Best Agency to Work For – Midwest Bronze Winner: The Bulow Group

At The Bulow Group, work-life balance is a core value that benefits employees on both sides.

“We are super flexible as an agency,” said one Bulow Group employee who nominated their agency as one of the best in Insurance Journal’s 2024 Best Agencies to Work For survey. “There is a forward-thinking culture that encourages us all to work hard at improving ourselves as we all grow together as a company.”

Culture is everything within the Tinley Park, Illinois-based agency, agreed another nominator. “(The company) strives to provide employees with the work/life balance that everyone hopes for,” they said. “The owners work to keep personal relationships with all staff. To understand their wants and needs, and you see them work harder to try and make sure everyone gets what they want.”

And knowing what’s valuable to employees is as simple as listening to what they have to say, said The Bulow Group CEO Mike Bulow.

“We just really believe that everybody is a valued team member, and communication is key, whether you are a manager, partner, head of client service or CFO,” Bulow said.

That employees’ needs are heard, valued and met is one of the many reasons why the agency has been named Insurance Journal’s Midwest 2024 Bronze award winner.

In response to employee needs and the agency’s rapid growth, the team is preparing to move into its new state-of-the-art offices, which include a full-service gym, a commercial kitchen and many high-tech upgrades. Other services, such as a monthly visit from a barber, are also slated to simplify work-life balance for employees.

“Instead of downsizing and feeling more alone and remote, we’re welcoming everybody back,” Bulow said. “We’ve built an environment that is so awesome people want to come back.”

The agency, which celebrated 11 years in business in October, holds weekly meetings open for employee conversations and suggestions and an annual meeting that gives everyone a voice on all aspects of the business.

“Some of our best ideas have come out of those meetings,” Bulow said.

One such idea was the company’s new unlimited PTO program, which gives employees more flexibility in their downtime and work hours.

The new PTO program “shows they trust their employees to work hard and enjoy time off when they have it,” one employee said. “It makes employees not have to stress in the back of their mind as to what the year might bring for them.”

In addition to the new PTO program and cutting-edge tech, nominating employees cited little perks that make a difference, such as free weekly lunches and a well-stocked breakroom. The workplace support and benefits drive employees to do their best and exceed their goals.

“I would say the most impactful thing about The Bulow Group is the support from our owners,” they added. “They will be ‘in the trenches’ with us when things are difficult, which I think is very rare to get the owner of your company battling to succeed with you, hand in hand.”

Across-the-board open communication means problems are addressed quickly, and improvements can be swiftly implemented.

“Our agency is fast-paced and growing constantly,” they added. “Ideas are listened to and a lot of ideas of the employees become the reality. We don’t have red tape that stops us from making changes, especially ones that benefit everyone.”

And it’s only getting better, employees agreed.

“Each and every year, ownership makes it a point to listen to the employees on how we can get better and make everyone’s lives better,” said one employee who has been at the company for over a decade. “Employee requests are implemented each year, and the perks of working at Bulow Group improve EVERY year. I genuinely enjoy coming to work every day and feel like it’s a second home.”