Assurant Careers Blog https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/ This is an RSS 2.0 compliant blog feed Copyright RSS en-GB Assurant Named One of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies® The recognition of a World’s Most Ethical Companies showcases an organization’s outstanding achievements and commitments to doing business with ethics and integrity. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-named-one-of-the-2024-world-s-most-ethical-companies/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:49:57 GMT Microsoftteams Image (45)

We're excited to announce that Assurant has been recognized as one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standard of ethical business practices. In 2024, 136 companies were recognized, spanning 20 countries and 44 industries.  

The recognition of a World’s Most Ethical Companies showcases an organization’s outstanding achievements and commitments to doing business with ethics and integrity. This recognition shines a light on Assurant’s clear and concise policies, training, compliance & governance, and our dedication in providing our clients, stakeholders and employees with the most ethical and best-in-class practices and procedures. 

 

Keith Demmings, our President and CEO, shared his thoughts on this recognition:  

“Throughout our business, our clients are some of the most valuable brands in the world; operating ethically is foundational to protecting their brands as well as ours. Being named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere is a testament to the thousands of Assurant employees who work according to our values every day.” 

 

Being recognized as one of 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies aligns with our culture of living The Assurant Way, serving our customers with passion, purpose and integrity, committed to do the right thing, always. “Operating ethically at scale requires clear policies, compelling training, and robust procedures,” said Chief Legal Officer Jay Rosenblum. “I’m proud of the work our Legal and Compliance teams have done to put these measures in place, as well as the decisions our employees across the company make every day to do the right thing on behalf of Assurant and our clients.” 

]]>
We're Proud to Be Named a U.S. Great Place to Work® for a Third Year! We're excited to share that we have been certified as a Great Place to Work® in the U.S. again! https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/we-re-proud-to-be-named-a-u-s-great-place-to-work-for-a-third-year/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:21:00 GMT Blog 900X675 Variation 01 900X675 (1)

We’re thrilled to announce that for the third consecutive year, Assurant has earned Great Place to Work® Certification in the U.S. This recognition, a gold standard in employer rankings, is based entirely on independent employee feedback so that it represents our employees actual experience working at Assurant. 

This year, 85% of those participating in the survey affirmed that Assurant is a great place to work, which is 28 points higher than the average U.S. company. 

 

Subhashish Sengupta, Assurant's Chief People Officer, shared his thoughts on this recognition: 

“Being Great Place to Work-Certified™ reflects our long-standing and continued commitment to creating a culture people want to be a part of – including fostering diverse perspectives, providing competitive total rewards and wellbeing programs, offering learning and growth opportunities, flexible work arrangements whenever possible, and rewarding innovation and collaboration.” 

 

Our culture, grounded inThe Assurant Way, is a key differentiating factor and our employees - each one of you - are helping drive our success.   

The 2024 Great Place to Work accreditation reflects this commitment and journey to create an outstanding, high-performing workplace with a strong, positive culture and employee experience. 

 

A Great Place to Work Around the Globe 

In addition, Great Place to Work accreditation demonstrates that Assurant is an employer of choice around the globe. Assurant has received Great Place to Work accreditations in 14 countries to date, as well as employer recognition from Kincentric’s Mejores Patronos in Puerto Rico, a testament to what we say frequently at Assurant: that we believe our culture – living The Assurant Way – is key to our success. 

 

Click here for more information about what makes Assurant a Great Place to Work®.

Click here for a list of our global awards.

 

 

 

]]>
Assurant Named One of America's Most JUST Companies We're proud to share that Assurant was named one of America’s Most JUST Companies, in recognition of our commitment to serving our workers, customers, communities, the environment, and shareholders. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-named-one-of-america-s-most-just-companies/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:09:46 GMT Blog 900X675 Variation 01 (1) (1)

We're proud to share that Assurant was named one of America’s Most JUST Companies, in recognition of our commitment to serving our workers, customers, communities, the environment, and shareholders.

JUST Capital, along with CNBC, recently released its annual JUST 100 list as part of its 2024 Rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies. The Rankings measure how the nation’s largest corporations are performing on the business issues that matter most to Americans. The issues – which include paying a fair, living wage; supporting workforce retention, advancement, and training; offering valuable products and services while protecting customer privacy; use of sustainable materials, and more – are defined annually by an extensive nationwide polling process conducted on a fully representative basis. The top 100 companies – the JUST 100 – are determined by scoring performance across the full range of criteria and comparing companies head-to-head.

“Being recognized by JUST Capital as one of America’s Most JUST Companies demonstrates our commitment to serve our customers with passion and purpose, strengthen the communities where we live and work, and invest in reducing our impact on the environment while helping our client partners to do the same,” said Assurant President and CEO Keith Demmings. “Our success is grounded in our values and commitments to building a more sustainable business for all stakeholders.”

Compared to their Russell 1000 peers, companies in the JUST 100 on average: 

  • Pay 11.8 percentage points more of their workers a family sustaining living wage (78.3%). 

  • Provide 7.2 more hours of career development training per employee. 

  • Offer 2 more weeks of paid parental leave for both primary caregivers and secondary caregivers.  

  • Intake 99% less water per revenue dollar. 

  • Emit 42% less metric tons of CO2 per revenue dollar. 

  • Use 29.6 percentage points more renewable energy as a proportion of their total energy use. 

  • Have a 4% higher profit margin, 2.9% higher return on equity, and 1.2% higher dividend yield. 

“American capitalism has to work for more Americans. For this to happen, the private sector, and especially big corporations, must take the lead in creating value for all their stakeholders,” said JUST Capital CEO Martin Whittaker. “That’s exactly what the JUST 100 are doing. They show that just business is better business.”

More information about Assurant’s commitment to building a more sustainable business for all stakeholders can be found in our 2023 Sustainability Report.

 

 

 

]]>
2023: A Year of Giving, Growing, and Gratitude As we look back at 2023, we want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey we have shared with our clients, customers, partners, and employees. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/2023-a-year-of-giving-growing-and-gratitude/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:32:25 GMT AIZ 18119 0124 2023 Wrap Up Social Images 900X675

As we look back at 2023, we want to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable journey we have shared with our clients, customers, partners, and employees. We are proud of what we have accomplished together and are looking forward to what’s ahead in 2024 as we continue to drive innovation across the connected world.

Assurant’s Impact on Society

Strengthening the communities in which we live and work is foundational for Assurant. In 2023, we continued to demonstrate our values of common sense, common decency, uncommon thinking, and uncommon results in a multitude of ways.

Here are a few highlights:.

  • Through the Assurant Foundation, employees are encouraged to share their support to nonprofits in their communities. In 2023, Assurant employees logged almost 90,000 volunteer hours in support of charities worldwide through the Assurant Cares portal; a nearly 38% increase from 2022’s reported volunteer hours
  • We launched the #GivingtheAssurantWay campaign, aimed at meeting the needs of our global workforce. As part of this campaign, employees engaged in a 5K and supported nonprofits of their choice, including our longstanding partnership with United Way. Over 1,300 Assurant employees across 15 countries supported 424 charities, which helped raise over $175,500.
  • We supported our strategic partner Move for Hunger, an organization that aims to fight hunger and reduce food waste, through our Turning Miles into Meals annual challenge. This challenge brought together 2,500 employees who invested in their well-being by moving for good in multiple ways, logging over 190,000 miles to raise $150,000 for Move for Hunger.
  • Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) worked to provide opportunities for employees to serve and learn in support of our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) marketplace goals. Together with The Assurant Foundation and the Women@Assurant ERG, they supported the York chapter of Habitat for Humanity’s Women’s Build, collectively donating 106 volunteer hours.
  • The Women@Assurant ERG also hosted a hygiene kit packing event to benefit students in need in the greater Atlanta area. Over 60 Assurant leaders and employees packed 2,000 kits that were distributed to students from low-income communities. Each kit included body wash, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, pair of socks, washcloth, and feminine hygiene products among other items.
  • The Assurant Foundation and Assurant IT donated a total of 161 laptops to support education and equity for students from diverse backgrounds. The laptops were distributed to Miami Dade County Public Schools Migrant Seniors, the Jeanette Rankin Foundation Women Scholars, and Miami Southridge Senior High School.
  • The Assurant Foundation, in honor of Veterans Day, presented a specially modified 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 truck to retired U.S. Army Sergeant Kevin Gatson as part of the Wounded Warrior Family Support (WWFS) Mobility is Freedom program. Assurant has partnered with WWFS since 2018, and this is the third mobility-modified vehicle presented to a veteran since the collaboration began.
  • Including employee donations, the Assurant Foundation match, and a corporate gift, over $29,000 has been raised for the Atlanta Women’s Foundation.

Remaining Committed to being a Responsible Employer

Assurant’s culture is a key differentiating factor for us – it is grounded in our values and our commitments to serve our clients with passion and purpose, build and empower diverse, winning teams and bring determination to get things done.

We support our teams with opportunities to learn and grow, both professionally and personally across the 21 countries in which we operate. Our people are critical to our long-term success and serve as one of the most important ways we connect our strategy to our sustainability commitments and aspirations.

In 2023, we empowered employee development in numerous ways. This year, we had:

  • Over 500 employees who participated in ERG-led DEI professional development courses
  • 30 mentees and 11 mentors who participated in our DEI Mentoring Program in partnership with our ERGs
  • 47 employees who participated in external leadership development programs, in partnership with our DEI strategic partners
  • Over 2,000 employees who joined our five ERGs:

Gratitude for a Great Year

The snapshot above captures a view into Assurant’s year of great momentum and everyone’s collective role – from partners, customers, to our employees -  in it. We are grateful for a wonderful and successful year. 2024 will certainly be a year of growth and opportunity ahead!

 

 

]]>
Congrats to the 2023 Q4 Assurant Way CEO Award Winners! This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/recognizing-our-q4-assurant-way-ceo-award-winners/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:57:33 GMT AW CEO Award

Our culture is the secret to our success, and we call it The Assurant Way. The four dimensions of The Assurant Way describe the things that make our company culture unique: Our purpose. Our values. Our commitments. And our vision.

To further recognize the contributions made by our employees, we recently introduced The Assurant Way CEO Award. This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. When employees embody our values to deliver on our commitments and care for our customers and communities, it helps to carry out our purpose and drive our vision.

The winners are chosen quarterly and are nominated by their fellow coworkers. Employees selected will:

  • Receive a $1,500 bonus 
  • Be able to make a donation grant of $1,500 from the Assurant Foundation for a charity/charities of their choice.

We are excited to share the Q4 2023 winners of The Assurant Way CEO Award!

 

Christine Conboy  

Christine has been with Assurant for five years and currently works as an Associate Learning Specialist. In this role, she supports both client and operational training needs in Canada. This includes design, development, and implementation of both digital and in-person content.  

Christine received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment of bringing grit and determination to get things done. As an active member of our Women@Assurant ERG, Christine’s dedication, leadership and genuine commitment to the ERG mission and goals has made a signification impact. Her collaboration with other members drives positive change, helping the group achieve its objectives. She has led the volunteer team in organizing events, manages the SharePoint site, and recruits members, all while advocating for change and raising awareness of diversity and inclusion issues, an important pillar in our organization.  

In the absence of another team member, Christine has taken on the responsibility of leading the Marketing and Communication volunteer team. Bringing her unique skills, experiences, and insight to the group, she contributes to its continued success and growth. Additionally, she has served as a mentor, helping to empower ERG members and volunteers, all without losing focus of her role as a respected Associate Learning Specialist. Her willingness makes her shine, and it is contagious!  

