006: A Job for Life? with Louise Clemments

What are the different roles available within the insurance industry, and how might one transition from one type of role to another? What is the career advantage of participating in additional activities in the workplace? What educational steps do we need to take to alter misconceptions about our industry at an early stage? In this episode, we’re very pleased to be speaking with Louise Clemments, Senior HR Business Partner at HDI Global Specialty. In conversation with Sandra Lewin, Louise discusses the nature of her role and how HR underpins the fundamental infrastructure of insurance businesses. She suggests that insurance is a uniquely advantageous industry to work in due to the versatility of the skills that you acquire, which are transferrable across a wide array of roles. Furthermore, she suggests that active participation in the additional activities available at your workplace, particularly in the early stages of your career, is instrumental to a healthy career progression.   Quote of the Episode “I'm very passionate about finding the right person for the job. And in the insurance market, we know there is a talent drain with not enough young diverse talent coming in, thinking about careers in this field. But rather than just sitting around complaining about this, I feel we all have a responsibility to make changes and spread the word about what an interesting and fulfilling career insurance can be.” For Louise, the onus is on everyone within the insurance industry to help to promote it to the general public. This is particularly essential on an educational basis. Insurance and the broader financial services remain male-dominated industries, with many girls dissuaded from considering such a career due to the prospect of being the only woman in the office. To alter this mindset, we need to have an educative presence in schools and universities, discussing the various benefits of working in our ever-evolving industry. Consequently, this year HDI launched an Early Careers Programme offering formal internships and apprenticeships. They have also partnered with an outreach provider to ensure that candidates come from socially diverse economic backgrounds. For Louise, it is key that we spread the word to people who may not have considered a career in financial services, who will have skills that can undoubtedly be transferred to insurance.   Key Takeaways For Louise, when onboarding new employees and retaining those employees, it is fundamental that we listen to them to understand what they want from their roles and their careers in the long-term. Similarly, we must be transparent about what we can offer as employers to facilitate those goals. Many people consider work culture to be a key factor in which roles they apply for, and a greater emphasis on this when advertising roles, clarifying how the business operates, may help substantially to boost insurance recruitment efforts. Louise suggests that the Great Resignation observed in recent years is proof that a ‘job for life’ is not inevitable. She suggests that there is great value in trying lots of different roles in order to gain different types of exposure and experience. The insurance industry is particularly well-equipped for this kind of experimentation, with many types of roles requiring different skills on offer. For example, Louise herself works in HR, but there are various skills held by brokers or underwriters which could fluidly transfer to a role in this department. In HR, you are advising business leaders on strategy, so a general background in insurance would make you very well-placed to facilitate this kind of decision-making. In addition to her role in HR, Louise holds a book club at work which communes every four to five weeks, focusing on books with a business or leadership leaning. Engaging in such activities at work can have huge career advantages. Being present and volunteering for additional activities at work showcases your willingness to b