Where will tomorrow’s insurance talent come from?

Caroline Wagstaff, CEO of the London Market Group, Emma Higgins, chief people officer at QBE, Craig Potter, senior partner and co-lead of people development capability at Davies, and Luke Brannigan, head of Crawford Academy, discuss how the industry can attract new talent at a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping entry-level roles.

Wagstaff kicks off the podcast by challenging the traditional idea that people simply “fall into” insurance, saying more young people are actively choosing the sector as a career.

Higgins notes while some people still enter insurance by chance, those with existing access to the industry tend to have a much clearer understanding of the opportunities available.

Not everyone knows about the really rich and exciting roles that sit behind the sector.

Craig Potter, Davies

“I love the fact that we are using some of the new technology to get those stories out there, like TikTok and Instagram, etc, but there is still a big cohort of people who are coming to us by accident or through networks they have that pre-exist,” she says.

Potter says improving the industry’s visibility is key to widening access to careers in insurance.

“Apprenticeships, graduate roles, work experience, internships, for example,” he says. “Everybody knows about insurance, but not everyone knows about the really rich and exciting roles that sit behind the sector.”

While attracting new people is one part of the talent challenge, retaining and transferring expertise from experienced insurance professionals is another.

Brannigan explains how Crawford is seeking to retain end-of-career talent while creating opportunities for experienced employees to pass their knowledge to the next generation of loss adjusters.

Brannigan says: “That is where we are driving that knowledge transfer. It is so important. Absolutely vital.”

The discussion also explores how the industry can better communicate the routes available into insurance and what careers can offer once people are through the door.

Progression, pay, professional development and having a sense of purpose are all examined, alongside the importance of explaining what different roles involve.

The podcast also examines the implications of bringing a new generation into the workforce after the disruption of Covid lockdowns, and whether employers need to rethink how roles, training and development are structured.

Click the player button to hear the podcast, or download the episode via your podcast provider of choice – including Apple, Google, Spotify and Audible – simply by searching for Insurance Post.