Christine says, “The Women@Assurant ERG has allowed me to feel empowered in a way that I’ve never felt before. Bringing grit and determination to get things done and lead by example has always been how I approach any project or task asked of me at Assurant. Dedicating my time to help others succeed is my passion. Impacting collaboration, consistency and positive change are a few of the reasons I enjoy being engaged at Assurant in the way I am. Whether the team is part of our day-to-day operations, an ERG, or an ECT, I’m always all in.” 

Outside of Assurant, Christine loves being creative, volunteering and spending time with family.  

  

MeetGrace Jackson 


Grace has been with Assurant for 10 years and currently works as an Associate Technical Product Owner in our IT Department. She received the CEO Award for demonstrating The Assurant Way commitments of engaging the right people at the right time and spending time on what adds the most value. 

Grace was recently asked to implement modern products as part of the Assurant Vehicle Care Program in the old system in a very short timeframe. This effort was particularly challenging, as it required balancing what the legacy system can handle with the flexibility and standardization the new program was expected to offer. Grace worked tirelessly with our internal business teams, developers, and IT vendors to negotiate achievable and innovative solutions to accommodate the new, more flexible AVC products. She also addressed emerging issues by rallying relevant stakeholders and quickly resolving issues. Grace’s efforts have resulted in the new products being made available on all our platforms and legacy systems within our AVC Program. Grace consistently shows grit and determination to get her job done, has the ability to influence others to implement practical solutions and is able to negotiate effectively. 

She says, “Engaging the right people at the right time helps provide a broader perspective to the project. I always believe that understanding the bigger picture helps provide better solutions or improve efficiency. The only way to get the bigger picture is to engage in open communication. Ask lots of questions, find the right people, and create a path forward. I am very lucky to have fellow Assurant personnel, as well as our external vendors that were willing to engage and take time out of their day to provide the necessary information to accomplish our goal: Support Assurant’s Global Automotive growth.” 

Outside of Assurant, Grace enjoys spending time with family. Grace has two very active boys who play football on travel teams. Her family also enjoys traveling to different countries and learning about different cultures. 

 

Luis Gomez

Luis has been with Assurant for 11 years and currently works as a CRM for our global footprint in Mexico. In this role, Luis works to support Global Automotive for the General Motors account nationwide.  

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award by embodying the Assurant values and commitment of serving our clients and customers with passion and purpose. As part of General Motors Financial regionalization in LATAM, a contract was signed with the brand financial company to supply the CPO program in Chile. Luis stepped in and used his experience and skills to position Assurant as a global partner with General Motors Financial, replicating best practices from Mexico to launch new GM Financial programs in Chile. As a result of the coaching and training that Luis provided to the local team and GM distributors, our opportunity to be successful in Chile has increased and we strengthened our relationship GM Financial. 

Luis says, “It was a little bit frightening going to another country with a different culture; I didn’t know what to expect and had to adapt to all differences and quickly change the training that I had prepared. At the end it was a success, the brand and the dealer were so satisfied with the result.” He contributes his personal success to always repeating this phrase to himself to serve as a reminder that we are here first to serve, not to sell: “The sale is the inevitable consequence of extraordinary customer service.” 
 

Moises Ocasio Morales 

Moises has been with Assurant for 27 years and currently works as a Systems Administrator within our IT department. In his role, Moises covers all aspects from designing and proposing to implementing ideas. He says, “we are a small shop, so we all wear multiple hats.”  

Moises received The Assurant Way CEO Award by embodying our values and the commitment of spending time on what adds the most value. Moises recently identified a tedious manual process for one of our most important clients. Due to Moises’s dedication and commitment, he significantly improved efficiency through process automation, saving hundreds of hours of work and allowing employees to use their time more effectively. He also played a key role contributing to robot automation, Employee Service Desk Portal optimization, and ongoing automation projects, demonstrating his commitment to streamlining operations. Additionally, his role in our disaster recovery process helps prepare for and respond to unexpected events, something common in Puerto Rico, avoiding disruption in our operation.  

Moises says, “My commitment is always to see ways to help others. It can be simple support or immersing myself in complicated projects. I must give my internal clients the tools to thrive at what they do; this will transform into better solutions that reflect on the customer service to our clients, internal or external. Being curious, trying new things, and getting it done will inspire others to keep working hard and reach their goals.”  

Outside of Assurant, Moises loves to spend time at the beach and is passionate about kayaking.  

 

Patrick Ross

Patrick started at Assurant 15 years ago and currently works as an AVP, Global Data Analytics. As a member of the business integration team, Patrick is responsible for working with all stakeholders from our U.S. Connected Living line of business to coordinate projects and tasks between the business and their numerous execution teams. 

Patrick received the CEO Award for demonstrating The Assurant Way with his commitment to be curious and inspire new ideas and solutions. He served in a key technical product owner role as the development team evolved the pilot work of “Carbon Calculator” into a product foundation for Carbon IQ. Patrick didn’t hesitate to jump in for whatever was needed wearing multiple hats to support in everything from data source methodology development, reporting demo builds, conducting partner and prospect meetings and even PowerPoint slide work. His passion for the work, curiosity into how to solve problems to create something new, as well as grit and determination to meet deadlines was instrumental in us being able to launch our first version of Carbon IQ. As an example during the scenario creation, Patrick reviewed our own internal Supply Chain flows against the input from Carbon Trust to revise documented process methodology to help drive a universal average. Then he researched the applications through countless articles and industry references.  

Patrick says, “I am grateful that Assurant offers an environment in which you can develop your ideas, which are then recognized and encouraged, especially by the senior leadership team. This corporate culture, the "Assurant Way," is the foundation for finding motivation every day and constantly striving to deliver added value. It is a great honor for me to accept this CEO award on behalf of the entire team. Developing Carbon-IQ was an exciting task and I’m super excited to support the launch and delivery of Carbon IQ to its first clients.”   

Outside of Assurant, Patrick enjoys spending time with his family (wife, two children and two cats) in nature and riding his road and gravel bikes. Additionally, last year, Patrick joined the biggest charity cycling team in Europe: "Team Rynkeby.” With over 2500 members, he cycled across Europe to raise awareness and collect funds to improve the chances of recovery for children with serious illnesses. And even here: “Assurant supports my passion being a gold sponsor on our jerseys and according to the “Assurant Way” helps to give back to our community.”

 

Sarah Short

Sarah has been with Assurant for 16 years and currently works as a Digital Experience Product Manager supporting the Loss Draft Business. In this role, Sarah owns digital products that allow customers to self-service their property claim process to obtain their insurance claim funds to repair their property. 

Sarah received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating our commitment of bringing grit and determination to get things done. Sarah recently stepped up (without being asked) to manage and execute a fast track 90-day implementation of our Loss Draft emails to Salesforce Marketing Cloud. From the start, Sarah was instrumental in helping to document the as-is process in today’s environment.

Without hesitation, Sarah rolled up her sleeves, offering to work weekends to ensure we had no impact on our deadlines. She walks the line of leading, pushing through the plan, stepping in when needed and getting results all while knowing immediately when a roadblock can hinder a date. As a result of Sarah’s efforts, we will be rolling out 13 new Loss Draft emails with Salesforce Marketing Cloud with three of our top lending clients. This effort will allow us to quickly push to all clients a few weeks after the initial release. Utilizing this new platform provides us the flexibility to quickly design, test and pushing customers to our digital platforms. It is vital to our future in the Digital Product space. 

Sarah says, “I feel so honored to be receiving this award knowing so many at Assurant go above and beyond every day. This wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of Sky Stone and her continuous drive for our team to deliver valuable changes for the organization and to my team for always doing what it takes to get the job done.” 

Outside of Assurant, Sarah enjoys spending as much time as she can with family and friends.  

 

Serpil Gazko-Serfaty

Serpil has been with Assurant for almost two years and currently works as a Professional Development Director in Talent Enablement within the People Organization. In her role, she creates value for our employees globally across the enterprise from a skilling and career growth perspective, striving to unlock potential by providing an inclusive and dynamic space for employees and managers to: explore new talents, find fulfilling career opportunities, showcase skills, and connect with others while enabling business outcomes. 

Serpil received the CEO Award for demonstrating The Assurant Way for embodying the values and commitment of engaging the right people at the right time. Serpil recently led an RFP to select a learning content vendor to support the development needs for employees at Assurant. The learning vendor would need to support our global employees and allow for their ability to access online learning content in multiple languages with a library that supported multiple business-related topics. The desired vendor came in extremely over budget and the choices that remained would have meant sacrificing access and quality for our employees and added administration work for our learning and development teams.   

Serpil wasn’t ready to give up on finding a way forward with the chosen vendor. She brought grit, determination, and common sense – along with many extra hours of work in addition to normal workloads – to find a path forward. She engaged with our IT partners to collaborate understanding their overlapping IT learning vendor RFP timeline and hoping that the chosen vendor for learning and development could also be one to support IT’s learning needs. Together, they forged a new solution to meet the specialized learning needs across the enterprise. Serpil's common sense thinking and passion for finding a solution was only possible by engaging the right people at the right time and by spending time with our sourcing and procurement partners on what added the most value. The result is an upgraded learning solution that all employees can access with significant enterprise cost savings. 

Serpil says, “I’m humbled to receive this honor and it wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing team members I am fortunate to work with and learn from each day! I’m a big believer in not accepting things at face value and not being afraid to challenge the status quo. Being a “disrupter” is not necessarily a bad thing if done right. It's truly the only way a person/team/organization can innovate and effectively advance and grow. My motto is: never accept the status quo. And my favorite quote is from Steve Jobs: “We’re here to make a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?”   

Outside of Assurant, Serpil is a wife and mother to three boys. In her (often non-existent) spare time, she loves to read, write, and travel – especially if there’s sun/warm weather, water, and a beach involved! 

 

Steven Colley

Steven has been with Assurant for almost nine years and currently works as an Operations Engagement Team Member. In this role, Steven is responsible for supporting the UK Operational teams with things like employee engagement, as well as supporting with reward and recognition, creating briefs or internal communications with important updates, working closely with the Your Voice team to improve the employee experience and shooting/creating videos to help share things like the business strategy, promotion of internal vacancies, business achievements and more. It’s a unique role, and every week is different as it continues to evolve.  

Steven received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating The Assurant Way for his commitment of building and empowering diverse, winning teams and spending time on what adds the most value. By understanding his audience, Steven has been able to drive many improvements across the operation as well as go above and beyond organizing outside work social events. He regularly meets with his stakeholders and key business leaders to work on messages and using various ways of communicating such as videos, SMS updates and on-site verbal updates. He also leads a team of agents who were selected to the 'the voice' of the people to get regular feedback and agreed ways to focus on the future. 

Steven says, “I try to approach all aspects of my role with the commitments and values in mind and I always relate my work back to these as well, to help our audience understand the bigger impacts of the changes and improvements we make. I’m so grateful to have been nominated for this award, let alone win! Our results wouldn’t be possible without everyone in the team’s support, but receiving this award has really helped me to recognize and celebrate how I personally have contributed towards this.”  

Outside of Assurant, Steven loves being outdoors and visiting new places. He is currently converting a van into a campervan, so he can do even more travelling in future. Additionally, before taking on his current role, Steven made lots of travel videos via his cameras and drone to post on Youtube, Tiktok or Instagram; he never expected that this experience would translate into a career at Assurant! Steven also loves cooking and is a big film geek.

 

Tonya Lowmon

Tonya has been with Assurant for eight years and currently works as a Senior Business Unit Systems Analyst in our Operations Department. In this role, Tonya specializes in Process Management for Global Connected Living Home Solutions - Life Operations.  

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating The Assurant Way by spending time on what adds the most value and demonstrating extraordinary commitment to community engagement. Tonya identified a significant need to streamline the intake process for operational enhancements which surface from multiple departments. Before the intake process existed, it was unclear who to go to for support and in some cases, teams were working on initiatives in silo’s and inadvertently creating challenges for others. Her single intake funnel combined with monthly meetings allowed groups to improve communication and efficiency, positively impacting all departments involved. 

