Being safe is a big part of anyone's life, but for a millennial not so much. Millennials are generally people with lower income and assets, so as a group they are more vulnerable to the bad things that can happen.
Younger workers know they need insurance, but it is hard to pay a great deal for something that may never happen. Why do so many millennials give insurance a low priority, and why should they think again?
Millennials bring a distinct set of expectations to the workplace. They have high hopes for their careers and can feel under-appreciated in their current roles. They have a direct attitude toward their managers and their work, and when something goes wrong, they say so immediately.
What this means for the workers' compensation industry
It is a clear signal that the industry has to adapt to this generation's needs, understand how they behave, and be present in the channels they use so their problems are actually taken care of. Millennials are the incoming workforce, and the managers they report to today are retiring. It is important for everyone in workers' compensation to interpret the way this generation thinks so the process runs smoothly.
A few traits come up again and again:
- They are more diverse than any generation before them, which includes the languages spoken at home.
- They marry later in life.
- They rely heavily on technology.
- They expect quick answers and lose patience with slow processes.
- They are focused on their own goals and experiences.
- They multitask constantly.
Meeting them where they are
Knowing this, it is important that millennials receive insurance and workers' compensation information the way they want and need it: online, direct, and fast. They need to understand the role that medical coverage plays in their lives and the benefits it brings when an injury does happen.
For a workforce this diverse, that also means communicating in the language the injured worker actually speaks, whether at the clinic, on a claims call, or in a deposition. The goal is the same for every generation: understand their behavior, give them clear information, and let them make the right decision.
- Workers' compensation
- Insurance
- Communication
- Interpretation
Written by
Focus Interpreting Team
Coordinators, certified interpreters and translators at Focus Interpreting, an interpreter-owned agency serving California and the nation since 2010. We write about what we see every day: depositions, medical appointments, certified documents and accessible content.