Execution, Not Strategy, Defines Top Workers' Comp Claims Performance

The 2025 Workers' Compensation Benchmarking Study, based on a nationwide survey of claims leaders, highlights that the gap between high and low performers stems from implementation rather than intent. While many organizations invest in identical technology and workforce initiatives, the most successful firms translate these investments into measurable results through a disciplined approach to daily operations.

Rachel Fikes, Chief Experience Officer at Rising, notes that high performers distinguish themselves through four specific execution patterns: selecting higher-value initiatives based on frontline insight; reducing administrative friction to simplify workflows; driving staff adoption through feedback loops; and building organizational strength through sustained workforce development. These practices create a cumulative advantage, as the organizations that excel do not treat these initiatives as isolated projects but as integrated systems that reinforce one another.

Fikes emphasizes that these performance drivers remain largely within an organization’s control, even when external market pressures and demographic shifts fluctuate. The full 2025 study is available at no cost to industry stakeholders. A panel of experts from Albertsons Companies, The MEMIC Group, and Travelers Insurance will further dissect these findings during a discussion at National Comp 2026 on September 29.