Lawrie Insurance Group supports the community by taking part in charity events, like the annual Clover Tool Golf Tournament in support of SickKids.Supplied
When Paul Christie joined Lawrie Insurance Group as a sales associate 30 years ago, he was onboarded by Dan Lawrie, the Hamilton, Ont.-based company’s founder. In the intervening years — during which Christie has risen to the position of vice-president of commercial lines sales — he’s tried to emulate the ways Lawrie’s leadership has successfully developed and retained a workforce that includes many long-serving employees.
“When I started, mentorship was a big thing, and it’s still something I firmly believe in,” he says. “I look at the things Dan did then, and I try to do the same with my team now because I know it worked. Like making time for people on a one-to-one basis, which I do with my team every other week.”
Devon Bestard, team lead for the insurance brokerage’s personal lines sales department, has been at Lawrie for 10 years and also appreciates the leaders’ mentorship approach, as well as their availability for employees.
“Each leader finds individuals to mentor, giving them extra responsibilities and including them in meetings,” he says. “Dan would also come into our sales meetings all the time to provide his insights on approaching new prospects or groups. And our chief operating officer makes the rounds two or three times a day. They are always visible and available.”
Employee education and training are also priorities at Lawrie. “When I started to have success, Dan told me, ‘When the learning stops, the looking starts,’ and I’ve never forgotten that,” Christie says. “As long as you’re learning, you’re engaged in developing your career.”
The company’s training programs include formal courses, mentoring and education reimbursement — reflecting its commitment to continuous learning and employee development.
“Everyone’s skill set is different, and the way they learn is different as well, so flexibility is a big thing here,” Christie says. “Our onboarding system is called CARE, which stands for Client Attraction and Retention Excellence, and it encompasses everything our sales staff needs to be successful. We also do a boot camp taught by a third party with two levels of courses.”
Lawrie holds regular town halls to connect its employees, many of whom work on a hybrid basis. “It’s a great opportunity for everyone in the company to engage with each other,” says Christie. “I also do team building with the sales team, where we’ll do an off-site exercise. The last one included two golf simulators and a driving simulator. It’s lunch and an afternoon away from everything.”
Employees can participate in the Day of Caring, when they’re paid to volunteer at a charity of their choice. “It feels good to be giving back to the communities we work in,” says Christie. “And It’s become so popular that it’s now more than a Day of Caring.”
There are also frequent social gatherings, often held in the company’s Sky Lounge lunchroom.
“We have a social committee, and everyone contributes to it,” says Bestard. “There’s a summer picnic, a holiday party and special days throughout the year. There’s always something going on. We recently had our winter town hall meeting, where they recognized the sales and retention leaders, and they’ll also recognize people’s milestone anniversaries.
“The culture here is very supportive, and you get to know everybody really well. This gets said a lot, but it’s really true here: It’s a family. We really care about one another and want to see everybody do well, and we all help each other.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.