Great American Insurance Company – “Great Place to Start Your Career”

Pros

* Division President
* Great model for knowledge and designation growth. Reimburses and awards pleasantly for educational achievement.
* Division president makes goals and direction clear
* Work Life Balance
* Paid Time off
* 401k match
* Positive and Friendly Work Environment
* Gives you products and service you can be proud of
* As a Division makes good macro decisions

Cons

* Tenure > Talent
* Yes man environment, objective thinking from bottom hierarchy undervalued and scorned
* Inability to think and foster creativity.
* Non-competitive pay, but great place to start your career when just getting your feet wet is important
* Thick and sometimes unnecessary layer of middle management / Very Hierarchal
* Mixed bag of nuts with management...some are highly qualified and effective leaders while some have just been there long enough to achieve their role. Does not part ways, scrutinize, nor evaluates the performance of manager’s leadership with subordinates. There are a number of elephants in the room collecting paychecks while there are some really exceptional managers.
* Salary Guidelines promote mediocrity and not high achievement

Advice to Senior Management

Management deserves an A-. I couldn't stay because promotion and a competitive salary seemed grim. No matter how well you perform your chances rely on tenure or someone moving on. You need to evaluate with a whole new mindset what it takes to compete when our industry is becoming a commodity market. Product differentiation through intangible qualities will be key. Not this silly coverage enhancement here or there, but things that truly think outside the box. Scrutiny should be an ongoing process from the "bottom layer" and more candid not on a yearly basis. Train and evaluate your managers better. You might be afraid to hurt morale to release long tenured ineffective managers, but in the long run it will be for a better environment. I wish I could have stayed because my time here was pleasurable, but this model doesn't fit those entering that are competitive, talented, salary driven, or creative.