Member Article

Upskill now for future-proofing says Auger

Specialist for the insurance industry Auger says the sector is moving so rapidly that only those who are developing new skills around tech now will be able to manage the pace and scale of change for the future.

Skills in data manipulation and analysis, software development and softer skills in customer service will be the cornerstone of any business in the sector, says Head of Tech and Digital Neil Wilks.

He said: “The shortage of the relevant skilled people now will leave many businesses behind the pace of change very quickly as the industry catches up with technology and the profile of many roles in the industry change to adapt to the digital revolution.

“We employ a diverse range of people including engineers on the road, claims handlers, IT developers, HR experts and accountants but the one thing they all have in common is the need to change and upskill. In all positions we’re looking for people who are comfortable working with technology and have the ability to work with data.

“As the digital landscape continues to evolve it is becoming easier to automate processes and enable various systems to talk to one another. An appreciation of this enables users to implement solutions to long standing problems with relative ease and with an immediate impact. Of course, strong people skills and a steadfast commitment to customers are still paramount.

“We put every employee through our own Academy where they have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills with training internally and externally. Developing new and emerging technology and software through the Academy to all aspects of the business allows us to help cultivate the ideas and solutions from the ground up. The advent of AI will make another step-change to our business and we see benefits here for learning and lifelong learning of new skills as the industry changes.

“We work hard to adopt a DevOps culture where we bring our technical and operational people close together to create the best possible outcome for the business.”

Training under the Academy includes partnering engineers with senior staff. This is supported by industry-leading technology including bespoke software tools and apps which allow staff to file information and reports quickly and easily from wherever they are in the UK.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Tustin .