By Lockton’s Human Resources Manager, Fiona Bridge

Lockton is proud to announce that we have been certified as a Great Place to Work in 2023. Lockton is made up of special people who take great care of clients, communities, and each other. This certification is a testament to our culture in action and we’ll continue to empower our people as we continue to grow.

As we continue with our proud history of creating and fostering positive and productive workforce environments, I wanted to take the time to share with you just some of the areas we’re focused on and the initiatives we’re investing in, now and into the future.

In the 2023 Great Place To Work® Survey, 93% of our employees said when they join Lockton, they are made to feel welcome. This is what Lockton is all about, creating a culture where people feel valued and cared for – one that does not only focus on financial results.

2023 Great Place to Work® Trust Index© Survey

When we asked our employees about life at Lockton in 2023, some of the results that stood out for me were:

• 99% of employees said Lockton is a physically safe place to work.

• 98% of employees agreed our customers would rate the service we deliver as ‘excellent’.

• 97% of employees feel people at Lockton are treated fairly, regardless of their ethnicity.

• 97% of employees feel people at Lockton are treated fairly, regardless of their sexual orientation.

• 96% of employees are proud to tell others they work at Lockton.

Overall, 89% of employees said Lockton was a great place to work. We’ll continue to explore ways to meet our employees current and future needs to further unite us together. To help do that, here are some of the areas of continued focus for Lockton:

1. Our business structure is the building block of positively impacting our people

As a globally-powered and locally-driven enterprise, we empower our people locally to make an impact on our colleagues, our clients, and our communities.

Since our foundation in 1966 in the US, Lockton has grown from humble beginnings to become the world’s largest privately owned insurance broker. And as we grow, we’re staying true to our values and our culture of empowerment.

Today we have over 210 staff located across Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Adelaide, Darwin, Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, operating in a company structure where they are empowered to make decisions, take advantage of industry-first technology and own their career path. For example, by working with top-tier mentors and some of the best and brightest minds in the insurance industry.

Our flat corporate structure means anyone can raise ideas and make exciting things happen. Everyone feels valued and understands their role in the process, allowing us to be flexible and support each other while having fun along the way.

Happy people also means happy clients, which is evident in our 98% client retention rate.

2. Initiatives directly impacting our people

We highly value the experiences, skills and perspectives of our people and we acknowledge that everyone is different. We want to support each Lockton individual in ways that work for them.

Some of our initiatives include:

• Personal Development Plans

When speaking of an employee’s highest potential, the first thing that springs to mind is growth, learning, and development. Each employee that starts at Lockton completes a personal development plan within six weeks of starting. This plan is a guide to ensure there is clear and open communication regarding expectations between the manager and employee. It includes performance and development goals that are reviewed throughout the year. This allows our people to own their career paths and clearly communicate how they want to grow. During the year, we encourage ongoing feedback through 1:1 conversations so our people feel heard.

• Study Assistance

We want our people to focus on learning and development so they can achieve their goals without it taking a toll on them. We offer financial assistance for certain courses and programs that allow our people to grow and develop. We also support our people by giving them time off when required for exams and studying.

• Mentorship Program

For the last two years, we have run a mentorship program across Australia and New Zealand. This program gives our people across the business the opportunity to connect with senior leaders from different offices, areas of expertise, or experience. As you grow in a career, it’s important to connect with people that can give you a different perspective than your direct supervisor. We’ve seen how this can spark creativity, motivation, and passion.

• Culture

We focus on striking the balance between creating and fostering a positive and enjoyable in-office culture that encourages our people to work in the office and engage with colleagues whilst also supporting our people to work from home in a way that best supports their work/life balance. We’ve also experienced huge growth in recent years, which demonstrates the investment we have made in our people and the type of people we are attracting. We are not only hiring to extend business functions: we are increasing additional support to the business to help mitigate burnout, create manageable workloads for all staff, and to ensure we continue to deliver quality service to our clients.

• Connection

We constantly find ways to connect our people to our global business to ensure they have a voice. International guests, for example from the US and UK, regularly visit our Pacific offices so that our global leaders have a true understanding of the Australian business, market, and our people. We also have a seat at the table at an international level to ensure we continue to advocate for our region. This ensures our people’s needs are communicated at the highest level.

• Associate Resource Groups

To further enhance our support for our associates, we have formalised our Associate Resource Groups which include Wellness, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). These communities of employee volunteers are advocates and culture champions that work towards making Lockton the best possible place for our people, customers, and society.

• Wellbeing Days

A Summer and Winter Day of additional paid leave per year is intended for our people to focus on their well-being. This extra day does not come out of an employee’s annual leave balance and is designed for them to recharge and rejuvenate. Lockton strongly acknowledges that the wellness of employees is essential for mental health and for the workplace.

3. Our genuine care for the community

Since 2012, Lockton has contributed to numerous charitable and volunteer initiatives. These organisations include supporting the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research by participating in the annual MACA Cancer 200 Ride for Research fundraiser since 2014.

Each year, the team rides 200km through Western Australia to raise money for cancer research. In 2022, the team raised a record-breaking $76,900, which will fund countless hours of cancer research. In the past, Lockton has matched funds donated by Associates in dollar-for-dollar campaigns. Over the years, we’ve raised more than $350,000 through the event.

Other charities include the Fun Run supporting women with breast cancer. We also participated in the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker challenge, collectively raising over $15,000 for Oxfam.

We highly encourage all employees to participate in any charitable initiative and we hope our employees' stories inspire others to do so internally in the workplace and outside in the community. For example, we have a Volunteer Day policy that entitles employees to a paid leave day to volunteer at a charitable cause during their regular work hours. This aims to encourage our employees to give back to the community.

Thank you to our people

As Lockton continues to grow, our shared values allow us to take care of our clients, ourselves, and the communities we are a part of and create a culture of caring that binds us together.

We will continue to explore new ways of working and introduce initiatives to further improve our workplace and go beyond our employees’ needs.

If you want to be part of a great workplace with a collaborative culture where your voice is heard and be empowered to make decisions, please get in touch with us or visit our career page for more information.

For more information about the Great Place to Work Certification, click here (opens a new window) to visit their website.