Rowing in the Same Direction

There are many, many reasons why employees at Indiana-based Gibson love their agency.

First and foremost, they love it because they own it. That the company is 100 percent employee owned is a source of pride and empowerment for those who work there, judging from Gibson employees’ responses to Insurance Journal’s 2018 Best Agencies to Work For Survey.

“We all have a stake in our future and our employees act like owners. We are all ‘rowing’ in the same direction. We all are linked together for our success, and our company is willing to trust people to do the right thing,” said one employee.

Another said the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) “helps create a winning culture where every one of us takes immense pride in the work that we do, not many agencies can say that every employee of theirs is an owner!”

In addition to employee ownership, other reasons why employees love Gibson, which has been named IJ’s Silver 2018 Best Agency to Work For in the Midwest, include: “flexible work schedules, opportunities to grow, great teammates, lots of collaboration, knowledgeable and approachable leadership team, unbelievable time off policies, and numerous other benefits,” wrote one employee. “For me personally, I appreciate the autonomy I have in my work. It is challenging and fulfilling, with a tremendous amount of variety. I also enjoy the opportunities I have to grow personally and professionally at Gibson.”

Representing the entire management group, Gibson Director of Marketing Becky Beckman said it is “the highest honor to have our people nominate us. We’re a great place to work because of our team and clients. We work hard to support our people, create clarity, share a vision, and focus on what matters most.”

Gibson has a mission to “Protect What Matters Most,” she said, and one of the ways the agency implements that policy is through its Gibson Protection System, or GPS. In Beckman’s view, that process is one of the things that distinguishes the agency.

Gibson’s employee-owners think so too, as several cited GPS as being “a game changer for our clients.” One noted that the “ability to have a broad conversation on risk and to help clients identify, quantify, and prioritize risk is unique and proprietary to us.”

The practice of protecting what matters most is not limited to clients — it extends to employees, as well. One example of that is a recently established policy of unlimited paid time off (PTO). It’s a move that one employee said “demonstrates the confidence and trust our leadership team has in our employees. Additionally, we expanded our leave policies which allow our fellow employee owners to maintain work-life balance when adding to their families, caring for a loved one, or dealing with a personal life challenge.”

Another said the agency “is one of the most progressive, employee engaged companies that I have ever had the privilege of working with. They truly care about the employees. All around. They have a strong focus on work/life balance and push for growth within the company. It is an honor to work with all of the people at Gibson and I am truly blessed to be a part of the team.”

An appreciation of that “all for one and one for all” atmosphere permeated the comments submitted by the agency’s employees. As one said: “Gibson is an awesome place to work because first and foremost the individuals I get to work with! I love my team and everyone else in this agency. I feel like everyone here is a critical part as to why Gibson is so awesome!”