An insurer’s automation of claims data entry was projected to reduce headcount needs in that function by roughly 40% over 18 months, and leadership wanted to avoid layoffs by redeploying affected staff rather than eliminating roles outright.
Creating a Career Pathway Framework for Displaced Back-Office Staff
Service Provided
Capabilities Utilized
Talent Strategy, Reskilling Programs, Change Management
Client challenge
The affected employees had deep institutional knowledge of claims processes but few of the skills needed for the adjacent roles the company was trying to grow into, like claims fraud analysis and customer experience design. Without a structured pathway, the natural outcome would have been attrition through frustration rather than successful redeployment.
Our solution
We mapped each at-risk role’s existing skills against the requirements of five growing adjacent roles, identifying the specific skill gaps for each transition path rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all reskilling program. Individualized development plans combined targeted training with structured on-the-job rotations into the target role before the transition became permanent.
We were deliberate about sequencing: employees started rotations before their original role was fully automated, so the transition felt like a genuine opportunity rather than a scramble to avoid a layoff, which changed how the whole program was received internally.
Results
Of the 210 employees identified as at-risk, 178 successfully transitioned into one of the five target roles within 18 months, with the remainder retiring or leaving voluntarily rather than being laid off. Manager-rated performance for transitioned employees in their new roles averaged within 5% of tenure-matched employees who had been hired directly into those roles, validating the reskilling approach.
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