ICW Group Reviews

Pros

Good location most co-workers were nice.

Cons

Management was in way over there heads trying to deploy SAP last year.
As a result the rank and file IT professionals really suffered long hours a lot of stress
hopefully it is better now. Certain younger managers were very lazy arrogant, totally out to lunch and probably still there.

Advice to Senior Management

Good luck hopefully things have gotten better.

Pros

Great benefits, centrally located in San Diego, health centric wellness company.

Cons

Leaking employees continuously since 2009, IT leadership focused on HR initiatives, not IT. The last CIO had leadership skills and a direction for the IT organization and this has been missing since he left in 2010. IT leadership allows business to dictate their own IT strategy and software selections. ICW started down a path of enterprise transformation back in 2007 with process optimization supported by an enterprise software initiative in multiple lines of business. Since this initiative wasnt properly blueprinted, it wasnt executed to the project plan/ timeline/ budget and its left a bad taste in the mouth of the organization and thus the lack of control on software and IT direction has come about. It was great working in IT before fall 2010. Since that point, there has been a mass exodus of solid employees as well as some mgr level leadership. I wish continued success for ICW and I would recommend people to their business lines but I would not recommend anyone to join their IT group.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop plugging people into leadership positions that arent qualified. Once you start down the road of an enterprise transformation, finish it and integrate your environment to optimize business process.

Pros

The emplyees are generally very skilled
Great place to learn from others

Cons

IT management is lacking
Many people treading water waiting for another opportunity
Company is going nowhere

Advice to Senior Management

Try to listen to suggestions from those really doing the work

Pros

My fellow co-workers were pleasant.

Cons

Management does not know what they are doing running this company. They treat the hardest working employees terrible and reward others who don't do a good job.

Pros

- good benefits and time-off policy
- decent salary compared to peers
- reasonable work load

Cons

- unchallenging work environment.
- Upper management does not really understand the insurance business. The company is being run by actuaries who are fixated by numbers, and as such, do not understand that relationship management is part of doing business. Management wants to always "think outside of the box." However, before they can think outside of the box, they must know how to "think inside of the box" first.

Advice to Senior Management

Please hire real insurance professionals who understand the business to help you run the business.

Pros

Most co workers are great to work with. There is definitely opportunities for advancement in your career. ICW always tries to promote from within. Decent place to begin your career in claims.

Cons

Management doesn't listen to employee concerns. Depending on your position in claims and your supervisor, there is a definite problem with micromanaging. The assistants always have a backlog of work, and the responsible party would be the supervisor. When management makes a mistake they are afraid to admit where they went wrong. They just pretend that it didn't happen and keep going in the wrong direction.

Advice to Senior Management

LISTEN to your employees. Stop threatening them when they disagree with you and work with them to solve the problem. Stop spending unnecessary money on SAP and find something that actually is going to work. Pay your employees more or you will lose all your good employees.

Pros

- Decent industry education program
- Friendly coworkers
- Lower management is somewhat more supportive
- A good company to start your insurance career, but you will probably move on

Cons

Management seems unfocused at times, and has tunnel vision at other times. The only constant fosus they seem to have is on the bottom line. They seem to look at employees as more of a liability than an asset. Management has no idea how the daily duties of the employees are executed, and constanly make decissions and changes that disrupt business and workflow. Upper management is out of touch with it's employee base; only showing up for their propaganda filled "Pep Rallies".

Advice to Senior Management

Try to focus a little more and shoot from the hip a little less. Think things through before making snap decission that have adverse results.

Pros

Flexable schedule (depending upon your supervisor), pleasant surroundings, great co-workers. Room for advancement, unfortunately due to the high turnover.

Cons

Severely understaffed for the amount of work in every area. Constant unmanageable backlog. Micromanaged. Lower than average pay. A department manager and VP who are more interested in advancing their careers than making sure their department is adequately staffed.

Advice to Senior Management

All the "Elevating Agents" branding is just sales talk if you don't staff your departments in a manner that allows quality work. You have many, many very unhappy employees in WCC. Laying off 100 (as in 2010) employees at a time certainly doesn't help overall company morale. Value your employees more than SAP and you'll have a better product and less employee turnover.

Pros

Variable jobs skills needed, Very fast paced interesting work. Benefits are marginal, the employees are some of the best and most knowledgeable.

Cons

Management does not include workers in the decision making process. Pay scale is low and and the Benefits are not up to par.

Advice to Senior Management

We believe there's something positive about every workplace, but the branch managers are not very people oriented. The staff are very hardworking.

Pros

Young, Growing Company with established book of business in WC and Earthquake.
Currently Adapting new technologies (SAP) that will greatly improve efficiencies in the futue.

Cons

Top Down communication is lacking.
IT department has seen wild growth and decline because too many initiatives were taken on.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep employees aware of companies financial position and aware of senior managements expectations.
Be more visible and keep communication lines open.