Insurance carriers are operating in a period of structural volatility. Catastrophe events are more frequent and severe, customer expectations continue to rise, operational costs are climbing, and nearly every insurer is dealing with a workforce that is simultaneously aging and underskilled for a digital future. Against this backdrop, the traditional staffing model—large, fixed internal teams with slow hiring cycles—has become misaligned with the pace and unpredictability of today’s insurance landscape.

To remain competitive, carriers need a workforce model that can expand, contract, reorganize and modernize quickly without compromising culture or compliance, or creating a disjointed customer experience. A growing number of insurers are adopting what we call Elastic Staffing. This is a structural approach that blends a lean internal leadership core, integrated vendor-partners and technology.