are looking for a solid career opportunity with a four-year degree that doesn’t require them to go to graduate school and take on more student loans and debt. Also, with the growth of AI, many job opportunities are shrinking, while construction claims offers a growth potential career opportunity. Although college students are excited about and embrace AI, they also recognize its impact on the job market and want a career that is not likely to become obsolete.
Q: Which of the above points would be more challenging for the industry to achieve, and why?
Wright: The first is virtually impossible. There are very few professional careers where a defined career path exists. There are too many areas in which one can become an expert and too many changes on the horizon to detail that if you just do A, B, and C, your career will progress in this fashion. Ultimately, we could all create our personal brand within the industry through building a reputation for technical competence and strong ethics.
Henning: The harder challenge is changing the perception and culture surrounding the industry. I am blown away with the number of lawyers coming out of law school who aspire to be “billboard lawyers” thinking there are wild sums of money and prestige. Five to 10 years ago, that perception was not there. It was changed through aggressive marketing by the plaintiff’s bar.
There is also a hesitation in terms of the learning curve in construction claims and litigation. Young professionals are often dealing with sophisticated contracts, engineering concepts, scheduling analysis, insurance coverage issues, and complex project dynamics all at once. Developing talent takes mentorship, patience, and significant investment from firms and organizations at a time when many businesses are under increasing economic pressure.
The firms and organizations that embrace mentorship, transparency, flexibility, and professional development are going to separate themselves in the recruiting marketplace over the next decade.
Modlin: There are misconceptions that work in construction claims and litigation is formulaic, uncreative, hostile, boring, and lacks empathy. The industry should find ways to advertise itself better and highlight that the work is analytic; strategic; innovative; and offers autonomy, intellectual challenges, and influence. Further, leading with empathy achieves more meaningful outcomes.
The construction claims industry does not advertise or promote itself on a widespread basis to the general public. Many people are unfamiliar with it and stumbled upon it for a career choice. The key is to promote construction claims to college students and those who are junior in their work life as an intellectually challenging career offering financial stability, training and mentoring relationships, and the opportunity for future growth. The goal should be to make it more of an appealing and intentional career choice.
Rice: The more difficult challenge is creating clearer career paths and making sure enough training is available to support them. Claims encompass a broad skill set that includes coverage analysis, litigation management, negotiation, and problem-solving. That complexity makes it harder to articulate a clear and predictable career path for those entering the industry.
Additionally, the most compelling aspects of claims—strategic decision-making, negotiation, and large-loss management—are not typically visible early in a career. This creates a gap between how the role is experienced early on and what it ultimately becomes.
This really comes down to being intentional about early career development, so new professionals can see the path in—and where it can take them.
In addition, most carriers have dropped their internal claims training programs that existed back in the earlier years of my career, which were extremely beneficial. There are some very good educational and training opportunities available, and which should be taken advantage of by carriers—such as CLM Claims College—that can help address the steep learning curve these claim handlers face early on and throughout their careers.
Carucci: The claims industry is often misunderstood, with a narrative that fails to highlight its deeply rewarding and impactful nature. At its core, claims is about helping people navigate challenging situations, providing support, and delivering solutions during moments of uncertainty. Despite this, the industry has struggled to attract young professionals due to misconceptions and a lack of awareness about the fulfilling opportunities it offers.
de Flesco: Transparency and visibility with respect to a defined career path because this industry, like life, isn’t linear. It’s nearly impossible to predict how things will look in three, five, or 10 years. But that’s the point—it’s exciting to not know where things will lead, but rest assured this industry will provide the training, education, and mentorship to support a career.
Q: From your perspective, what does the industry do well and not do well when it comes to recruiting new talent, and what is your company/firm doing to recruit new talent?
Rice: The industry does well in emphasizing its stability, long-term viability, and breadth of opportunity, but it really undersells how much intellectual rigor and strategy goes into claims work—especially in construction.
Firms should rethink how claims is experienced at the outset. This includes front-loading exposure to complex claims and real decision-making environments, and providing visibility into litigation strategy, negotiation, and stakeholder management by increasing interaction with senior claims professionals handling complex matters.
Construction claims, in particular, offers a compelling value proposition for young professionals: strong earning potential, increasing flexibility, and especially in this day and age, relatively low risk of displacement by AI due to the judgment, ambiguity, and negotiation required in complex losses.
de Flesco: In recent years, our firm has heavily invested in our summer associate program. This upcoming summer, we will have well over 100 summer associates. The program is filled with mentorship, training, working on actual cases, and fun activities sprinkled throughout the summer.
Only five years ago, the summer program was a fraction of the size. We’ve found, however, that early investment in the students provides future rewards for both the firm and students.
Carucci: At Gallagher Bassett (GB), we are committed to reshaping how young professionals view careers in claims. We believe in showcasing the meaningful work claims professionals do and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses, and communities. To achieve this, GB has developed the GB INVEST Program, a transformative initiative designed to inspire and empower emerging talent. The GB INVEST Program is more than just a training program—it is a structured and immersive journey into the world of claims. It provides participants with the tools, knowledge, and mentorship needed to thrive in the industry while making a real impact.
Modlin: In general, I don’t think the industry does enough to recruit college students into the world of claims. Underwriting seems to be more of a focus with college internships. I would advocate for an option of a 100% claims internship. Summer internship programs are appealing to students and required for some college degrees. My company offers a summer internship program and participates in college career days, among other efforts.
Crawford: In the past, the industry has generally done well in developing technical professionals; think underwriting and claims by way of structured formal training programs and defined career paths. Our organization today is more committed to developing talent across industry functions as opposed to limiting the potential growth and development of someone to one specific area. Successful companies are “growing their own” talent as opposed to only recruiting experienced professionals externally. Successful professionals must be willing to move out of their comfort zone and be willing to explore and consider not only new opportunities, but different approaches to the way business is performed.
Henning: One thing this industry does exceptionally well is provide young professionals with meaningful responsibility early in their careers. In construction claims and litigation, younger lawyers and professionals are often in the room handling substantive issues, interacting with clients, and taking ownership of complex matters much earlier than in many other industries. That experience is invaluable.
Where the industry has struggled historically is telling its story. Too often, recruitment starts after students have already formed impressions about other industries or practice areas.
At WSHB, we are investing heavily in changing that dynamic. We actively recruit through law schools, mentorship programs, internships, industry organizations, and speaking engagements.
We also emphasize mentorship and hands-on experience. Young lawyers at our firm are not sitting in the background for years. They are taking depositions, arguing motions, participating in trials, working directly with clients, and developing business and leadership skills early in their careers.
Most importantly, we try to emphasize that this industry matters. There is real purpose behind the work, and when younger professionals understand that, it resonates.
Wright: ‘New’ talent in construction generally means someone who has spent a decade or more on a general liability desk learning the legal concepts, how to negotiate, litigation management practices, etc. required. Construction claims take the average GL desk to a whole new level. There may be opportunities for exceptionally bright individuals to be brought in early, but it requires that the companies bringing them on have a deep commitment to training and mentoring and the patience (and appropriate claims inventory) to bring people along as slowly as possible in a field that has an already steep learning curve.