S4 EP54: An unwavering dedication to nurturing and advancing all talent - Andrea Brogger, Chief Human Resources Officer, AssuredPartners

The Insurance Coffee House

“There is this misconception that the only way to grow or advance is to move into leadership. Some people just don't want that or aren’t sure”, says Andrea.

“We want to give people an experience who aren't sure if they want to. We'll find opportunities to allow them to try their hand in things like the mentorship program, where they have an unofficial way of helping to grow talent.”

On the Insurance Coffee House Podcast this week, Andrea shares her career journey in HR.

“It all started with a knack for numbers and data. I was drawn into the world of compensation because it beautifully combined my analytical side with that human aspect.

In compensation, you have to know the business inside and out, you have to know how your sales people are motivated, how the company earns money.

I always found myself really closely connected to our leaders in the business and working on programs to incentivize and drive performance in the organization.”

Andrea discusses what she learned from being part of staffing business, TrueBlue, where she rose from Director of Compensation & Benefits to Chief People Officer over 12.5 years.

She joined AssuredPartners as Chief Human Resources Officer in June 2023 and highlights the transition from staffing to insurance.

“One of the things that I was drawn to at AssuredPartners was their unwavering dedication to people.

There's such a strong connection to fostering a culture of learning and development and that's something that really resonated with me.

Believe it or not, there’s a lot of similarities. Whether it's on the staffing side or on the insurance side, you really need to know your customer, what impacts them.

In insurance, the thing that is really compelling is there's such an incredible tie to protecting people's livelihoods. Whether it's their business, their health, their employees.

There's something really heartwarming about helping people protect the things that are most important to them.”

Based in the US, UK and Ireland, with just over 10,000 employees, Andrea shares her passion for nurturing and advancing talent at AssuredPartners.

“I am incredibly passionate about ensuring there's a clear path and trajectory for their growth and the importance of our employees feeling valued, recognized and knowing their company envisions a future alongside them.

Discussing the initiatives to foster growth and development, Andrea says,

“Our mentorship programs are game changers. There's something truly magical about pairing up employees with seasoned pros.

And we're cooking up something extra special this year, which like a Master's degree in AssuredPartners leadership. It's almost like a VIP experience, tailored just for them and their success.

We also recognize there's another piece of the puzzle, which is heavily focused on building content and experiences for our individual contributors. It makes our employees fiercely loyal.”

Andrea highlights that developing in your career doesn’t always equate to going in to a leadership role.

“When it comes to fostering growth and development, there's more to it than just your typical learning programs. First off, there's the structural piece around job or role architecture.

These give employees that framework for career paths and for development. A road map that helps show them exactly what they need to do to move up that ladder.

For those who really do want to help us grow to the next level, it’s really helping them to learn how to be a leader.”

Andrea showcases the outcomes the business has seen as a result of learning and development initiatives.

“In 2023 we promoted over 550 people in our organization with 77% of those being women.

Our employees are highly engaged and we have very low voluntary turnover levels.”

Andrea shares her recommendation for an executive coming in to interview at AssuredPartners.

“One of the things I absolutely adore here is the genuine sense of inclusion and belonging that people feel here.

So just be yourself, let us get to know the real you and give us a chance to connect with you on a personal level.”

And her advice to insurance industry people leaders looking to hire the best insurance talent.

“Before bringing anybody on board, it's really crucial that you have a clear picture of what success means for each role.

From there, pinpoint the skills and competencies that are needed to excel in that position.

Craft questions or scenarios that give candidates the chance to showcase their expertise.”

Andrea highlights what she looks for in an external insurance executive search partner.

“It's really important that they get to know who we are as a company beyond the numbers.

Our culture is what drives our success. I need a search partner who takes the time to understand that, who understands what makes people successful contributors here and helps us to find diverse well rounded candidates who can make an impact.”

Andrea discusses the tech tools that help attract talent, emphasizing the need for a strong CRM component to streamline the process.

“It helps to get savvy with all of the recruitment related social media tools. You have to get really smart about finding where the talent hangs out. Think about Gen Z. Get acquainted with them and understand how to hook that type of talent into your organization.

You've got to spruce up your career site, make sure that it's, it's warm, it's welcoming, it's informative.

I can't echo the consumer like experience enough.”

As for the one lesson her job has taught her, she thinks everybody should learn at some point in their life, Andrea concludes,

“My time in HR and leadership has really hammered home the importance of vulnerability.

Leaders who embrace vulnerability, are the ones who are truly able to connect with their teams on that deeper level.

And when you have that connection, it has that spark of collaboration, it drives innovation and leads to big time success.”

Connect with Andrea Brogger on LinkedIn or find out more about AssuredPartners

The Insurance Coffee House Podcast is hosted by Nick Hoadley, CEO of Insurance Search.

We are a global Insurance Executive Search Consultancy, supporting Insurance and Insurtech businesses to attract and retain the very best insurance talent.

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