Tonya also serves as the Assurant GA ECT Co-chair for Make-A-Wish, Chair for YELLS (Youth Empowerment through Learning, Leading, and Serving), and Chair for PADV (partnership Against Domestic Violence). Tonya is actively involved in Assurant events, such as volunteering at the MCOM breakfast and 2023 United Way Fundraising Campaign. Her role in raising funds for United Way and facilitating an additional $13,000 in grants for YELLS and PADV through GA ECT highlights her passion for securing vital resources for Assurant’s community partnerships.  

Tonya says, “I'm truly honored to receive The Assurant Way CEO Award. The specific commitments mentioned in this nomination hold special significance for me, recognizing both my internal contributions and my passion for volunteerism. I’d like to express my gratitude to the incredible teams and mentors at Assurant who have played a pivotal role in shaping my journey. This achievement is a testament to the supportive and unique culture that sets our organization apart, and I feel extremely fortunate to be part of the Assurant family.” 

Outside of Assurant, Tonya loves to spend time with family and friends, traveling the world and giving back through volunteering. Tonya’s passions fuel her sense of purpose, contributing to a balanced and meaningful life beyond the workplace. Fun fact: After her upcoming trip to Antarctica, Tonya will have visited all 7 continents.  

 

Congratulations to all! We are so proud of our Q4 winners and are honored to call them part of the Assurant team. Make sure to check back each quarter as we continue recognizing some of our employees' hard work! 

 

 

]]>
Assurant Recognized as One of the World’s Top Companies for Women for the Third Year Receiving this award is a true testament to attracting, retaining and, most importantly, fostering a diverse workplace that promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-recognized-as-one-of-the-world-s-top-companies-for-women/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 19 Dec 2023 12:38:11 GMT Untitled Design (49)

Three Years in a Row! 

We’re so proud to announce that Forbes has once again included Assurant on its 2023 list of the World’s Top Companies for Women in 2023.

Receiving this award is a true testament to attracting, retaining and, most importantly, fostering a diverse workplace that promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment. We are proud to offer benefits that include flexible work arrangements and the proper training and development programs to help women succeed and thrive in the workplace.  

To-date, our global workforce is made up of 60% women, 43% of which reside in managerial roles. Additionally, our Women@Assurant ERG boasts approximately 1,200 members and is a vital resource in supporting women with their professional growth and development.  

The Forbes list of World’s Top Companies for Women in 2023 is based upon several factors surveyed across approximately 70,000 women in 37 countries across the globe, including:  

  • Employer Brand Score: Women were asked to rate how their employer performs across a series of gender-related topics. In addition, they were asked to rate their overall willingness to recommend their employer and assess them across other, more general, workplace satisfaction questions. Women were also prompted to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stand out either positively or negatively. 

  • Public Opinion Score: A women-only public opinion survey measured how women perceive companies in terms of gender equality.  

  • Leadership Score: Objective criteria (e.g., the presence of a female CEO and the share of board/executive committee positions filled by women) were gathered via extensive desk research.  

As we begin to close the books on another year, we’re proud to add this recognition to those we’ve earned based on our culture, leadership, and corporate citizenship, including, TIME’s Best Companies in the World, America’s Greenest Companies and Bloomberg Gender Equality Index.  

Thank you to all our employees who help make all these recognitions possible and for living The Assurant Way, every day!

]]>
Embracing Change: My Journey Around the World of Assurant Assurant is a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries. My name is Claudia Rey, and I’ve been fortunate to work with several of these countries during my fifteen years at the company. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/embracing-change-my-journey-around-the-world-of-assurant/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 20 Nov 2023 06:49:57 GMT Thought Leadership Social Blog AIZ 17362 0923 Variation 01 900 X 675 Blog (1)

Assurant is a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries. My name is Claudia Rey, and I’ve been fortunate to work with several of these countries during my fifteen years at the company.

International work includes a number of unique challenges, like language barriers, cultural differences, and getting used to different working styles and processes. But the opportunity to dive into these challenges has made my career at Assurant distinctly rewarding.

I was born in Colombia, and while I love my country, I always wanted to explore other opportunities. Three years into my marriage, I got that opportunity when husband agreed to take a job offer in the United States. This decision brought immense change to my professional life. Although I held the position of Senior IT Developer in my home country, it took me four years to resume work in the U.S. Once I overcame the required hurdles, I went back to work as a Software Quality Assurance Analyst at a company in Miami, Florida.

One day, a former colleague phoned me and said, “Claudia, come for an interview with my boss at Assurant and bring your CV.” The following day, I walked through the doors of Assurant’s Miami campus, and I haven’t looked back. From day one, I adored the Miami campus, my coworkers, the atmosphere, and the novelty of the area. Here, I was able to use my deep IT experience to propose new methodologies and processes to help Assurant’s international credit source system reach its potential.

After a few months working in Miami, the Business Analyst who had been supporting Assurant in Mexico decided to move to another department. Due to my experience as an Analyst and my fluency in Spanish, I was asked to help out for a few days until they could find a replacement. Even though I had no actual experience as a Business Analyst, I accepted without hesitation. I was able to be successful because of my commitment to jump in where needed and the faith that my leaders had in me.

I found that I enjoyed the interaction with users and the technical aspects of the role, so I accepted this position on a permanent basis. I remember a meeting with my boss in which she mentioned that none of the Business Analysts wanted to work on an accounting module. She said, "Nobody likes numbers!” I laughed and said "I love numbers! I can help!" I took on all the accounting and data projects in that department for the next few years.

Assurant has a history of promoting from within and providing opportunities for those that seek them out, and I have experienced this firsthand In the years that followed, I was promoted to Business Analyst Lead and then to a manager role. I learned a lot about the business during that time and met a lot of people from many of the countries where Assurant operates.

And I soon learned that one of the constants at Assurant is change. As a thriving company, we are always seeking to improve and grow. After about a year in my manager role, the company made a decision to streamline our accounting systems in order to provide our customers with an improved experience. The company offered me the opportunity to join an international team in supporting financial applications. This time I had to think about it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave my group and start again in another area. I even considered leaving Assurant and looking for other options.

But in the end, I decided to stay at Assurant. I realized this company believed in me and saw potential in me that I didn’t always see in myself. That’s a rare thing. I was given the opportunity to support Chile, and from there I started to learn more about that country, its systems, financial constructs, and processes. It wasn't always easy, but I ended up being part of a great team, continuing to grow my understanding of Latin American cultures and the nuances of accounting systems across markets.

After six years, our Business Analyst in the UK left the company, and this fact caught my attention. I still wanted to grow in Assurant, and I asked my boss what he would think if I took that position and moved to London. His answer was, "This is music to my ears!” This time, the change was huge! Another country. A different region. More new experiences. By this time, my children were grown. They loved the idea for me, but they didn't want to move. However, my husband's company also gave him the opportunity to work on a project in Europe, so from the career side, we saw it as a good chance, even though it was a large adjustment for our family. A few months later, I started a new period of my life at Assurant’s UK office.

We moved to the UK in 2019 with the intention of staying for two years. Then the pandemic hit! It's now been four years since I arrived in London. I’ve gotten used to new accents, new foods, and new customs in London and now feel at home here. I’ve met new colleagues from across Europe and am expanding my understanding of our operations. As one of the technical leads, I helped to achieve a significant milestone by integrating the financial reporting activities of a new acquisition into the international finance system, helping to further the company’s goal to continuously improve the services we provide to our industry-leading clients across the globe.  

So what’s the next step in my Assurant journey? I’m now making plans to go full circle and return to the U.S. I’m looking forward to reuniting with my children and the Miami colleagues.!

I’m grateful to Assurant for presenting me with so many opportunities and challenges, all of which I have successfully tackled both professionally and personally. Upon reflection of each career milestones, I hope these insights can inspire others to seize opportunities to grow, even if it seems intimidating. One of Assurant’s values is to “embrace change.” And this is something that the company and employees live and breathe every day.

If you are looking for career growth and are up for the challenges an international Fortune 500 company presents, there’s no better company to work for than Assurant. On top of the growth and development I’ve already experienced here, I’m also currently enrolled in Assurant’s mentorship program, Pathbuilders, where I’m learning about new ways to further manage my own career path in support of the company. So who knows where I might go next?

 

Ready to join Assurant? View our open roles here.

 

 

]]>
Congrats to the 2023 Q3 Assurant Way CEO Award Winners! This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/recognizing-our-q3-assurant-way-ceo-award-winners/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:19:47 GMT AW CEO Award

Our culture is the secret to our success, and we call it The Assurant Way. The four dimensions of The Assurant Way describe the things that make our company culture unique: Our purpose. Our values. Our commitments. And our vision.

To further recognize the contributions made by our employees, we recently introduced The Assurant Way CEO Award. This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. When employees embody our values to deliver on our commitments and care for our customers and communities, it helps to carry out our purpose and drive our vision.

The winners are chosen quarterly and are nominated by their fellow coworkers. Employees selected will:

  • Receive a $1,500 bonus 
  • Be able to make a donation grant of $1,500 from the Assurant Foundation for a charity/charities of their choice.

We are excited to share the Q3 2023 winners of The Assurant Way CEO Award!

 

Mara Hädeler

Mara has been with Assurant for almost three years and currently works as a Trade-In Program Specialist, in our Supply Chain, Connected Living
service, focusing on our European side of the business

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating her commitment to spending time on what adds the most value. When the number of cell phone trade-in programs increased in Europe from one to five, each new program required extra support from external resources, raising offer pricing creation costs to $320k annually. 

Mara knew this was not a long-term, financially sustainable approach, so she stepped up, working tirelessly to develop a pricing process that aligned all EU programs instead of treating each program individually. She also made sure to avoid neglecting specific program nuances such as commissions, shrink variances, and tax treatments. As a result of the revised process, there is now an expected savings of $180,000 annually in external resources who provide support. Since Mara’s revised process went live, she continues to manage the process efficiently and effectively, ensuring all programs achieve their plan margins. 

Mara contributes the success of this project to the close collaboration with local teams to streamline processes and enhance our commercial strategies, including portfolio management and pricing. She says, “I believe in the power of uncommon thinking guided by common sense to work towards achieving meaningful results and turning innovative ideas into practical and sustainable solutions. It’s also really important to be surrounded by the right people to help you succeed. I wouldn’t have been able to drive these positive changes without the help from my manager, who has an incredible way of supporting those around him, so they can realize their full potential.” 

Outside of Assurant, Mara enjoys being out in nature and going on hikes in local national parks. She also became a first-time homeowner last year, enthusiastically undertaking several DIY home renovations and garden projects, which offers a lovely work/life balance.  

 

Elaine Anderson 

Elaine is a Senior Claims Analyst in Operations for Flood and has been with Assurant for 11 years. In her current role, Elaine is involved in every aspect of flood claims, including analytics, quality, compliance, litigation, audits, training, and more.  
She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating her commitment to be curious to inspire new ideas and solutions. Elaine has spent countless hours working with IT experts, senior leadership, and outside vendors to create enhancements in the Floodport claim system, driving the claim process to become more efficient. During this process, she also took the lead in reviewing difficult claim matters, creating detailed letters on complicated multimillion dollar Flood claims dealing with affected HOA communities and Businesses. 

On top of her day job, Elaine spends her time mentoring all the adjusters in Flood, taking the time to go over and explain difficult matters individually. No matter who you ask, everyone who knows Elaine knows she is the "go to" for any matters that require a Flood Expert. Her leadership and expertise in all aspects of Flood insurance has enabled the Flood team to thrive over the years, even when rolling out a new claim system during what the industry has considered was one of the most difficult flooding events to work, Hurricane Ian. 

