Employees may dig their heels in on hybrid work

Working five days a week in an insurance office is a thing of the past, industry experts are saying.

But P&C industry leaders are still debating whether client experience, workplace culture, and productivity gels with a hybrid work model.

“Within insurance and professional services, the client experience is really important,” says Mike Shekhtman, senior regional director at Robert Half. “To have a high level of efficiency [and provide an excellent] customer experience, people believe uniting their teams and evolving the culture is going to drive growth and collaboration. Yet…we’re seeing employees still believe they can produce at a high level on their own schedules.”

The disconnect might come down to a gap in communication or transparency.

“We are seeing there’s just a lack of trust from employers when new employees join the business with a preference for either fully remote or hybrid [work],” Stefan Rolfe, associate director, insurance at Impact Recruitment, tells CU in an interview.

On the flip side, P&C employees like their hybrid office arrangements, according to a Canadian Underwriter survey last fall. Fully 68% said they’re either satisfied or very satisfied with their current hybrid work models.

And quarter (26%) of surveyed P&C professionals said they work in the office two days a week — a 6% increase over the 20% who said the same thing in our May 2022 survey. Just 22% are still fully remote, just below 25% in May 2022’s survey.

Figuring flexibility

Establishing hybrid work arrangements is still a relatively new phenomenon. Many models seem based on the personal preferences of a company’s senior leaders.

“We haven’t mandated anybody back to work for any specific period of time,” Robyn Young, president and CEO at Excel & Y Insurance Services, tells Canadian Underwriter. 

At her company, brokers coordinate with managers about when they need to be in-office. A by-appointment system exists for customers who want to see their brokers in person. For Young, location and traditional office hours aren’t the only factors influencing broker performance.

“It’s about the volume, the amount, and the quality of the work [our brokers are] doing — and our customer satisfaction,” Young says, “not where they’re working from or what times they’re working through.”

That type of flexibility is a big attraction for job candidates.

“We are still seeing a desire for flexibility, with hybrid and remote work being one of the top reasons that attract talent,” Rolfe says. “It’s also one of the main reasons employees want to leave.”

Striking a balance

For P&C leaders, establishing ideal hybrid work arrangements is a balancing act between what they deem reasonable from their workforces and their employees’ preferences.

“You need to have a hybrid environment, as opposed to being all of one thing or all of another, because you learn a lot just by being around other people who are doing the same thing you’re doing,” says Young.

Employees are more likely to buy into hybrid models if they’re clearly explained. If employers do that, employees are more likely to understand and abide by the rules — even if the model requires more days in-office than they might prefer.

“I think [leaders] are having challenges when they’re not able to explain the ‘Why?’” says Shekhtman. “They are not communicating enough in terms of the plan.”

The crux of problem is how ‘flexibility’ is defined.

“You have to be transparent and communicate effectively while uncovering what work model best suits all stakeholders,” Shekhtman tells CU. “Ultimately, as an organization, the work model you roll out may not be ideal for everyone, but sharing the how and why will be critical to all involved.”

For executives testing the waters with a new hire, having them work their way up to remote work, while monitoring them part-time from the office, might be a solution to retaining them in a hybrid manner over the long haul.

“It gives the candidate a chance to prove themselves and that their credentials are what they said they were,” says Rolfe. “It gives them three months or six months to prove themselves, and hopefully that eases any doubt on the employer’s side.”

This article is excerpted from one appearing in the February-March 2024 print edition of Canadian Underwriter. Feature image courtesy of iStock.com/Aleutie