PIA Ranked “A Top Workplace”; How Would Your Employees Rate Your Agency?

At a recent board meeting of PIA Management Services, the umbrella corporation that manages the Glenmont, N.Y.-based Professional Insurance Agents associations of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire, I learned that the organization is about to be honored as one of the “Top Workplaces” in New York’s Capital Region by its primary newspaper, the Albany Times Union and survey partner, WorkplaceDynamics.

PIA Management Services was nominated by one of its employees, and then, with encouragement from President and CEO, Mark LaLonde, CIC, CPIA, AAI they were all asked to complete an anonymous and voluntary online survey, which included responses to statements about their employer and gave them the opportunity to add comments. As a board member, I was shown the anonymous responses and statements and I have to say I walked out of that building feeling proud and impressed.

Despite being in the middle of a leadership transition, and facing the economic challenges our industry has grappled with for the past several years, the positivism that comes out of PIA is amazing. From my years of experience with PIA as a member and then board member, I already knew the staff is fantastic and their attitudes are fantastic. The survey showed that their opinion of their managers is a major part of their enthusiasm and success. It got me thinking: While there are hundreds of things an agent can learn from working with PIA, agency principals can use PIA as an example on how to manage their own businesses. I know I did—It has always been my philosophy to run my agency like a family and extended family, a sentiment that PIA staff conveyed in the survey in some of the following comments: “My manager has a very positive attitude, encourages the staff, uses constructive criticism when needed and CARES about the staff in the working environment and personally. When you work for someone who genuinely cares for you, you want to give them 100%+. Working for a nice person who genuinely cares about you makes coming to work a pleasure and we are a family. Daily, we spend more time with our coworkers than our own families, and having a family feel at work makes it even better.”

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“My manager ensures each employee in this department is treated with respect and tries hard to meet my individual needs. Manager also goes out of his/her way to take the time to acknowledge a job well done and give credit where credit is due.”

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(PIA) “Always asks how I’m doing, for my thoughts, (and) wants to get on the same page. Very inclusive.”

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“Senior staff undoubtedly has difficult decisions to make. I believe they share with employees the crucial information we need.”

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This is notable because, as an agent who owned a business for five decades, I feel comfortable saying that sometimes agency principals start to believe their own hype and forget that their employees are the front line to our clients. Growth in an agency can make agents lose themselves. They start believing how important they are and it’s easy to forget that we are the ombudsmen of our clients. While we walk a fine line, representing our companies, our first priority is our insureds, and our staff is the front line to them.

Think about it: Your auditor and inspector are the only ones who have contact with carriers. Customer Service Reps speak with your clients every day—their good mood is reflected to your clients. Because of this, I think many agency principals might be wary of the questions from the Times Union survey. I challenge my readers: Give the following statements some thought: How would your staff rate them on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree? How many agents would be afraid to have their staff take part in a survey like this? My hat is off to Mark LaLonde—for being brave and confident in his staff.

• I feel genuinely appreciated at this company.

• There is a lot of frustration at my workplace.

• New ideas are encouraged at this company.

• At this company, we do things efficiently and well.

• My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful. I have the flexibility I need to balance my work and personal life.

• My manager helps me learn and grow I have confidence in the leader of this company.

• I get the formal training I want for my career.

• My manager cares about my concerns.

• This company motivates me to give my very best at work.

• I have confidence in the leader of my division at this company.

• I would highly recommend working at this company to others.

I asked an agent, whom I have tremendous respect for, what they thought about how their agency would respond. They thought the survey wouldn’t receive a single answer from the staff—and if they did answer, it would not be so positive. The average tenure for PIA staff is 12 years. In fact, there are many industry professionals who have worked at PIA for 20- 30 years, and a few even more. That’s testimony to the organization, and it means members have the benefit of real experts, who have been around and who know our business inside-and-out.

The positive publicity PIA will get in its local media will help keep its current employees happy and draw the best potential employees when the organization and its members need them. As an active board member, I can say that the volunteers on the board hold the PIA staff in special regard, as second families. The management there does as well. It’s an example agencies should pay attention to.

Ultimately, employee loyalty is client loyalty and your staff is the best marketing and retention tool you’ve got. They are also the most expensive, considering salaries and benefits, as well as the potential harm a disgruntled staff person can do to your agency’s business.

The Albany area of New York State is a major employment area in the Northeast, which makes getting this award quite impressive. I wish PIA congratulations for this achievement and for providing agents with another great demonstration of how to run their own businesses successfully.