Everyone’s an expert these days
July 8, 2018
When browsing online or even watching TV we tend to see lots of adverts with companies claim to be experts. Indeed it’s a term that we use a lot at Flint when describing what we think is a major benefit of choosing our products and services. So, this bandied about, often over used term got us thinking about what exactly being an ‘expert’ means to us:
In our business we consider experience and knowledge gained over many years to be extremely valuable. When an older member of staff approaches retirement age we don’t automatically assume that they are going to want to leave us. Currently our oldest employee is 70 years of age and yes he works a bit more flexibly now, but as an organisation we still retain his vast industry and product knowledge. Risk is about judgement, generally knowing what goes wrong, when and where – and in these situations there is no substitute for experience. Some of our more seasoned staff members have risen through the ranks and been with us for many years, but there are others who have joined relatively recently, because we never discriminate against age. We’ve taken on older individuals because they are dedicated to their profession and yes, they are invariably are experts in their field. The knowledge that they bring is not only fantastic for our clients, but is a huge help to their younger colleagues who are still honing their trade.
At the other end of the age scale Flint has an established and active programme of professional training, with our younger members embarking on industry recognised qualifications from the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).
All customer facing staff, dealing with insurance matters will work towards becoming CII qualified. As a company we support our ‘students’ by organising module revision groups and mock examinations. So far we have ten members of staff who have achieved their Certificate in Insurance, with two of these currently undertaking the CII Diploma, which will lead on to Chartered status. Seven other staff are currently undertaking their Certificate in Insurance and will be further supported, should they wish to become Chartered.
Having the right skill and knowledge forms the basis of everything that we do and opportunities for learning are always taken and built upon.
In addition to insurance knowledge we understand how important our middle managers are in terms of moving the business forward and supporting junior employees. Many of them have progressed through the ranks because we actively consider their career progression and look to promote them when we can. All of our managers recently took part in leadership training, we want them to be forward looking, think creatively and prosper.
All of our staff are valued, whatever their age, or their stage of career. We work together as a team and know that we are stronger as a whole. For us our low staff turnover equals happy employees and even happier clients.
In terms of both age and gender the Flint workforce is both diverse and inclusive, with ages ranging from 18 to 70 years old.
This is what Flint calls Expert.
Call us on 0208 309 5000 for help and advice on your insurance needs.