Insurance jobseekers in Canada are more in tune with their worth than ever – meaning carriers and brokerages need to be aware of offering them the best opportunities, if they want to retain the talent.
Nadia Linklater, a talent acquisition partner at DGA Careers, in Toronto, which recruits for carriers, brokers, and independent adjusting firms, said one recent trend among jobseekers is awareness of their own value.
What was maybe considered a Millennial trend a few years ago is more common now among Gen X-ers as well – and that’s knowing what you’re worth, and if you’re not getting it, moving company in search of a better role.
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“Gen X-ers, as well, are far more cognisant of their market value as an individual,” she said. “They, too, are now listening and paying attention more. This is all a good thing. Employers can become complacent sometimes, and the ones that are really paying attention to their employees and providing a positive work environment, compensation packages, and opportunities for growth that their competitors are not offering, that really helps them stand out.”
Where older generations traditionally showed greater loyalty to their employers, jobseekers now know what they want - and that’s a workplace that appreciates them.
Certain employers are so sought after, she said, that candidates are lining up, queuing to be the next employee through the door.
“Reputation is everything,” she said. Word gets around and the best insurance employers get known in the industry.
Another trend, she said, particularly among junior jobseekers, was the benefit of entering the workforce with insurance education. Where that may not have been such a big deal a few years ago – before the proliferation of university programmes in Canada – now, it’s something employers almost can’t do without.
“Whether you’re applying for a job, whether it’s in an insurance company or a brokerage, if you have an education that includes [insurance designations] from your undergraduate degree … if I have two candidates for a junior role, and one has the insurance education and one doesn’t, it’s more likely than not that the person who has the insurance education would get the job,” she said.
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