Insurance can be a little bit sexy

BE honest – when you were mulling over your options with the school careers advisor, going into the insurance industry did not quite make your top ten, did it? In fact, the thought probably never entered your head.

You are not alone. The perceived lack of glitz and glamour surrounding the insurance industry means it does not feature on the radar of the overwhelming majority of teenagers setting out on their career paths.

Even later in life, insurance can be something of a chore.

When you want to take that shiny new car out for a spin, there’s nothing worse than spending half an hour on the phone, desperately trying to recall how many years of no claims you’ve got.

When you’re eager to set foot in your dream home for the first time, you don’t want another half hour pondering the combined worth of your computer, TV and DVD, just in case they get stolen.

Against this backdrop, it probably comes as no surprise that the insurance industry faces big problems when it comes to recruiting and retaining the highest calibre of staff.

At BiB Insurance, in Darlington, however, there are no such problems. There – whisper it – insurance is a little bit sexy.

Working in conjunction with multi-award-winning Newton Aycliffe-based Elphaba Business Solutions, the firm has developed a reputation much envied within the industry for finding and keeping outstanding employees.

Elsewhere in the country, enticing college students away from the bright lights of university with the promise of a career in insurance is a nighon impossible task. At BiB, they’re beating the door down.

The unprecedented success has stemmed from a relationship established three years ago with Darlington’s Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College.

Career-minded students were encouraged to apply for a two-year traineeship as an insurance technician, giving them a detailed insight into every aspect of the business – one year in broking, another year in underwriting – and the chance to gain recognised qualifications.

The scheme has recently welcomed its fifth trainee, with plenty more keen to follow. Such has been the enthusiasm and commitment of trainees, many are finding permanent jobs with BiB before their apprenticeships are finished.

It is a level of success unrivalled in the North – and something that has delighted BiB’s director of group development, Denis Pinnegar.

“We’re a local company that has forged a strong relationship with a topperforming local college to employ local students in an industry that has faced big recruitment problems of late, and we’re doing very well at it,” he says. “These are students who know that they want a career, not simply a job, and that’s why it has been so popular.

“They spend a significant amount of time in each department. They deal – albeit under supervision – with real customers and that allows them to discover which aspect of the business appeals to them most.”

Trainee commercial broker James Martin, 21, of Richmond, North Yorkshire, can vouch for the programme’s qualities.

“I did eight months of my two-year programme and got offered a job in the corporate broking team, which was an amazing opportunity,” he says.

Chris Gardner, 18, of Darlington, a trainee insurance technician, is the newest recruit.

“I think it is a profession that not enough people know about because there are some great opportunities to make a good career for yourself,” he says.

Having recruited the best, BiB then does its utmost to hang onto them – and that is where an innovative programme of staff training comes in.

“In order to provide the best possible service to clients across a wide range of fields, members of staff need to have a high level of technical knowledge,” says Elphaba director Zanna Bewick.

“Being able to offer the right advice for a client’s specific needs is what sets an independent broker apart from the multitude of comparison websites that can be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to arranging cover.”

With this in mind, BiB has put in place a system whereby every member of staff has the chance to gain a professional qualification.

Training programmes allow them to earn either a certificate in insurance or the even tougher diploma.

All students get two hours of paid study leave each week and their willingness to learn is paying off. Those put through the training by BiB have a 95 per cent success rate – way above the national average.

When it all began in 2004, BiB had two employees possessing the diploma. Now, 15 have either completed it or are close to doing so.

“What I find refreshing about BiB is the way that the managers have embraced all of this. You never hear any negative comments about dayto- day operations being affected – they fully understand the importance of this,” says Ms Bewick.

The programmes are entirely voluntary, so employees can sign up whenever they feel ready, and there is already a waiting list.

“There is a real determination within the company to provide our clients with advice tailored to their needs, the likes of which they can’t find in a nonpersonal environment like the internet,” says Mr Pinnegar.

“Our training systems ensure that clients are getting expert technical help and knowledge when they call us, while our staff feel more motivated thanks to their excellent achievements. It’s a win-win situation.”

To complete the cycle, BiB is also committed to developing the potential directors of the future. Its leadership programme goes a long way towards solving what can be a tricky problem for many organisations – succession planning.

“You can’t just think about who your next manager or team leader is going to be,”

says Mr Pinnegar. “You also have to think about who your future directors will be, so we have staff undertaking management qualifications.”

The programme is rigorous and time-consuming, yet it has been overwhelmingly well received.

At present, a team of seven is immersed in a three-year project, focusing on key corporate and strategic issues, giving them the skills they need to make even more significant contributions to the company.

By the third year, they’ll be sitting in on board meetings and potentially carving out new chapters in their careers.

“The group is made up of people from throughout the firm. They are all out of their comfort zones and doing this outside normal working hours,” says Ms Bewick.

“It’s really tough for them but, ultimately, it could be incredibly rewarding. This is making them better equipped to grasp any opportunities that may come along.”

So, in an industry that few even seem to want to enter, a firm in a North-East market town is blazing a national trail. Long may it continue, as far as BiB is concerned.

“The insurance profession has such high and stringent standards set nationally, so if this company is to survive we have to make an investment in producing the finest possible team of professionals,” says Mr Pinnegar. “We are not going to ship our business abroad. We’re staying local and we’re doing it successfully.”