Farmers Group Reviews in Los Angeles, CA Area

Pros

No ceiling as far as pay, great reputation, subsidy program, great commission structure when compared with other companies, ability to make great commissions for renewals.

Cons

Poor training, ridiculously high rates, poor advertising when compared to other companies (although they have gotten better), horrible agency management interface with too many glitches, and did I mention ridiculously high rates?

Advice to Senior Management

The only thing I could say to corporate leadership is to please figure out a way to make the products more competitive. Selling insurance is hard enough as it is. Getting killed on rates doesn't help agent grow their business, and I doubt it will allow the company to experience long term growth.

Pros

decent benefits/mid wilshire office /some nice people still working here

Cons

While with this organization's corporate headquarters office in Los Angeles, CA - I actually had 4 different bosses, physically relocated 5 times and encountered significant stress, challenges and observed the most incredibly low levels of morale and employee satisfaction I have ever seen in my 20 years of working for a variety of organizations (Including corporate offices such as: American Honda, Toyota and Kenwood). The level of infighting, back-stabbing, gossip and political smoke and mirrors was horendous and again I have never seen it to the degree I did here. Whether it was the economy, the corporate merger with Zurich or much too much favoritism - bad manners, bad management, bad attitudes and bad days were a norm here. However, it was my understanding that it was not always as such, many a long-time employee raved about the days when Farmers was a family; and I believe some of those favored family members are still around - provided they could endure the game-playing, the changing of the guard and keep a smile on their faces regardless of the thunderstorms they encountered.

Pros

Working with the agents is the best part

Cons

Everything to do with the management of Farmers

Advice to Senior Management

Try knowing what your talking about before giving advise.

Pros

Huge Systems and more opportunity to learn and grow, Its very intersting to know about the systems and the integrations done between them

Cons

There was not as such any downside seen while working at farmers group, but their timelines are very tight if compared.

Pros

Compensation. Based on performance which allows significant compensation for high performers

Cons

Stressful- heavy workload. Sink or swim mentality- poor training program. Come in with experience or likely fail.

Advice to Senior Management

Move away from a "fear and punishment" driven leadership to that of embracing work environment and the people. Then the results will come naturally.

Pros

Great family and community feel with colleagues willing to collaborate and share information. Great work-life balance and support from company to achieve it.

Cons

Insurance is a conservative industry so there is not a lot of dynamism in terms of innovation and the company culture is slow to adapt.

Pros

Owning you own book of business, residual income, make your own schedule.

Cons

There really are no downsides, beside the fact that pay is pretty much 100% commission for the first few months so you need to have some money saved up, because it will take time.

Advice to Senior Management

none

Pros

Good benefits and opportunites to move around within the company. Employees are generally satisfied and enjoy working there

Cons

Very slow to change and when change does come it doesn't always make sense or is applied the same everywhere

Advice to Senior Management

Devise a plan, invest in it, and follow it through. Changing horses in mid-stream doesn't do any good

Pros

peers are great, comp is decent, benefits are good. in some areas, great career advancement, training

Cons

exec mgmt out of touch, they never leave the exec dining room and mix with the employees if they can avoid it.
reward mediocrity, punish creative problem solving
too many changes in management, awful change management
Zurich the parent company spends a ton on expensive consultants but Farmers will bleed a dime to death. technology is years behind.

Advice to Senior Management

Get out of the dining room and TALK to your people.
If you talk about employee engagement, do something about it. be ready to hear about the poor management in your ranks and do something about it.

Pros

Its not a bad job - pretty easy going

Cons

can be very repetative - doesn't feel like there are many opportunities to do a different function even if your job title changes

Advice to Senior Management

Pay more attention to the lower levels - they leave because they feel underappreciated.