While Elaine is proud of this accomplishment, she says, “My passion is serving our policyholders, mentoring the amazing team I work with and exploring strategies for greater efficiency. None of this would be possible without the amazing collaborative efforts of everyone on the team.” 

When not working from home in sunny Arizona, Elaine can be found traveling and spoiling her seven nephews. 

 

Liam Rex 

In just a few weeks, Liam will celebrate his 10-year anniversary at Assurant! In his current role, Liam works as a Business Change & Support Manager, Property Insurance Intermediary in our European market. 

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating his commitment to bring grit and determination to get things done. 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Liam's team needed to move group of customers to a new insurer, onto a scheme that had yet to be built. Liam stepped up, putting in exceptionally long hours to build a brand-new insurance scheme from scratch that included all the risk factors the new insurer required – all within a six-week timespan.  

Liam’s dedication to achieving excellence working in an impossible situation only allowed this to be possible. He achieved something unbelievable that allowed us to retain our customers and bring on board a new home insurance partner. 

 

Crystal Behles

 

In just a few weeks, Crystal will celebrate her 20-year work anniversary! In her current role, Crystal works as a Reinsurance Manager for our Global Automotive Lifestyle space.  

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating her commitment to engage the right people at the right time. Up until recently, Crystal’s team kept all client records in multiple places – shared drive, individual file folders/One Drive locations, Access database, Reinsurance portal, etc. She stepped up to develop a CRM tool that all the pertinent client reinsurance information could be kept going forward as an Enterprise tool.  

Crystal took the lead in collaborating across multiple business units to gauge what was needed from each group, what was available, and what was required to be successful. She was able to determine the most efficient path forward on this project and pivot to off-the-shelf Salesforce solutions versus one-off developed solutions. As the project got closer to the finish line, the team realized that the solution could be used as the system of record for the Auto-Hub’s Excess Reserve module. This added additional scope but ultimately helps automate the process of adding new clients’ details, making the entire module more efficient. 

In addition to the main CRM tool, she developed the Participation Portal Records application that serves as the foundation for automating rule changes between reinsurance accounting and marketing for each client position. The new tool is now live in Salesforce, and Crystal is spearheading the data uploads.  

Crystal emphasizes that the CRM tool used isn’t just about connectivity and people, it’s also about the data and systems our teams rely on to do our jobs effectively. She says, “No one can do projects alone, and while one person may be taking the wheel at times, there’s a whole team of people doing their part to support the vision. I’m so proud to be on a team with such supportive management and that is constantly striving for the best output.”   

Outside of Assurant, you can find Crystal enjoying a good book, spending time with her family, and supporting her son and daughter with all their extracurricular activities.  

 

Rick Arellano

 

Rick has been with Assurant for 15 years and in his current role works as an Accounting Director in our Global Lifestyle Finance space.  

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating his commitment to serving clients and customers with passion and purpose. 

In the past, Rick’s team did not have a consistent, standardized UAT approach and worked within very tight timelines. Rick took charge, methodically and efficiently approaching each client conversion, leveraging his understanding of warranty accounting. In just four months, he developed an approach that supports our initiative to gain scale and efficiency for UAT.  

During this time, Rick sought out key stakeholders to solicit appropriate and necessary feedback to provide alternate options when things do not go as planned in order to stay on track. He effectively communicates with his internal customers throughout the process to identify and research potential issues and offers solutions. He not only gave up nights and weekends to achieve tight deadlines, but he did it all with a smile on his face! So far, we have converted eight clients in 2023; none of this would have been possible without Rick and his leadership and dedication.  

Regarding his recent accomplishment, Rick says, “I owe any personal success to my family both at home and at Assurant. I’m blessed to work with so many exceptional individuals in Accounting, FP&A, Financial Systems, Actuarial/Underwriting, IT, Reinsurance, Statutory, the account executive team, as well as the leadership team. I’m proud of all that we’ve accomplished with AIM system client conversions. This recognition is really shared with everyone involved in the user acceptance testing process, their hard work and innovative thinking that have made these system conversions possible within the timeline that we’re targeting.” 

 

Jana Hall

 

Jana has been with Assurant for 19 years and in her current role works as a Lead Operations Analyst for the Loss Drafts Business Process Management team, reviewing and testing new functionality to ensure we are delivering quality enhancements with maximum benefit for all of Loss Drafts while keeping the focus on customer experience.  

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating her commitment to serving clients and customers with passion and purpose, executing our vision to help people thrive in a connected world. 

The Loss Draft Business Process team recently began an Optimization Initiative, which included the hiring of new associates from our India Global Capability Center (GCC). This required re-organization of the existing team and training for new India GCC associates about the Assurant Way, Loss Drafts, and the systems we use to service our clients and their customers.  

Jana took on the challenge to train new hires from our India GCC without compromising business continuity, quality, and customer experience. She immediately stepped in to help upgrading all the training materials, conducting training classes, and providing standard templates for business communications – all of which helped to ensure the new India GCC associates were equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their tasks. Day in and day out, she readily offered assistance and support to anyone in need, highlighting her extensive experience and collaborative approach.  

Regarding her recent accomplishment, Jana says, “I live each day doing whatever I can to put as much good into the world as possible.” 

When not working, she loves to travel and try new foods with her husband and two children. Exploring new places and making memories with her family is what brings her the most joy.  

 

Lisa Atkinson

 

Lisa has been with Assurant for nine years and currently works as a Project Manager for DEI in our CAO Organization.  

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating her commitment to be curious to inspire new ideas and solutions.

Lisa consistently brings passion and curiosity to her roles within Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) and Corporate Social Responsibility, constantly striving to achieve the absolute best of herself, her team, and any projects she works on. She was a key player in supporting the launch of our Pride@Assurant Employee Resource Group (ERG), along with various other DE&I efforts over the years.  

Lisa also single-handedly built Assurant’s ERG SharePoint sites and continues to inspire inspiration and evolution so that all ERGs are held to the Assurant standard – educating, informing, engaging, and inviting to all employees and allies. Her ‘can-do’ and pragmatic approach to her work enables the DE&I team to focus on strategic programs and initiatives to add business value in people engagement, talent development, and people retention. Additionally, she can link her roles within Corporate Social Responsibility and DE&I carefully and considerably to intersect the work to play to strengths across the two fields.  

Regarding her recent accomplishment, Lisa says, “I am grateful that I am supported by a company that values its employees and encourages them to share their voices and talents through the Assurant Way. I look to embody The Assurant Way values in all that I do. This has allowed me to play to my strengths and discover opportunities to support our team members and our communities in meaningful ways.” 

Outside of Assurant, Lisa enjoys reading, spending time with her family, spending time outdoors, volunteering and caring for her family animals.  

 

Congratulations to all! We are so proud of our Q3 winners and are honored to call them part of the Assurant team. Make sure to check back each quarter as we continue recognizing some of our employees' hard work! 

]]>
Assurant Named to America's Greenest Companies List “[This] is gratifying recognition and an opportunity to reaffirm our dedication to building a more sustainable future, not only because it creates competitive advantage, but also because it’s the right thing to do.” https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-named-to-america-s-greenest-companies-list/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:49:13 GMT AIZ 17221 0823 Social Images Greenest Companies 900X675

We're excited to announce that Assurant has been recognized as one of America’s Greenest Companies 2024 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group, in collaboration with GIST Impact. 

“We are committed to operating sustainably to deliver long-term value for all our stakeholders, including our clients, customers, employees, communities and investors,” said Keith Demmings, our president and CEO “Being included in America’s Greenest Companies 2024 by Newsweek is gratifying recognition and an opportunity to reaffirm our dedication to building a more sustainable future, not only because it creates competitive advantage, but also because it’s the right thing to do.”

As part of its climate goals, Assurant has made commitments to enhance its climate action and environmental performance by:

  • Strengthening climate resiliency, extending and enhancing product life cycles, and identifying vulnerabilities through robust risk management
  • Tracking and reporting Scopes 1, 2, and relevant Scope 3 emissions globally with a near-term target to lower Scope 1 and 2 emissions 40% by 2030
  • Improving energy efficiency in its facilities and adhering to its Climate Action Policy by integrating environmental commitments into business operations
  • Integrating environmental considerations within Assurant’s product and service offerings, including our supply chain, and the management of our $8 billion investment portfolio.

In addition to its overall commitments, Assurant is embedding sustainability into its product offerings, for example:

  • Extending the useful life of connected devices through refurbishment, which reduces the need for new products.
  • Developing Carbon IQ™ by Assurant, the first solution that provides detailed measurement and insights on the carbon impact of individual connected devices, included refurbished devices, throughout the device lifecycle.
  • Enhancing Assurant EV One Protection, the company’s protection product created specifically for owners of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), with expanded benefits, including more battery health transparency, more protection and more value.

Thank you to all of our employees, partners, customers, clients, our communities, and more who have made this recognition possible! 

For more information about our strategic ESG initiative, read The Assurant 2023 Sustainability Report.

 

 

]]>
Making the Leap: How to Transition into a New Career Gain valuable strategies from Carissa Schultz as she shares her journey from a People Business Partner to a Talent Acquisition Manager. Learn how to successfully transition without compromising your career goals. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/making-the-leap-how-to-transition-into-a-new-career/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 04 Oct 2023 09:30:00 GMT TA Blog Career Change Image

My name is Carissa Schultz, and I am a Talent Acquisition Manager with Assurant. I joined Assurant about 15 months ago, and I love my role! I lead a team of recruiters who consult with our business and help them achieve their goals by attracting key talent they need to drive the business forward. Although I've now been in TA leadership roles for more than four years, TA isn't how my career journey started. After an undergraduate and advanced degree, I started as a People Business Partner in the oil and gas industry. Over the next ten+ years, I held various people partner roles of increasing responsibility across several industries. I made the switch from people business partner to talent acquisition, and there are several lessons I would share from that experience:

 

Self-reflection to understand what career(s) suit you best

What I learned from the varied roles I've had over the year is the importance of the experiences you gain and, more importantly, the self-reflection from those experiences. This is a critical first step to take when considering a career change. Throughout your career, there will be things you like and dislike in the jobs you hold. It's important to make note of those as you consider your next step. When I was considering making a change from being a people business partner to a leader specializing in Talent Acquisition, this was incredibly helpful. I took various assessments and read books on career changes to help me hone in on the things I liked and disliked and to help me solidify my strengths as they related to the Talent Acquisition world. This exercise showed me how skills and activities I enjoyed, like consulting, influencing, and data analysis, translated from the people business partner space to Talent Acquisition.

 

Learn as much as you can about potential career fields

As you explore possible career paths, you must do your homework. Become as knowledgeable as you can on the options that are emerging. When considering a change, I tapped into my network to connect with people in the field to learn more. I did coffee chats, lunches, phones, etc., to learn more about what they liked and didn't like. It's also a good idea to get their perspective on getting into the field. You could also reach out to recruiters knowledgeable on your career path of interest to get their perspective on what hiring managers are looking for. Read articles and attend conferences or trainings in your career space. There are also many free resources online, such as career blogs you can review to prepare. Doing this homework upfront will help you assess your current skills and experience to understand if you have any gaps that you will need to address.

 

Make a plan to get there

Finally, once you have a career path you want to pursue, you need to develop a plan with specific actions and timing to achieve your goals. Can you get exposure through projects in your current role? Will you need to consider more education or certification? There may be opportunities to volunteer or do an internship. Remember to lean on your networks to help you make additional inroads into your career path. My opportunity to get exposure to talent acquisition came from people who were already familiar with me and what I brought to the table. Whatever the steps to get there, it's necessary to put a plan down on paper for how you will get there.

