The survey which has been running since 2020 sees Insurance Post ask thousands of people working across the insurance sector to rate their employer. Gallagher has been voted a top employer every year since the survey started.
This year saw the sector-wide survey get the biggest response yet, with more than 4000 responses from insurance employees at many different companies, and at all levels from entry-level to C-suite. The survey covers benefits, pay and development, as well as company values, such as commitment to ESG, diversity and work-life balance. In each category, employees are asked to rate their employer out of 10.
Claire Davies, our EMEA HR Director explains a bit more about what makes Gallagher a great place to work.
Why do you think your employees recommend working for your company?
We know our people are our biggest asset and Gallagher is committed to a culture where everyone is able to bring their whole self to work. This creates an environment which naturally allows us to celebrate our people’s successes and all colleagues are respected for the role they play in the success of Gallagher.
We are a highly successful business, with a track record of growth established over nearly 100 years, and our people are proud to be part of this story. Although we are a large global organisation we still have the feel of a family firm and to this day the Gallagher family are at the helm of the business.
Of course, alongside a great culture, benefits and pay are critical and we ensure that colleagues are well rewarded for the work they do, their commitment to our clients, and therefore our success.
We know it is important for colleagues to be able to progress their careers and place a significant focus on learning & development and promoting from within so individuals can grow their careers at Gallagher.
How do you ensure staff feel valued?
Colleague recognition is a core part of Gallagher’s employee proposition and we regularly communicate with our colleagues to keep them informed about the business and the role they play in our success - both formally and informally. We do this at a global, national and local level and events range from face to face, videos, newsletters and to online town halls.
We hold numerous events throughout the year to celebrate colleague successes from individual awards for high performance, team awards, social events, volunteering opportunities and community engagement programmes.
From a reward perspective, all colleagues receive regular feedback through the year, and have a yearly review at which their performance is rated. Depending on rating and business performance, colleagues are eligible for a bonus payment. Pay reviews are also conducted yearly to ensure colleagues are appropriately compensated for their efforts and the role they do at Gallagher.
How does employee feedback affect ESG decision-making at your company?
Feedback from colleagues affects most decision making at Gallagher as we want our people to have a say in the direction of our business and our colleagues play a particularly important part in our approach to ESG.
Many of our people are passionate about ESG related matters and at Gallagher, we have always been committed to delivering societal value, understanding the importance of an inclusive & diverse workforce, limiting our impact on the environment and being a key part of our local communities. ESG is a topic that is discussed at a UK board and executive level, and we have an ESG committee, which includes colleagues from across the business.
The committee is responsible for creating and implementing action plans and tracking progress against each of the work streams. It reports to the UK executive committee on a regular basis and advises them on the direction of travel for ESG topics.
What impact is your diversity and inclusion work having on the make-up and culture of the company?
Inclusion and diversity has always been important at Gallagher and is part of our DNA. Last year the Ethisphere Institute recognised Gallagher as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the twelfth consecutive year. We are the only insurance broker to hold this accolade.
In our yearly employee survey we ask colleagues how they feel about working at Gallagher and in 2022 85% said Gallagher was an inclusive company, a measure we are very proud of.
We are committed to our UK I&D programme from the executive table right down through the organisation. We have six I&D work streams including gender; disability; mental health; multi-ethnicity, racial alliance; social mobility and LGBTQ+. We have passionate individuals from across our businesses supporting each of these who help arrange events, highlight key topics and contribute to valuable discussions around policies and practices that make us an even better employer.
There are many initiatives that run throughout the year, to highlight a few over the last 12 months we were voted one of the Top 100 Employers in the Social Mobility Index, over 200 colleagues marched at various Pride events, we sponsored the first ever UK-wide initiative celebrating women over 50 in the insurance industry ‘50 over Fifty’, and launched a returners programme designed to attract females back into the workplace after an extended period of not working. We are confident that these initiatives play a key role in our positive culture.
We have established a network of over 100 charity and sustainability champions, across our UK offices, providing a wealth of ideas and support for activation at their locations.
How would you describe working at the company to a friend or family?
Gallagher is a fast paced, dynamic and friendly place to work. People are passionate about the business, doing the right thing for clients and colleagues and this is core to our success and positive working environment. People who succeed and enjoy working at Gallagher are those that work in a collaborative way and have a ‘can do’ attitude.
Giving back to society has been part of our ethos since our beginning and it is no different today. Team members are encouraged to support the community in which they live and work through volunteering, fundraising, partnerships and sponsorships. As a result we have strong links into the community and local charities which brings our colleagues a great sense of pride.
Because of the size of Gallagher there are plenty of opportunities to develop and diversify into different teams and learn about new areas of insurance so is a great place for individuals who want to progress their career.
