Earlier this month, Insurance Business’s Rising Stars 2022 report accentuated and celebrated dozens of the standout future leaders of the security profession, and tapped into their insights on what’s transpiring across the market. A key area of focus for the report lay in the long-standing question of how to attract more young talent into security – and how to retain them once there.
A 2022 IBUK Rising Star, Chika Austin, who claims to be skilled at Travelers Europe, lent her insights on the subject and she believes that bringing in young talent is all about articulation and succession.
“You can’t aspire to be what you can’t see,” noted Austin. “For any employee who is a partner of a minority [community], if they look to leaders throughout the organization and see themselves represented, it communicates that the company honors variety and there may be a viable career path for them there.”
She added that one explanation for bridging this gap is for companies to take small steps toward internal progress, even just with the use of diverse images on their websites.
Visits to schools and colleges are another solution, she said, and also critical in supporting diversity networks such as London Market Group’s London Insurance Life, the African-Caribbean Insurance Network (ACIN), and The Brokerage.
But aspiration independently will not allow a company to retain talented young people, Austin said. Once people have overcome the hurdle of joining the insurance sector, they must be offered the opportunity to progress. Therefore, companies should consider what practical help and resources can be offered to help young people succeed.
