The broking industry should promote its rare ability to offer varied role rotations, which is “a real advantage” over other employment sectors, Aon says.

The move could solve some problems attracting graduate talent, for example by offering six-month spells in cyber, general insurance, global corporate, reinsurance, data analytics and others, according to Queensland state director Lynette Walsh. 

“There are so many different pathways and things that you can actually do in an insurance broking firm,” Mrs Walsh said as part of an expert panel discussing attraction and retention of talent at the NIBA Convention. 

“Who wouldn’t get excited about that? Having a choice of the area I would like to go into. It’s quite an exciting opportunity that you don’t get in nearly any other industry.” 

Mrs Walsh said she has “gone sideways” at times in her career to experience different parts of the business.   

“Bringing this into the DNA of how we recruit ... might actually change some of our challenges in people. Imagine, in four years’ time, if you’ve got someone that has worked across so many different areas – it’s really exciting to think about the opportunities they can bring and different perspectives.” 

Younger employees are “very value-based” and want to work in a business and an industry they feel makes a difference. 

Bringing Gen Z into charitable or volunteering projects will help make them feel they “have a voice” and are part of a change, and “not just being told what to do”, Mrs Walsh says. 

She also recommends career paths and development opportunities outside of leadership, recognising that being the best broker and having the characteristics needed to manage people are “not always the same quality”. 

“Making sure that someone has a pathway to advance their career that is staying in broking and clients, that doesn’t involve people leadership, is actually really important,” she said.  

See the session here. 

• An earlier version of this story attributed some comments by CBN's Nese Akay to Mrs Walsh. It also incorrectly stated that Aon uses Ploomo technology.