The Ontario Broker - April 2018 - 15

in Customer Service why McDougall stood out as a
place she wanted to work. Jaclyn explained, "It's very
difficult coming out of post-secondary because a lot
of organizations want you to have at least 3-5 years
of experience in the industry. McDougall isn't like
that. They don't require you to know the industry,
instead they look for people who fit their exciting
and innovative culture, and look for those who want
to grow and learn with the organization."
When it comes to attracting younger people, and
what attracted her to the brokerage, she says,
"McDougall does a great job of attracting the younger
generation because of their positive presence in the
community. To me, a brokerage that wants their
employees to take time out of their work day to give
back speaks volumes about what the office morale
and culture's like."

A YOUNG PERSON
MAY NOT HAVE THE
SKILL SET WE NEED,
BUT IF THEY HAVE
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
WE'RE MORE THAN
WILLING TO TRAIN
THEM ON THE
INSURANCE PIECE.

Having over 30 branch offices, it must be no easy feat
to involve everyone in staff events. Carol Wiggins,
Personal Lines Manager, weighed in: "This is the hard
part! Our geography is always expanding. We place a
great deal of emphasis on getting out to all the branches
to visit in person on a regular basis. We also bring
people to head office a lot. It's all about consistency."
Carol provided some insight on McDougall events.
"Some are organized by a social committee, but some
just happen organically. We celebrated the Olympics
recently by having every branch dress up as a different
country. Staff are very competitive - each branch
tried to outdo the others with costumes, sporting
equipment, luge courses... you name it." When it
comes to bragging rights between branch offices, "We
share all our pictures and stories with each other. It's a
great way to keep the culture positive."
McDougall can be seen celebrating National Grilled
Cheese Day, playing recreational sports, celebrating
birthdays and major holidays and donating to
various charities. They always incorporate their funloving persona across their social media channels.
When asked about their strategy, Eric Hayes, who
runs Digital Marketing, said, "There's a fun loving
personality here, absolutely, but initially we were
afraid to show it. I said, crikey, we're all about genuine,
why can't we be genuine with our customers?" I
wanted to know if showing this side was always a
priority for McDougall. "As a new guy, in a new
role, I can say, respectfully...no. I'm a millennial
and I see the world differently."
McDougall's merged with many
brokerages over the years. I asked Dave
Mink, from Midland, who recently
merged with McDougall, why he
decided to join the brokerage. "They
share the same core values - looking
after their customers, caring about the
well-being of staff, helping contribute
time and making donations in the
communities where they're located
and having a great reputation and
respect from the insurance company
partners they deal with."
As the insurance industry continues to
change, introducing or building on
positive company cultures will only
grow in importance. By showcasing
community efforts and encouraging
positive attitudes, younger individuals
will be attracted to Ontario's broker
channel. I'm still brand new to the
industry, with lots to learn, but I'm
already excited by all the opportunity that
surrounds the channel and look forward to growing as
a young professional in this industry.

WWW.IBAO.ORG

APRIL 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - April 2018