Looking for more tips to help with your job search? Check out the blog for more tips and advice! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
5 Pieces of Career Advice to My Younger Self from VP, Advanced Analytics Stacey Volmar Instead of a ladder, Stacey describes his career as a journey. One that’s been both challenging and fulfilling. And, looking back, he has five pieces of advice for his younger self or anyone else who’s just beginning their own journey. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/5-pieces-of-career-advice-to-my-younger-self-from-vp-advanced-analytics-stacey-volmar/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 20 Sep 2023 12:41:40 GMT AIZ 17362 0923 Stacey Volmar Blog Social And Blog Images Blog V2

Stacey Volmar has been with Assurant since 1997, when he began as a temp in the mailroom. Over his 26-year career, 23 of which were spent at the front lines of data analytics at Assurant, Stacey has worked to build a deep understanding of the communities we serve and how to give them the best experience possible.

Instead of a ladder, Stacey describes his career as a journey. One that’s been both challenging and fulfilling. And, looking back, he has five pieces of advice for his younger self or anyone else who’s just beginning their own journey.

  1. Fuel your curiosity
  2. Build your network
  3. Seek progress, not perfection
  4. Make it snackable
  5. Assess, Reflect, and Adapt

 

Fuel Your Curiosity

“My first three months at Assurant were in the mailroom as part of my highschool’s work co-op program. When I applied, it was a temp position. It was kind of like an intern, but they placed you wherever a department needed help. And so, my classmates who were also in the program, they might have been in an area like compliance, or account management, or something like that. And they only saw or worked in that one area. But, in the mailroom in Miami, there were 12 floors, and every day I got to go through each of these floors four times.

“And so, I would see these signs up above each department and just learn the different areas — financial claims, finance, call center, IT, business teams, so on and so forth. These were experiences that my counterparts in that program weren’t getting. I didn’t have tunnel vision into just one area. And I wanted to stay at Assurant because I saw those opportunities.

“Don’t box yourself into one area. Seek knowledge from the areas that you’re not exposed to. This organization has something like 12-, 13 thousand plus people, and you may, on a regular basis, deal with 20 or 30 of those people. You should seek and take advantage of the opportunity to understand what other folks are doing. At some point, you’ll be able to fall back on that, and it’s a good way to expand your network.”

 

Build Your Network

“Building your network is something that I didn't understand the value of until later. So I always try to let those that are starting out in their careers know that they need to grow it now. Grow it early on and you will reap the benefits of that labor later. The more networking you do now (particularly networking up), later on, if you show consistency and value, those people that you’ve started networking with will become your sponsors and they will open opportunities for you.

“You never know who that connection’s going to be. Let’s say that today I’m 20, 25 years old and I’m speaking to someone who’s currently a manager. In five years, they might be a director. In 10 years, they’re VP. And now you’re a manager or a director. The benefit may come 15, 20 years later.

“And, yes, I’ve been successful at Assurant because of my consistency and work product, but also because of the relationships that I’ve built and the trust that I’ve gained from folks. When you do that, people will open opportunities for you and your teams.”

 

Seek Progress, Not Perfection

“There's a feeling sometimes that I see where people don't want to share their work until they're done. And I tell them, ‘Well, if you share your work when you're done, you're not open to feedback.’

“Now, if you come to me and you say, ‘Hey, here's something that I'm working on. What do you think?’ Well, you're not done yet, and so you're still open to feedback. So, share your progress, not perfection, right?

“If you’re truly seeking advisement, you shouldn’t wait until the end where you feel like, ‘Okay, I’ve got my deck together. I’ve done my study.’ You know, at that point, it’s kind of too late.”

 

Make It Snackable

“When I got into analytics and started to grow in that space, I started to understand that my value for the team and for the organization was that I was able to take complex insights or insights that were derived through complex techniques, simplify them, and say, ‘This is what the data is really telling you.’

“That led to more data storytelling that also helped me understand that I kind of have this ability to teach. I believe that it was my ability to teach and understand how people think and digest information that led me into the management track. And, as we kept growing, I realized that there were people out there who were smarter than me in this space of actually doing the work that I was so passionate about. So I had to understand that I had greater value on the management track than on the technical side.”

 

Assess, Reflect, and Adapt

“About every five or so years, what matters to me changes. Early on in my career, what mattered to me was making sure that I was providing my manager and this organization with quality work and insights. And then, as I transitioned to being a people manager, that still mattered, but it moved more towards team development within the space. It was more, ‘How do I help others grow so that they are able to be the best version of themselves, too.’

“I wasn’t the doer anymore.

“In fact, I get pretty envious of them, because I still like to do the work. That's never left me. And I get excited when I’m invited to some of the working sessions, but I’m listening for other things now.  My value is in improving their working conditions, seeking opportunities for their skillsets to improve our business, and preparing for the future. And, as fun as it is to attend  those working sessions, I realized that committing too much of my time there could keep me from serving our team.”

 

Interested in joining a team where you can thrive? View our open roles and apply today.

]]>
Assurant is on the TIME List of World’s Best Companies List of Top 2023 Global Companies Receiving this award is a true testament to what makes up Assurant’s culture – strengthening key client relationships, driving innovation, and fueling sustainability.  https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-on-world-s-best-companies-list/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 12 Sep 2023 19:21:00 GMT AIZ 17221 0823 Social Images TIME World's Best Companies 900X675

Assurant is honored to have been recognized on the TIME list of World’s Best Companies 2023, presented by TIME and Statista Inc., the world’s leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.  

Receiving this award is a true testament to what makes up Assurant’s culture – strengthening key client relationships, driving innovation, and fueling sustainability.  

We’re thrilled to add this recognition to our list of awards, including Great Place to Work accreditations in 13 countries to date, as well as employer recognition from Kincentric’s Mejores Patronos in Puerto Rico. Taken together, these are a testament to what we say frequently at Assurant: that we believe our culture – living The Assurant Way - is the secret to our success. 

The TIME World’s Best Companies list is built upon three dimensions, using a comprehensive analysis to identify the top companies around the globe.: 

  • Employee Satisfaction: Evaluation based on respondents’ willingness to recommend employer brands and their satisfaction with different work-related statements such as working conditions, salary, and equality. 
  • Revenue Growth: Evaluation based on generating revenue of at least $100 million (U.S. dollars) in 2022 and demonstrating continuous positive growth from 2020 to 2022.  
  • Sustainability: Evaluation based on ESG database and data research, sustainability data from corporate reports and calculation of pollutants based on revenue, and a comparable database across all companies. 

This year, the World’s Best Companies list recognized 750 companies based upon 58 countries surveyed with 150,000 participants.  

We couldn’t do any of this without our employees’ drive to be curious, inspire new ideas, and spend time on what matters most, learning and growing along the way. Our teams' dedication and commitment to the success of the business helps drive our purpose, vision, and values that unite us all to live The Assurant Way. Thank you! 

 

 

]]>
Questions to Ask During an Interview Principal Talent Acquisition Consultant, Steven Duncan, provides a list of the top interview questions to ask a potential employer. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/questions-to-ask-during-an-interview/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 16 Aug 2023 08:26:00 GMT TA Blog Inage SD

When you walk into an interview, you’re most likely focused on providing the “right” answers to the interviewer’s questions. But over the last decade, one thing I’ve learned is the questions you ask at the end of the interview are just as important as the ones you answer at the beginning. By asking the right questions, candidates can gain valuable insights about the role, the company culture, and potential fit within the organization. Moreover, preparing thoughtful, deliberate questions to ask your interviewer demonstrates your interest in the company and can show them that you’re focused on building a career at their company.

Since joining Assurant in 2016, I’ve been fortunate enough to support several critical hiring initiatives around the globe. I’ve interviewed hundreds of prospects. One of the biggest determining factors of whether a candidate progresses past me to the hiring manager is the questions candidates ask me during an interview. In addition to prequalifying their skill sets and functional expertise, I want to uncover their motivations and identify what drives their decisions. The truth is that individuals spend so much time examining job descriptions and researching the company that they forget to interview the company. But “a perfect marriage takes two to tango,” as the saying goes. And although companies spend a lot of money to engage, nurture, and onboard top talent, candidates arguably have a higher stake in the game.

As the labor market becomes increasingly competitive, here are six solid questions that future candidates can utilize to differentiate themselves from the competition and ensure the company is a good fit for the next steps of their career.

 Interview Questions to Ask Prospective Employers and How to Evaluate Their Responses

  1. Can you describe the day-to-day scope of the role and foreseeable challenges (if any)? Understanding the daily responsibilities and challenges of the role is essential in determining whether it aligns with your skills and interests. The answer to this question can provide valuable insights into the job's expectations and potential obstacles you might encounter. It can also help you identify any gaps or responsibilities that may not have made it into the official job description.

  2. How does this role contribute to the overall success of the organization and department? 
    This question can help you grasp the bigger picture. The interviewer’s response should shed light on how the position fits within the company's strategic objectives and how it influences the department's goals. Not only will you gain a deeper understanding of the success metrics you’ll be responsible for delivering, but you’ll also get insight into the impact your work could have.

  3. What are the most immediate projects that need to be addressed if I step into the role tomorrow?
    Asking about immediate projects shows your eagerness to contribute from day one. The answer will give you an idea of the organization's priorities and what you can expect in the initial phase of your employment. It's an opportunity to gauge the urgency and complexity of your tasks.

  4. Do you expect the primary responsibilities for this position to change in the next six months to a year?
    Knowing whether the role will evolve soon is crucial for career planning. The answer can reveal the company's growth prospects, potential for advancement, and if the role aligns with your long-term career goals.

  5. Can you describe what attributes someone needs to have to be successful in this position?
    This question allows the interviewer to outline the key traits and skills they value most in candidates. By understanding these attributes, you can gauge if you possess the necessary qualifications and if the role aligns with your strengths and aspirations.

  6. Now that we’ve talked, do you have any hesitancy about me moving on to the next step of the interview process? Bonus: Is there anything else you’d like to know about my experience?
    Asking for feedback about your interview performance shows your eagerness to improve and your open-mindedness to learn from the interviewers. It also allows you to address any concerns they may have and clear up misunderstandings, reinforcing your interest in the role.

Job interviews are a two-way street, allowing candidates and employers to assess the potential fit. By preparing thoughtful questions to ask at the end of an interview -- like the ones mentioned above -- candidates can gain a deeper understanding of the company, the role, and how their skills align with the organization's needs. With this knowledge, candidates can confidently decide if the position is the right next step in their career journey. Remember, a well-prepared interviewee is more likely to make a positive impression and find the perfect match between their skills and the company's needs.

Looking for more tips to help with your job search? Check out the blog for more tips and advice! 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
Congrats to the 2023 Q2 Assurant Way CEO Award Winners! This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/recognizing-our-q2-assurant-way-ceo-award-winners/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 02 Aug 2023 22:26:00 GMT AW CEO Award

Our culture is the secret to our success, and we call it The Assurant Way. The four dimensions of The Assurant Way describe the things that make our company culture unique: Our purpose. Our values. Our commitments. And our vision.

To further recognize the contributions made by our employees, we recently introduced The Assurant Way CEO Award. This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. When employees embody our values to deliver on our commitments and care for our customers and communities, it helps to carry out our purpose and drive our vision.

The winners are chosen quarterly and are nominated by their fellow coworkers. Employees selected will:

  • Receive a $1,500 bonus 
  • Be able to make a donation grant of $1,500 from the Assurant Foundation for a charity/charities of their choice.

We are excited to share the Q2 2023 winners of The Assurant Way CEO Award

 

Chau Do 

Chau is a Production Test Engineer in our Life-Connected Living-Mobile Services Broadtech Operations. Chau has been with Assurant for a little over eight years and currently oversees and leads the Technical Support team for the Dallas Device Care Center (DCC).  

