The best way to convince business clients that the products and services you are offering are necessary is to provide them for your own employees, says one company that has taken Top Employer accolades for six years running.
“We have to walk the talk as a provider, particularly with group benefits,” says Don Bisch, the director of corporate communications at Equitable Life of Canada. “We want to show that we are using these products and services ourselves, and that they do make a difference.”
Equitable Life was one of 15 companies in the Waterloo area that was recognized as a top employer – and one of six that made the list that was in the insurance industry, or related to the insurance industry.
Now entering its eighth year, Waterloo Area's Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers, and published by the Kitchener-Waterloo Record and Guelph Mercury.
For Bisch, making that list year after year is proof positive that Equitable Life is putting its money – or more accurately its products and services – where its mouth is.
“When we have meetings with our business clients, those are the things that they ask us, ‘You guys have these products in place, what you doing to employ health and wellness?’” Bisch told Insurance Business. “We can demonstrate that we are not only using the products and services that we sell, but we are going one step further by complementing those products and services with a commitment to employee health.” (continued.)
#pb#
The other insurance industry companies that made the list include Gore Mutual Insurance, North Waterloo Farmers Mutual Insurance, RWAM Insurance Administrators Inc., Crawford & Company and The Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan.
At Gore Mutual Insurance, a good work environment is contagious for brokers who walk through the door.
“We have found that happy employees make for happy brokers,” says Ross MacMaster, vice president of human resources at Gore Mutual. “There is a different feel here when you walk in the door, we treat each other with respect. Everybody is smiling, and everybody is happy.”
And those happy brokers will certainly make for happy clients, MacMaster points out. The recipe for creating this atmosphere is to have a constant infusion of youth, he adds.
“We actively seek out young people, bringing a number of them in from Conestoga College,” he says. “We train them, and are very competitive in our salary and benefits.”
Although salary is important, MacMaster says that work flexibility is high among those looking for job satisfaction.
“We do have a lot of people who work from home a few days a week. Of course it isn’t for everyone, not everyone’s job lines up for that,” he says. “I’m not saying money is unimportant, but people do look for things like job flexibility that make for greater job satisfaction.” (continued.)
#pb#
At Equitable Life, employees have complete access to a wide range of products services.
“In addition to traditional health plans, we offer an Employee Assistance Program, that gives our employees access to support from professional counsellors, online health and wellness resources,” says Bisch.
Employees also have a Health Care Spending Account, that provides reimbursement for services not covered by health plans – like massage and chiropractic services. And a Well Fit Account that partially reimburses fitness classes or gym memberships.
Healthy options in the cafeteria, seminars on nutrition and stress management, an annual health fair, an online health assessment tool – all contribute to better well-being in the office.
At Gore Mutual, there are plans for health benefits that extend to retirees with no age limits, and a number of bonuses that can go up to $2,500.
Another less tangible advantage the insurance industry has over others is in its stability, says Equitable Life’s Bisch, and that fosters a stable workplace for those that work in it.
“Our industry is a very stable industry, compared to others that undergo huge peaks and valleys – ours is relatively steady,” says Bisch. “From an Equitable Life perspective, we take a conservative approach to risk. I think that stability means our employees feel secure in their roles and have some predictability in their careers. By the nature of the products we sell, life and health insurance and group benefits, there is a greater focus on employee health and well-being.”
