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February 24, 2020 at 07:14 PM
Last November, I participated in a Women in Leadership workshop at the Connected Insurance conference in Chicago. As one of the women on the Breathe Life leadership team (a Montreal-based insurtech) it made perfect sense for me to attend this event, and, as I settled into my seat with my coffee and croissant, I was soon both impressed by the wit and grit of the women participating and disheartened (if not surprised) to learn about the state of women in the insurance industry.
There just really aren’t enough women in leadership roles!
I came away from the session with a desire to learn more about where women stand today in insurance, what their future looks like, and how we can encourage more to consider building their careers in this important, complex, and rapidly changing industry.
The Reality of Women in Insurance
So, where do women stand in the insurance industry? And what does their future look like? The industry is going through a massive period of change, barreling towards digitization and integrated organizations, but how will these changes impact opportunities for women?
In an important report, the Insurance Industry Institute had forecast a need to fill nearly 400,000 jobs at all levels and in all areas by 2020. And from what I’ve seen firsthand, I don’t think those positions are anywhere close to having been filled. That means the industry as a whole has to do a better job attracting new talent and selling prospective employees on the benefits, advantages, and opportunities of working in insurance.
Hiring women could and should play an important role in addressing this need. Doing so will not only help fill an immediate productivity gap but will also lead to more diverse companies that have greater success in reaching their customers.
Yet to map a path forward to a more inclusive, women-energized workforce, it’s important to assess the industry’s current state as it relates to its female workforce. In 2020, the insurance industry relies heavily upon the labor of women, but, according to the whitepaper, Women in Insurance: Leading to Action, published by Million Women Mentors, only at lower levels. While women make up 46.5% of sales agents and 85% of claims and processing clerks, they only hold 11% of named executive officer positions and 19% of board seats at insurance companies.
And, adding insult to injury, women in insurance still earn less than men; 62 cents on the dollar. This is even worse than the pay gap in 1951!
More than Money
While such a pay gap, particularly at the advent of a new decade and amidst major transformation, hardly seems plausible, equal pay may not be the biggest barrier facing women entering and working in the insurance industry. The Women in Insurance whitepaper further identifies an “opportunity gap” keeping women from rising through the ranks.
For example, when comparing women and men in similar jobs, the pay gap lessens. But there are fewer women promoted into these roles in the first place, thus an opportunity gap. Simply put, women have not been given the same opportunities as men to advance.