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating his commitment to being curious and inspiring new ideas and solutions. Currently, the Dallas DCC processes an estimated 3.5 million devices each year, with operators having to perform 17 different functional tests, including utilizing a headset to conduct two of these tests to determine the recording and playback functionality. Therefore, each operator (80+ stations) must have their own unique set of headsets based on the Model Type (Android or Apple) being tested. As you can imagine, this process takes up quite a bit of valuable time.  

Due to Chau’s uncommon thinking, he developed a fixture to eliminate the need for the headsets used during these tests. This new fixture detects the electrical circuitry of the headset function and would illuminate green if the circuitry is working properly. Instead of listening for a test signal, the operator now looks for a visual confirmation that the headset function is working correctly. Chau’s innovation has since resulted in multiple improvements, including an increase in realized units per hour of 11.1%. 

Regarding his recent accomplishment, Chau says, “I came to America from Vietnam with a refugee status and used all the opportunities this great country has to achieve the many goals and accomplishments completed to date – including everything I have accomplished at Assurant.” 

Outside of Assurant, Chau enjoys helping immigrant children become successful U.S. citizens, helping them learn and become adept at computer skills and the English language.  

 

Milap Thanki

Milap is an IT Software Automation Engineer with the TrackAll 2.0 (LPI) Development team. He has been with Assurant for 12 years, and, in his current role, Milap is responsible for supporting TrackAll 20 automation and other development support, such as Database development for Rates.  

He designs, develops, and maintains critical in-house tools used by numerous internal teams to ensure we’re meeting customer expectations and requirements. Due to his commitment to Uncommon Thinking and Uncommon Sense, Milap found a way to simplify work processes, making them more streamlined and efficient for everyone involved. Milap is also the brain behind the current automation tool used by the team to validate regression tests during every release. With Milap’s development skills and knowledge, we’ve expanded this tool and taken the testing to greater levels.  

Regarding his recent accomplishment, Milap says, “Being a software automation engineer, I am eager to work on evolving automation solutions along with innovation and technologies. Automation adds value by helping to make business application processes seamless, uncovering application errors, and fulfilling the commitment of client satisfaction and business growth. I adhered to uncommon thinking and common sense to implement scalable business application automation solutions here at Assurant, helping save time, increase productivity, greater efficiency, and minimize errors.” 

Outside of Assurant, Milap has a passion for gardening as it allows him to bring together the five elements of nature (earth, water, fire, air, and space). Milap says, “Gardening isn’t a chore for me; instead, it gives me the feeling of luxury, a sense of pride, and profound satisfaction.”  

Milap is proud to lead the way in moving Assurant forward, saying, “Persistence is the key to achievement. Take every opportunity to think outside the box and utilize innovative thinking for technological advancements.” 

 

Joanna Couling

Joanna is an International Operations Manager in our UK office. She has been with Assurant for 18 years and, in her current role, oversees our General Customer Service team, Claims & Audits and Fraud department.  

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating her commitment to serving our clients and customers with passion and purpose. Joanna recently implemented process improvements, KPI reviews, and monthly objectives and created synergies between teams to strengthen results output from the Fraud department. Under Joanna’s leadership, performance in the Fraud department has increased dramatically. 

Regarding her recent accomplishment, Joanna says, “Our customers are our everything, and without them, there is no us. I’m committed to serving them and ensuring my areas offer the best service. Whether it’s The Service, The Claims team, or The Fraud department, we speak to people in the manner we would like to be spoken to, and we will always be kind. We have daily/weekly/monthly objectives, and they’re all around the service we provide and how we can improve it.  I consider myself very lucky to watch my team members shine and develop through their own roles.” 

Outside of Assurant, Joanna enjoys spending time with her husband and two children – a preteen boy and a toddler girl. She is also a proud bonus mom to another son. Joanna and her husband spend a lot of time running around, and, according to Joanna, “things can get chaotic, but I love my family time and wouldn’t have it any other way. “ 

 

Michael Laureano 

Michael is a Lead Auto Claims Adjuster within the Auto Claims Operations department. He has been at Assurant for six years, starting as a customer service representative in the Automotive department and working his way up to his current role.  

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the Assurant values and engaging the right people at the right time. With that commitment in mind, he created operational efficiencies in Assurant’s digital claims adjudication, stabilizing the number of claims that were successfully adjudicated electronically. Behind the scenes, Michael began noticing a shift in how plan codes were maintained and differentiated in the Automotive digital platform (GLOW), which resulted in thousands of coverages being unmapped and caused a severe reduction in electronic adjudication. He helped create the necessary requirements, test the sample data to ensure accuracy and verify the missing coverage. His excellent work resulted in the percentage of claims fully processed electronically increasing to 27.3% (+15% since December of ’22). 

Regarding his recent accomplishment, Michael shared: “I truly believe in serving customers with passion and purpose, as well as bringing grit and determination to get things done. I was fortunate to use my knowledge and skills to help achieve improvement and fix the missing mapping components for our systems.” Michael also believes in working as a team and bringing this mindset to work every day for all to be successful. 

Outside of Assurant, Michael enjoys his free time doing anything from playing video games to reading and experimenting with new foods.  

 

Ross Glennon

Ross is a Fraud Prevention Manager in our UK & EU Operations. Ross has been with Assurant for 15 years, previously working in the Republic of Ireland before transferring to the UK to continue his Assurant journey. 

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating his Commitment to the Assurant values and operating ethically when reviewing suspicious claims, which led to a complex fraud investigation within our UK Automotive business. Ross’s current role within our Fraud Prevention function is to mitigate the impact of fraud on customers who wish to abuse our products and service. Working within our European operations, Ross drives investigation strategy and best practices and continuously supports a fraud awareness/prevention culture across our European markets. In this specific investigation, Ross and his team were able to evidence 214 proven false paid claims (with a value of $250,000). Additionally, he has embedded a new process within the UK Automotive business to mitigate future fraud, preventing $120,000 in fraudulent claims to date. 

Regarding his recent accomplishment, Ross says, “We must always remain vigilant to new and merging threats, and by following investigative best practices. Fraudsters continuously evolve their strategies to circumvent ever-increasingly sophisticated fraud prevention and detection controls. In this case, I used my investigation experience and additional resources within operations for support to identify the fraudulent attempt. By modelling the identified behavior across our customer base and engaging with multiple stakeholders from compliance, IT, finance, and operations, we were able to identify this organized fraud attempt early on and put appropriate controls in place to mitigate any risk going forward. This investigation would not have been possible without the swift and efficient cross-functional support that is essential in such cases.” 

The team is thankful that Ross is so passionate about preventing fraud and sharing his knowledge and experience. Ross is proud that Assurant utilizes sophisticated, advanced fraud prevention/detection technologies. Ross says, “By giving our people the knowledge and confidence to escalate suspicious or out-of-the-ordinary claims behaviors, we can all work together to continue to protect what matters most to our customers, clients and partner.”  

Outside of Assurant, Ross considers himself a huge military history geek, reading and researching military history and medals and exploring the historic battlefields of Europe. Ross also loves traveling with family and friends, but his most rewarding and enjoyable pastime is spending time with his wife and son. 

 

Hannah Goodwin

Hannah is Product Owner for International Global Lifestyle-Product Proposition and Bid. Hannah has been with Assurant for 13 years, starting out as an agent in our call center in the UK and then working across multiple departments, including Operations, Marketing, Product, Client, and Digital.  

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating her Commitment to engaging the right people at the right timeand for supporting the delivery in the UK of a new operations Customer Relationship Management tool (Elita) and new customer website (GSSP), responsible for the design and content of the website journeys, as well as customer communication. Since the website and agent interface went live, there have been significant improvements in website usage and calls per claim. Overall, there is a projected annual savings of $350k, which is $50k more than committed back in 2022. 

Today, Hannah is a product owner of our self-serve channels in the UK, overseeing our digital and IVR services, and most recently, has been a part of the Simplification team, moving our UK clients onto global target technology. Regarding her recent accomplishment, Hannah says, “I really enjoy working with such a fantastic team and consider everyone on the team an invaluable asset to the business's success.” 

Outside of Assurant, Hannah loves being a mom to her little girl, Eden – who is two going on 22! 

 

Brandon Ross 

Brandon is a Process & Quality Engineering Director at our Tennessee Supply Chain Facility. This August marks Brandon’s second anniversary at Assurant.  

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating his Commitment to bring grit and determination to get things done, assembling a cross-functional team to collaborate on the newly created multi-step action plan around the introduction of Assurant Oracle, surpassing expectations and delivering a high-quality solution within the desired timeframe. Through Brandon's exceptional leadership, he and his team successfully launched 4 CPO products in one go - Apple Watches (Series 5,6,7), Apple AirPods (all generations), Apple iPads, and iPhones surpassing expectations and delivering a high-quality solution within the desired timeframe. 

Brandon’s team is currently engaged in a New Product introduction with a large project related to AT&T Buyer’s Remorse, recently introducing newly developed Air Pod Equipment, and even having the opportunity to file a related patent application. Regarding his recent accomplishment, Brandon says, “I’m proud to work with a team who is so passionate, innovative and inspirational; this award would not be possible without them, and all the great work Assurant does on a daily basis.” 

Outside of Assurant, Brandon enjoys coaching baseball and softball and being the choir director at his church. Additionally, Brandon enjoys farming his 42 acres, including the care of cattle. 

 

Congratulations to all! We are so proud of our Q2 winners and are honored to call them part of the Assurant team. Make sure to check back each quarter as we continue recognizing some of our employees' hard work! 

 

 

]]>
Inside Assurant’s 4-Part Onboarding Process Talent Acquisition Consultant Josh Svec provides a detailed overview of our onboarding process and what new hires can expect when they join the Assurant team. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/inside-assurant-s-4-part-onboarding-process/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:15:00 GMT TA Blog Onboarding Image

I joined Assurant over 18 months ago as a Talent Acquisition Consultant, working remotely from Milwaukee, WI. In my position, I partner with leaders from Assurant’s automotive division to recruit, hire, and onboard new employees who fulfill a variety of roles within the team. I also work closely with my talent acquisition colleagues to improve our hiring processes and give candidates the best possible onboarding experience.

It’s no secret that starting a new job can be both a happy and an anxious period in our careers. At Assurant, we want to do everything we can to alleviate that anxiety — and that starts with knowing what to expect after you sign your offer letter.

 

What to Expect After Accepting a Job Offer at Assurant

The Standard Stuff: Background and Drug Test Screenings

You’ll be emailed forms to complete both your background and drug test screenings. A member of our talent acquisition team will discuss what to expect and the timeline for your screenings. In most cases, the background screening is completed entirely online. We’ll ask you for some information about yourself, you provide that information through a secure online portal, and we’ll process your background check accordingly.

The drug test is different in that we’ll provide you with a list of our testing partners and you’ll need to schedule an in-person appointment with one of them. To make it easier for you, we partner with many medical labs throughout the United States to provide you with multiple locations to choose from. The medical lab you visit will then provide your results directly to Assurant without you needing to do anything else.

Warming Up to Day One: Pre-Hire Information

Throughout your onboarding, you’ll receive emails requesting information Assurant will need to get you into our internal systems. This information will be used to complete the tasks below.

  • Set up direct deposit or select alternate payment methods, and ensure you’re integrated into our payroll system.
  • Prepare your equipment, like your laptop and/or computer station, headsets, and phone. If you’re working remotely, your new manager or Talent Acquisition partner will reach out to confirm your shipping address and cover what equipment you can expect.
  • Set up your employee profile in Workday.
  • Create your Assurant email address to help you communicate with other team members and clients.

Your Talent Acquisition partner is available throughout this stage to answer questions or help you complete the pre-hire tasks.

