For decades, it’s been said that the insurance industry is in need of fresh talent from the younger generation. With most millennials already established in their careers and some pushing 40, it’s the following generation, known as Generation Z, where the insurance industry can learn new ideas and recruit young talent.
Plumb, who also spoke about her mental and physical health struggles, said that many young people are looking for a “bigger mission” in life, which brings more meaning to their day-to-day activities.
“Income is something that’s short-term,” Plumb said. “Nowadays, Gen Z, they really want to do something that would create an impact, and they would put that as a top priority. Doing something that they really care about, and not just for the money.”
Plumb said that for an employer to keep someone for the long term, its mission and its values should align with the employee’s, especially those from Gen Z.
With regard to finances, Plumb believes that honesty and being upfront are very important qualities for employers in order to attract new applicants and to keep their current employees happy.
“In my personal view, I think it’s nice to just be upfront [about the salary] and know from the get-go,” Plumb said. “For us Gen Z who have just started work, we really want to learn, and we really want to grow. We value more leadership training opportunities to really grow and learn skills. Companies should provide more training and talk about that in the job description.”
Plumb also suggested companies invest in more training and mentorship programmes for young employees to give them a clearer vision of their career paths. More involvement in important tasks is also something they are looking for.
“It would be nice if, from the beginning, Gen Z could be involved in the more important aspects because we like challenges,” she said. “Our generation is really adaptable and COVID has taught us a lot of life lessons, such as about the future of work.”
