If the insurance industry wants to close its oncoming talent gap by hiring more young people, it’s going to have to contend with a serious communications failure. New research reveals that while an overwhelming majority of young insurance professionals love their careers and intend to remain in the industry as long as possible, millennials in general still view the sector with disdain.
The problem is a big one. The average US insurance agent is now 59 years old, and in order for the industry to meet oncoming demand, independent agencies will need to hire four young people for each producer getting ready to retire.
But any efforts made to bring in young blood have been stymied by the simple fact that a career in insurance simply does not appeal to millennials. Research conducted in 2015 by The
Hartford reveals that only 4% of people aged 18 to 34 say they’re drawn to insurance, with many describing the industry as “boring.”
A new survey, released Monday by insurance technology developer Vertafore, pushes back against those notions. In its third annual “Millennials in Insurance” survey, Vertafore found that a full 81% of respondents plan to remain in insurance as long as possible, and 70% would also recommend a career in the industry to friends.
“When you dig into these results, it’s very clear that we have a big perception problem when it comes to what insurance can offer young people,” Guy Weismantel, vice president of marketing with Vertafore, told
Insurance Business America. “When you talk with millennials on the frontlines of the industry, they say insurance is giving them exactly what young people in general are looking for – so it’s alarming that we haven’t figured out how to lower the perception barrier and make insurance a viable career path.”
One way to do that may be stressing how insurance answers much of what millennials say is on their career wish list. A vast majority (81%) told Vertafore that financial stability was most important in their decision to remain in the industry, while 78% cited work-life balance as a plus for working in insurance. Another three-quarters said it was career development – a factor Gallup surveys indicate is the most important source of job satisfaction for millennials.
Technology is also key. Though not measured specifically as a recruiting tool in the Vertafore survey, Weismantel says the chance to work with technology is a “massive” plus in the industry’s favor. Almost 86% of respondents said technology in the workplace is increasing and enabling them to better reach serve customers. Fifty percent regularly use social media to perform business functions, and – despite the industry’s reputation as tech-averse – a full two-thirds of young insurance professionals said they were satisfied with their own company’s use of technology.
“That’s a big increase over the past few years, and very encouraging for us to see because technology is a lens through which millennials really look to see if they’d fit in and enjoy working at a particular company,” Weismantel told
IBA.
Of course, the ability of the industry to bring this message forward to young people will be key in determining how it adapts to the “silver tsunami” of employee retirement. While Weismantel believes there is “no one silver bullet,” investing in technology and flexible work structures, along with using millennial employees to reach out to other young people, is imperative.
And for their part, millennials are optimistic. A full 85% of those surveyed said they are confident the industry will continue to evolve, attracting the next generation of insurance talent.
“The insurance industry has turned over a new leaf with millennials, and we are in the midst of a technology revolution that is disrupting insurance and attracting a new generation of tech savvy talent that is optimistic about the future,” Weismantel said. “Couple with the qualities that a career in insurance offers, we see why the millennial generation is thriving in this industry and why more young professionals are looking at insurance for fulfilling, long-time careers.”
Vertafore interviewed 4,000 insurance professionals for the survey, including 1,000 millennials in the industry.
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