What’s In It For You: Benefits Enrollment and Our Total Benefits Package

At Assurant, you can join our health, dental, and vision plans on day one. Prior to starting, you may want to review our benefits at myassurantbenefits.com to determine which benefits you want to enroll in. I always recommend that new hires set aside some time to look through our New Hire Guide to benefits and use our Health Plan Cost Estimator to choose the plan that best matches their needs.

In addition to your physical well-being, Assurant’s total benefits package includes access to emotional, financial, and social well-being resources to help you live well. On day one, you’ll have access to tools like:

  • Free counseling and support services, support therapy through LiveHealth Online, stress and anxiety support, and more
  • Our company match program through your 401(k) to secure your financial future
  • Discounts on employee products
  • Adoption and surrogacy support, and legal support resources exclusive to our employees
  • Invitations to join our employee resource groups for Women@Assurant, Veterans@Assurant, PRIDE@Assurant, and Mosaic@Assurant
  • And more

Our teams continually evolve our total benefits package to reinforce our commitment to helping our employees live well.

Preparing for the Future: The Welcome Call

Oftentimes, a member of management or your new team will reach out to formally introduce themselves before your first day. Some of the team does this over email; others prefer a quick call or even a text. Feel free to take this time to ask any questions or get clarification on first-day expectations, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your new team if you need any support.

Once everything is completed, your talent acquisition partner will reach out to confirm your start day details, like the exact day and time of your first shift and when to expect your equipment. If I could give every new employee one piece of advice at this stage of the process, it would be this: Ask a million questions. We pay a lot of attention to hiring the right people and building a culture of support and teamwork. Your teammates will be happy to answer any questions you have, and they’ll be as invested in your success as your talent acquisition partner is.  

If you're interested in discovering what it's like to work at Assurant beyond the onboarding process, click here

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
Getting Started, Growing Your Career, and Becoming a Leader: Insights and Advice from Julie Cosio Julie Cosio, Senior Vice President of our U.S. Mobile business in Connected Living, shares her career journey, what inspires her, and what she would tell her younger self. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/getting-started-growing-your-career-and-becoming-a-leader-insights-and-advice-from-julie-cosio/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 10 Jul 2023 10:30:00 GMT AIZ 16765 0623 Careers Blog And Social Images Julie Cosio Blog

Julie Cosio, Senior Vice President of our U.S. Mobile business in Connected Living, joined Assurant in 1997 and has been leading our client management teams for the financial services, extended service contract, and device protection product lines since 2014.

Throughout her career and tenure at Assurant, Julie has gained rich knowledge in the business as well in professional and personal development. She recently shared her insights with us about working in the industry, how she grew into her current role, and what it means to be a leader:

How did you get your start in this industry?

Second job out of college. Hired by Assurant’s CFO. I started as a market analyst in our mobile home insurance group. I was in that job for about 6 months and then became what is now today an account executive but back then it was a client relationship manager. Worked on various mobile home insurance accounts and then we branched out our division. I was also responsible for leased and financed equipment, renters’ insurance, and things like that. I worked in that group at different levels of client management for about 9 years. Then I moved into our financial services group in 2006 and eventually lead that business until we consolidated our service contracts business in 2012 and 2013. At that point, we formed Connected Living, and I started working in the mobile space, so it’s been about 10 years in mobile. We had just launched T-Mobile when I started in CL so that is how I started in mobile and have been working in this space now for 10 years.

What do you like the most about your current role?

No two days are the same. Constant change which I like and it’s constant learning. Just when you think you have mastered a subject in our world you learn something new. I have always loved that about our company that there’s always the opportunity to learn and grow.

Who inspired you to be a leader and why?

From a female leadership perspective, when I was coming up through the ranks there were two women whom I worked with here at Assurant that I looked up to. One of them, from a professional development perspective was constantly reinventing herself. The two of them were my inspiration.

There were people along the way that helped me grow. When I first started in financial services, a management opportunity came up one of my male leaders gave me my first shot. He was always calm under pressure and able to inspire the teams and wonderful to work with and for.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome since you have been the head of mobile for Assurant?

When we reorganized at the end of 2021, we brought in two groups, legacy Assurant and legacy Hyla teams. Neither understood one other’s operations, products, and clients and so it was a big learning curve for both teams. To bring two different groups together and still manage an overall P&L for mobile was definitely a challenge. We put a lot of things in place in early 2022 to try to bridge that gap quickly from organizational structure to providing new opportunities and learning opportunities for the team. We intentionally set things up so that we could overcome that quickly.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I’m a big proponent of raising your hand when you see an opportunity that you’re interested in or that you think you would be a good fit for. I think I wish that I had done that earlier in my career. I think that kind of bravery took me a while maybe till my early 30s whereas I wish I had more of that self-confidence earlier on so that I would have raised my hand a little bit earlier in my career. That would be my advice, always raise your hand.

 

Interested in joining a team where you can thrive? View our open roles and apply today.

 

 

]]>
LGBTQ+ Inclusivity and Our Pride@Assurant ERG: Rodrigo's Story Rodrigo Cokting, Country Marketing Manager, Canada and Secretary for our Pride@Assurant ERG, shares about finding acceptance and belonging in his personal and professional life. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/lgbtq-inclusivity-and-our-pride-assurant-erg-rodrigo-s-story/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 21 Jun 2023 18:36:00 GMT AIZ 16644 0623 Pride@Assurant ERG Blog 900X675

Growing up, I always felt a little different. There was something about me that set me apart from my friends. It took time, but eventually, I was able to put words to that difference. I understood exactly what that difference was and what I thought people’s reaction to finding out would be. For years I thought I had to keep it a secret. And I did. For a very long time.

By the time I came out in university, I had gone on a journey of acceptance. I learned to love myself. I learned to love that difference. It felt liberating. I felt ecstatic. I was fortunate enough to know that my friends and family loved me just the way I was.

The relief that comes with "coming out" is indescribable. It's like shedding this weight that you’ve been carrying around all your life. It’s like opening your eyes for the first time. It’s like finally taking a full breath. After years of hiding, I could fully embrace and express myself without fear.

As I started on my professional career, I carried that confidence with me. I thought, and felt pretty certain that I would never again feel the pressure I had once experienced. But life isn’t always a straight road or an easy journey. An unfortunate incident at work, in my first place of employment pretty quickly shattered that illusion. It forced me to make a choice: if it wasn't necessary, my sexual orientation wouldn't be something I'd share at work.

It took years and several job experiences to gain that confidence back.

That's why the new Pride@Assurant Employee Resource Group (ERG) is so crucial and comes at such a pivotal moment. Over the last few years Assurant has remained focused on fostering an inclusive work environment, promoting diversity of thought and advancing equality. Our newest group will hopefully be a forum for LGBTQ+ employees and allies to connect, build an inclusive community and make sure that queer voices are seen and heard, valued, and respected throughout our organization and beyond.

By fostering inclusivity and acceptance, companies like Assurant create a ripple effect that extends beyond the workplace. When individuals feel safe and supported at work, they can bring their whole selves to the table. And that’s incredibly important. Because that little thing inside you that makes you feel different, is actually what makes you unique. It’s what makes your voice and all our voices so important. It’s what helps us make a meaningful difference in our jobs. And that’s worth celebrating.

 

For more information about DE&I at Assurant, visit our Diversity page

]]>
5 Tips to Help You Overcome Your Interview Anxiety Experiencing pre-interview anxiety? Don't worry, it's a common feeling. To help ease your nerves and perform well during your next interview, Talent Acquisition Consultant Elisa Maginnis shares some useful tips. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/how-to-overcome-interview-anxiety/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Thu, 15 Jun 2023 15:07:00 GMT Blog Image Interview Anxiety

I’ve been in the recruiting field for five years, including three years working at Assurant. After completing thousands of interviews, I can say confidently that no one is immune to interview anxiety. It presents itself differently — some people get sweaty palms; others get stomach butterflies — but everyone is susceptible to it.

We’ve all been there. You’re excited for an interview — and then you start getting that uneasy, worried feeling. While I can’t offer a quick remedy for resolving all interview anxiety, here are the tips I’ve learned over the years that help interviews go well.

1. Set yourself up for success!

The more prepared you are, the better you’ll feel going into the interview. I recommend reviewing the job posting, writing down any questions, and researching the company ahead of time. A few excellent sources for learning about the company include their website, quarterly earnings reports, their corporate LinkedIn profile, and any public interviews given by the company’s senior leadership team.

Allow plenty of time to arrive to the interview. I’ve been in a situation where I’m driving to the interview, but I didn’t account for traffic. It’s not a good feeling. Even if you’re meeting via video interview, I suggest making sure you’re all set up 15 to 20 minutes before the interview. It can even be helpful to test out the equipment you have and make sure you’re going to be in a quiet area.

2. Run through some practice interview questions.

Working with a friend in role-playing an interview can be really helpful. You can’t predict each question that you’ll be asked in the actual interview, but working through responses can increase your confidence going in.

Here are a few of the questions and prompts you’ll likely be given during the interview and how to prepare for them:

  • Tell me about yourself. – Practice a one- to two-minute elevator pitch that highlights your career experience, including the companies you’ve worked for, how your responsibilities have grown over time, and what your major strengths are.
  • Why do you want to work at this company? – Use the company research you completed to be specific. Talk about how the company’s mission or a senior leader’s interview inspired you, or how you can contribute to a specific project.
  • Tell me about a challenge or conflict you faced, and how you handled it. – The best responses I’ve received to this question all have one thing in common: They focus on communication. Share a specific example of a challenge and what the hurdles were. Then walk the interviewer through the communication path you took to solve for it.
  • Do you have any questions for us? – Don’t waste this opportunity. This is your chance to ask about everything from the company’s five-year plan to major competitors and market threats. Interviewers love candidates who come prepared with thoughtful questions that indicate long-term interest in the company’s overall health.

3. Review your own resume.

This one may be silly but, when you’re nervous during an interview, it can be difficult to think about anything else. By refreshing your memory on your previous roles and responsibilities, you’ll be better able to recall instances to answer the interview questions. This goes back to the idea of an elevator pitch. Always have a quick elevator pitch that speaks to your overall career and two or three short career highlights. For example, have a short summary of a time you outperformed the goals of a specific project, a time you led a collaborative and successful team effort, and a time you successfully overcame a challenge.

4. Take a moment to catch your breath before — and during — the interview.

Breathing can get shallow when you’re feeling anxious. A few deep breaths can help no matter what part of the interview you’re in! I also suggest rolling your shoulders back when you exhale to release some of that built-up tension.

One mistake I’ve seen people make in interviews is talking too fast and running out of breath. Take pauses between sentences and remind yourself to breathe. If you need to buy yourself a little time, find an opportunity to ask the interviewer a question. He or she will be happy to respond and while they’re responding, you’ll get a chance to come up for air.

5. Keep in mind that every interview is a learning experience.

As I’ve said before, it´s normal to feel anxious — especially in your first interviews. But, from each of them, you´ll learn something new to apply in the next one — or maybe even the same interview. Oftentimes, I’ve seen candidates ask interviewers some version of, “Now that we’ve had this conversation, do you have any concerns about me moving forward in the interview process? Are there any red flags or unanswered questions?” Giving your interviewer a chance to respond as part of your conversation will most likely open the door for you to apply learnings in real-time.

After finishing an interview, review your actions and answers. What do you think you did well? What could you improve for the next time? By reflecting on it, you´re preventing yourself from making the same mistake again. Also, you´re gaining awareness of what you’re good at in order to show it off in the future.

