At Bruce Chiene Insurance Brokers there is no turning back after the broker moved to a primarily home working setup. 

The broker has seen a significant uplift in productivity and morale since February last year when employees were only required to commute to the shared office space in Sydney CBD once a month for meetings and catchups. 

Client meetings are still conducted face-to-face but otherwise Bruce Chiene brokers, who live near Sydney and other parts of NSW, are entirely working remotely. 

“We have not had a staff member leave since we went to this model,” MD Warren Schafer told insuranceNEWS.com.au. 

Mr Schafer says he initially had doubts over whether the hybrid setup would work. Having seen the results in the last year or so, he believes it’s something the industry – if it hasn’t not already done so – should consider doing as well. 

“After two months experiencing the hybrid office environment, I was convinced it was the right decision,” Mr Schafer said. 

“It allowed all at Bruce Chiene to cut down on travelling time, the productivity of all was increased and everyone is happier.” 

An employee who left in February 2020 because of the long commute to work has returned to the brokerage after learning about the flexible work arrangements. The broker also recently hired a new staff member in Orange, a regional town 254km west of Sydney. 

“It allowed us to employ people outside the Sydney metropolitan area which has been a huge advantage in getting the right people on board,” Mr Schafer said. “We do not mind where our staff members live so long as they meet these and their usual work commitments.” 

Now that the brokerage no longer needs to have a permanent office, the business has been able to redeploy the savings from monthly rentals and other fixed office overheads to areas like staff recruitment and tech upgrades. 

Change is never easy but Bruce Chiene says it is necessary for the industry if it is to remain relevant and attract new and talented blood into the profession. 

“We all can change. What I’ll say is value your staff members, trust your staff members as they are your number one asset,” Director Scott Hardiman said.