At its core, claims is about people — the professionals doing the work and the families they serve. That's why the best solutions are shaped by those who have lived it.
In our Behind the Claims series, we highlight the voices of claims professionals who bring firsthand experience into how the industry evolves. Because when technology and processes are built by people who understand the realities of claims, they work better for everyone involved.
Tim Jordan, Enablement Manager at Benekiva, is one of those people. With nearly two decades in claims, training, and operations, Tim brings a deep understanding of both the human and operational sides of the industry — and a passion for making it simpler, more empathetic, and more effective.
I got started about 18 years ago in an entry-level claims examiner role. At the time, it was simply a job opportunity that came up while I was looking for work. But once I got into it, I realized the environment was very different from what I had expected. The team cared deeply about doing right by people, processing claims accurately, and helping families through difficult situations. That surprised me in the best way and made me want to stay.
A couple of things. First, I really connected with the idea that claims is about delivering on a promise. Yes, it supports the business, but more importantly, it helps families receive what their loved one intended for them. That has always meant a lot to me.
The other part is that insurance is a very stable industry. Once I got into it, there was something reassuring about being in a field that felt steady and dependable.
A few months into my first claims role, I hit a point where the work was getting emotionally heavy. I was dealing with death claims every day, reading difficult stories, and seeing grief constantly. It was a lot.
I had to learn two things at the same time. First, I had to remind myself that this was not my grief to carry. I needed to stay empathetic, but I could not take every loss on personally. Second, I realized I also could not become so detached that I treated everything like a transaction. People need empathy in those moments.
"This is not my grief, but I can still serve this person well."
That perspective has stayed with me ever since.
It is hard, and I think it is something people do not always talk about enough. You have to be empathetic enough to help someone through one of the worst moments of their life, but you also have to know how to step back and not let it consume you.
That is not an easy thing to teach. It is one of the hardest parts of claims work. But it matters, because if someone cannot find that balance, burnout can happen quickly.
For me, it comes down to simplicity. How can we reduce friction? How can we make the experience easier for both the examiner and the claimant?
"If someone can submit information more easily, track the status of a claim, or avoid filling out the same information multiple times, that removes a lot of frustration. The less confusing and repetitive the process is, the better the experience becomes for everyone involved."
At a high level, I focus on enablement, which really means training, documentation, and helping people have the resources they need to do their jobs well.
That can mean supporting internal teams, creating materials for clients, or building guides that help people navigate processes more confidently. My passion is making sure people have the right documentation and tools in front of them, because without that, teams end up relying too much on institutional knowledge and spending time reinventing things they should not have to reinvent.
"As organizations grow, that becomes even more important. You cannot rely on everything living in someone's head. You have to create a structure that makes knowledge easier to share and easier to scale."
One of the biggest lessons is that change management is often harder than the software itself.
You can build a good process or a good system, but if people do not understand how to use it or do not buy into changing the way they work, adoption becomes a challenge.
"That is why clear, practical job aids and walkthroughs matter so much. People need resources that show them how to complete their work in the system, step by step, in a way that connects to their real workflow."
That behind every process, every claim, and every workflow, there are real people involved. Claims is not just paperwork or transactions. It is people trying to do meaningful work for others during difficult moments.
"That is why empathy, clarity, and good systems matter so much. When those things come together, they can make a hard experience a little easier."
