With an agile workforce that is proud to be part of the industry, insurers can flourish

"How did you end up working in insurance? Like some of the most successful people in our industry, the chances are it wasn’t a conscious choice and it’s something you ‘fell into’” says Carol Geldard, Marketing and Communications Director, Covéa Insurance

Whilst at times it can feel like we’re a ‘regulation and legislation’ industry, when you step back we’re really a ‘people industry’; as such attracting and retaining talented people is crucial, so is it time we looked at how we move from ‘fell into it’ to ‘great career opportunity?’

When you look at what our industry does and what it offers, it’s phenomenal. We’re a significant contributor to the UK economy - nine out of ten UK households have at least one insurance product and our industry manages investments of £1.8 trillion, equivalent to 26% of the UK’s total net worth (source: ABI). And from a breadth and a diversity perspective, whilst we can’t claim we have a role for everyone, I’d say we’re not far off, but we need to get better at selling ourselves.

The dynamic pace of change across our industry - through technological advances, new legislation and rising service standards, to name a few - is resulting in a move away from traditional job ‘silo’ approaches, to the need for agile workforces which can adapt and respond to the changing external landscape. This is positively adding to the already great opportunities to develop a career, but what does an agile workforce look like?

At Covéa Insurance developing agility has been about creating the right culture and taking a behavioural approach, rather than just looking at skills and qualifications. We’ve created an environment where there are opportunities for people to develop and grow across our organisation, not just ‘up their line’. We’re also finding that giving back to the communities we operate in, is increasingly important. The impact of the positive energy created through our work with local charities and special needs schools has been quite simply inspiring. Not only have we seen first-hand the positive impact on our people, it’s been equally powerful in engaging potential employees; all of which is helping us to both attract and retain talent.

Across our industry you see lots of similar initiatives underway – including apprenticeships and graduate programmes – all helping to position insurance as a great career choice, but what more can we do? Maybe it’s as simple as the next time you’re asked what you do, instead of mumbling ‘insurance’, you hold your head up high and say you’re part of an industry that contributes enormously to the wider economy and society, that is interesting and diverse, that is full of talented people where there are great opportunities to build a fantastic career...and it’s called ‘INSURANCE’.

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About Covéa Insurance

Covéa Insurance Plc is the UK underwriting business of a leading French mutual insurance group Covéa. 

Covéa Insurance is independently accredited by the Institute of Customer Service, with a ServiceMark Distinction for its entire UK operation. It also holds Chartered Insurer status for its Commercial business.

Covéa Insurance is signatory to the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter and the Insurance Inclusivity Pledge, and has been named one of the top 75 employers in West Yorkshire & the Humber. Covéa Insurance is a multiple award winner in Diversity & Inclusion and Customer Champion of the Year, and for the fifth consecutive year, received 5-star accreditation in the Insurance Times Broker Service Survey for Personal Lines.