Creating a high-performing workforce

Duck Creek’s Courtney Townsend shares insights for creating a diverse and engaged workforce in this podcast.

Every industry is seeing the challenges of hiring and retaining staff, and the insurance industry is no exception. The pandemic has changed the expectations of employees and employers as they navigate a hybrid work environment.

In the insurance industry, the increased adoption of insurtech has allowed carriers, brokers, agents and claims professionals to provide policyholders with the service they expect. It has also expanded their product opportunities, and allowed policyholders to purchase insurance and follow their claims in real-time.

Building strong teams means hiring individuals with a range of expertise, who are comfortable using technology in new ways. Courtney Townsend, chief people officer for Duck Creek, shares her insights on how today’s employers can build teams that are comfortable with technology and understand how it complements their customer interactions.

Townsend describes her role at Duck Creek this way. “Human resources is the function, but it is truly about the people,” she explains.

She sees the opportunities that insurance provides as an opportunity to serve others. “We all talk about and believe in the greater good for the individual,” she says, but a career in insurance also is a way to feed “people’s creative juices.” It provides a range of career choices and allows individuals to discover the different facets of the industry and how they can play a significant part in helping others.

When hiring employees, she emphasizes how important it is for executives and organizations to not only talk about the importance of values, inclusion and diversity, but there must also be buy-in from the top levels of a business on these issues.

Townsend discusses the role of technology and the opportunities and skills needed to work in the insurance industry. She also highlights the benefits and perks that are important to employees and discusses the factors that create strong teams.

To learn more, listen to the podcast above or subscribe to Insurance Speak on Spotify, Apple Music or Libsyn.

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