SILVER Best Agency to Work For – Insgroup

Even before its offices were inundated with 10 feet of water by Hurricane Harvey, Insgroup’s employees were proclaiming the agency’s virtues and lobbying for its inclusion as an Insurance Journal Best Agency to Work For.

But Houston-based Insgroup, the 2017 Silver award winner for Best Agency to Work For — South Central, was severely affected by Hurricane Harvey and the firm’s employees had nothing but praise for the agency’s handling of the disruption and temporary displacement caused by the storm.

Responding to IJ’s Best Agency survey, one employee put it this way: “Our contingency plan worked, technology in the cloud, laptops in waiting, phone lines re-routed, we began taking and reporting claims on Monday while Harvey was only beginning to flood our beloved city. We are fully operational, no client would even know we sit in a small interior room in a random building in Houston. Our associates are safe!”

Agency employees who “lost everything will get the support they should expect from Insgroup,” the respondent wrote. “Within hours of the rain stopping, Insgroup set up a relief program for associates that lost something or everything. Monetary help to get by. But not just that, physical help, roof over their heads, transportation, food, etc. … That’s why Insgroup is awesome. It’s about our people, it’s about how our people are treated. It’s about being a part of something special. … I know Insgroup is a BEST PLACE TO WORK!”

Brian J. Kapiloff is president and chief executive officer of Insgroup, which has 105 employees and more than $25 million in gross annual revenue. In an email to Insurance Journal, Kapiloff said he is pleased that the agency’s employees recognize the efforts of the management team to continually improve the workplace and prepare for the future. He said his message to management “is to put themselves in their employees’ shoes, to challenge everything we do and how we do it, and to consistently solicit ideas and constructive criticism from their teams. I am proud of my team and their commitment to make our firm an employer of choice for high performing insurance professionals,” Kapiloff said.

“We are laser focused on creating value for clients, and on creating opportunities for our employees through organic growth,” he said. “We constantly explore new, better, and more efficient ways to serve our clients. Continual investment in Technology and Process Improvement are key elements to our client-centric approach. The by-product of these efforts is a workplace which keeps our employees engaged and develops them professionally.”

And Insgroup employees do value the commitment of the firm’s management team. Employees wrote that they are proud of the fact that Insgroup is an Insurance Journal Top 100 Agency, that its leaders are intelligent and thoughtful and that they listen to their employees, that there’s a perpetuation plan in place — one through which employees can become owners, and that the company’s leaders and employees are invested in making sure the agency’s clients receive the best service and support possible.

“Insgroup is one of the best places to work because of the superior professionalism and hard work of all employees along with strong leadership of the principal owners. It’s a well run organization and you need to be at the top of your game while working here — it’s demanding and rewarding!” wrote one employee.

“Our firm has a perpetuation plan in place and is prepared for the future. Where many independents have an uncertain future and a stress filled workplace our people know they are a part of a team whose future is certain and whose footing is solid. That peace of mind is, unfortunately, uncommon in this high acquisition environment,” said one employee.