Looking for more tips to help with your job search? Check out the blog for more tips and advice! 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>
Assurant's Month of Veteran Reflection While we pause to honor those service people who’ve passed during duty this Memorial Day, our Veterans@Assurant Employee Resource Group (ERG) and colleagues have reflected on numerous occasions throughout May in recognition of our veterans. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-s-month-of-veteran-reflection/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Fri, 26 May 2023 13:36:00 GMT AIZ16278 Veterans At Assurant May Social PATRIOTIC

This Memorial Day, Assurant joins voices across the United States to remember, honor, and show appreciation for those who’ve paid ultimate service and sacrifice for their country.

We’d like to thank Assurant People Partner, Air Force veteran, and member of the Veterans@Assurant Leadership team, Eric Crowley, for passionately highlighting many of the observances that transpired this month, while encouraging fellow veterans to acknowledge these important moments across the month of May.

While we pause to honor those service people who’ve passed during duty this Memorial Day, our Veterans@Assurant Employee Resource Group (ERG) and colleagues have reflected on numerous occasions throughout May in recognition of our community of veterans. These observances have included:

  • Public Service Recognition Day (May 7th)
    “Less than one-half of one percent of our population serves in the military, and only 14.5% of the workforce serves in the public sector. While relatively small in number, they are huge in impact…”
    Read more.
  • National Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 12th)
    “…Military Spouse Appreciation Day is a day to feel appreciated and celebrated. It's a reminder that our service and sacrifices do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. It's a day to be honored for our resilience and commitment to our families, our service members, and our country….” Read more.
  • Armed Forces Day (May 20th)
    “The common thread: a simple but honorable commitment to step into the breach when asked so that we can all enjoy the freedoms we’re so used to and I suspect all too often, take for granted…”
    Read more.
  • Mental Health Awareness Month
    “…Assurant is highlighting the importance of mental health and emotional wellbeing by raising awareness, normalizing the importance of getting the help you need, and highlighting all the resources available to our employees. Seeking treatment and support for your mental health should be no different than for your physical health. This week, make it a point to check in with your family, friends, and colleagues to see how they’re doing. You never know the personal battles others are facing and the difference you can make by reaching out.” – Keith Demmings, President & CEO, Assurant
    Read More.

As we wrap up this month of recognition with Memorial Day, we reflect on, remember, and appreciate all the veterans and their families who have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. Thank you for all of those who have given their all and to those who supported them.

]]>
Congrats to the 2023 Q1 Assurant Way CEO Award Winners! This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/recognizing-our-q1-2023-assurant-way-ceo-award-winners/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 23 May 2023 15:47:00 GMT AW CEO Award

Our culture is the secret to our success, and we call it The Assurant Way. The four dimensions of The Assurant Way describe the things that make our company culture unique: Our purpose. Our values. Our commitments. And our vision.

To further recognize the contributions made by our employees, we recently introduced The Assurant Way CEO Award. This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. When employees embody our values to deliver on our commitments and care for our customers and communities, it helps to carry out our purpose and drive our vision.

The winners are chosen quarterly and are nominated by their fellow coworkers. Employees selected will:

  • Receive a $1,500 bonus 
  • Be able to make a donation grant of $1,500 from the Assurant Foundation for a charity/charities of their choice.

We are excited to share the Q1 2023 winners of The Assurant Way CEO Award

 

Armando Lazo

Armando is a Marketing Design Manager, primarily supporting Global Automotive, and has been with Assurant for 9 years. Working closely with our lines of business (LOB), he directs and participates in the creative process of the conception and design of various projects, including printed and digital marketing collaterals, interactive materials, design support for Trade Shows and events, and motion graphic videos.

He was nominated for demonstrating the commitment to bring grit & determination to get things done. Armando designed a new look and feel for Assurant Vehicle Care, a newly launched suite of products that brings AFAS and legacy Assurant products together under a single brand. In support of the business and master brand, Armando redid numerous pieces of collateral while simultaneously designing a compelling booth experience for dealers at the annual National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA). On top of that, he went above and beyond his role as a designer by serving as an on-site technician and photographer at NADA.

Reflecting on his accomplishment, Armando feels "fortunate to count on the exceptional leaders on our Creative Services team from whom we always have immediate support and clear guidance,” remarking that they are an essential key to the success of the organization. “I believe we cannot embrace The Assurant Way if we do not have the guidance and leadership we have at every level,” he says, adding that “it would not have been possible for me to achieve any of this without my team's support and tireless efforts in supporting our LOBs.”

Armando is passionate about design in all its disciplines (inside and outside of Assurant), photography, and the sea. He enjoys fishing and scuba diving, and one of his recent hobbies has been discovering the art of making custom fishing rods and lures. He also loves to travel with his family and create unforgettable memories and experiences. “It is gratifying to have the opportunity to allow our son to learn about different cultures and people,” he shares.

 

Kamala Devi Bhamidi

Kamala is a Business Analyst and Technical Project Manager in Global Housing Operations, and she has been with Assurant for a little over three years. As a Business Analyst, Kamala analyzes complex business processes, identifies areas for improvement, and develops strategies to improve business performance and achieve organizational goals.

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment to spend time on what adds the most value. Kamala’s attention to detail, methodology, and project leadership resulted in the successful launch of Assurant Classic Car Portal, a new platform that will replace three legacy systems. Going above and beyond, she wrote a clear and well-structured business requirement, identified automation opportunities, helped create reports and a dashboard, and implemented multiple process improvements.

Regarding her accomplishment, “the key to the success of the automation project is to identify and understand business and technological challenges that users are currently facing and to design technically advanced-integrated solutions to address those challenges,” Kamala shares. “My vision for this project is to focus on using technology to increase efficiencies, enhance customer/user experiences and drive business growth and innovation.” Beyond adding business value, she also has a focus on solving the new challenges encountered with third-party data integrations to demonstrate maximized effectiveness of automation.

Outside of Assurant, Kamala volunteers for non-profit organizations, designing, building, and maintaining their web platforms. In addition to enjoying time with her family and teaching mathematics and statistics, Kamala also has a passion for designing jewelry.

 

James Jefferson

James is a Team Manager in Complaints and has been with Assurant for 10 years. He manages the FOS/Executive Complaints Team that handles all complaints for UK Connected Living and Automotive and also manages the newly created Support Squad.

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for his commitment to be curious to inspire new ideas & solutions, as he helped to create the Support Squad team—a middle point between frontline and the complaints team. This idea resulted in significant improvements to the overall complaints process, proven success based on key performance indicators and a cost saving in complaints with an overall reduction in effort and 20% saving on FTE.

“The Support Squad have really transformed how we handle complaints,” says James. It not only allows Team Managers much more time with their teams to provide coaching, but it also enables them to provide quicker and real-time solutions to customers.

“The Support Squad are a great team who have achieved so much in the past 12 months and made such a difference across the operation and to our customers,” James shares. In fact, the Support Squad were recently announced as finalists for the UK National Contact Centre Awards 2023, another major achievement. Commending the team, “I am proud of the work they do each day to support customers,” he adds.

Outside of Assurant, James likes to spend time with his family who live in Newcastle upon Tyne. He also really enjoys holidays and traveling, with Thailand being his favorite place to travel to.

 

Richard Devost 

Richard is part of the Advanced Analytics team and has been with Assurant for just over two years. Richard develops machine learning models to support analysis and provide our customers with insights.

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for his commitment to bring grit & determination to get things done. Our data science team recently integrated Predictive Pricing Models (PPM), providing a single point of contact for predictive pricing deliverables for both internal business users and external clients. Richard went above and beyond in his efforts to explore all data sources, build data pipelines and develop new modeling algorithms to implement the models in production. With his work, the team delivered integrated PPM results in production on schedule with improved accuracy and automated processes.

The machine learning community is continuously generating new methods to improve results. “Turning an idea on recurring neural networks (RNN) into a product was only possible because of The Assurant Way’s commitment to ideas, people, and grit and determination to deliver uncommon results,” Richard comments. To him, solving important and challenging problems in the supportive structures and teams at Assurant makes work a joy. “I love working on a team where everyone is passionate about research and engineering state-of-the-art solutions to serve our customers’ lives and business needs,” he adds.

Outside of Assurant and during his downtime, Richard enjoys bike riding, eating spicy foods, reading, and watching good movies, particularly sci-fi ones.

 

Karley Shenton 

Karley is an Operations Manager for Banking in the UK and has been with Assurant for 11 years. She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment to be curious to inspire new ideas & solutions.

Karley established process improvements for her team that have increased the percentage of customers who take their handsets to a local Pocket Geek store for repair instead of another repair provider from 35% to 50%. On top of that, she provides her team with ongoing support, statistics, best practices, and regular coaching sessions to improve the handset repair rate each month. “Pocket Geek has been a great change that hugely benefits both our business and customers,” she shares. “I’m really proud that we’ve managed to achieve a higher-than-expected conversion rate!”

Outside of Assurant, Karley loves to enjoy family days out with her husband and two sons, who keep her on her feet.

 

Nicholas Hampton

Nicholas is a supervisor for Automotive Claims submissions and has been with Assurant for nearly 9 years. He supervises call center agents, applying his automotive knowledge and previous experience as a claims adjuster to build his team, helping them to become stronger claims adjusters and decision makers.

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment, engage the right people at the right time. Nicholas was awarded for his exemplary efforts with the conversion of the Assurant claims system from our legacy platforms onto one technology platform, garnering recognition as he stepped aside from his usual role into a new role assisting IT developers. Prioritizing the best possible solutions, he leveraged his knowledge of the business, key personnel, and Assurant clients to ensure a smooth transition and minimize any potential bugs and downtime during the conversions. In addition, Nicholas also had to learn and adapt to the language of IT to effectively communicate what his team does to the IT developers and ensure clear understanding across everyone involved. The completion of these conversions has enabled Assurant to sunset legacy systems, which resulted in significant cost savings of several hundred thousand dollars per month.

Nicholas attributes much of his work ethic and supervising style to playing team sports growing up as well as his time as a U.S. Marine. “My time in the Marines taught me the importance of cross training and ensuring that not only did I know my job, but I knew my teammates’ jobs as well,” he shares. "This makes sure that if one person is not there, then progress doesn’t stop.”

Outside of work, Nicholas enjoys playing ice hockey in a local men’s league on a weekly basis. He also enjoys hiking with his wife, with whom he is trying to visit as many national parks across the U.S. as possible.

 

Terran Swope 

Terran is a member of the People Organization and has been with Assurant for 4 years. As a training facilitator for Mobile and Home Solutions, he helps to train our new hires, train process updates, and maintain our Compass database.

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for his commitment to serve clients & customers with passion & purpose. Terran was recognized for his ability to adapt to the changing needs of the business and producing high-quality work. He has gone above and beyond to develop successful training programs using a variety of software applications to increase class engagement, ultimately contributing to the success of our products and services.

“Change is constant, and I love to shake things up,” Terran says, as his team is on the hunt for new and inspired ways to improve the class. “I get a sense of glee from trying to break a program in any way to test the limits, and it’s an honor to be recognized for doing what I love,” he shares.

Outside of Assurant, Terran is an easy-going person who likes to stop and smell the flowers. You can often find Terran galivanting through Oregon’s forests or getting together with friends to play Dungeons and Dragons.

 

Congratulations to all! We are so proud of our Q1 winners and are honored to call them part of the Assurant team. Make sure to check back each quarter as we continue recognizing some of our employees' hard work! 

 

 

 

]]>
Assurant’s Commitment to Mental Health Awareness and Breaking the Stigma Worry and anxiety – very real challenges to our emotional wellbeing - can interfere with our overall health and our feelings of contentment and success at work and in our personal lives, and they can strike any of us at any time.   https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-s-commitment-to-mental-health-awareness-and-breaking-the-stigma/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 16 May 2023 14:28:00 GMT MHAW 2023

It’s probably not a surprise to anyone reading this that a 2022 Gallup poll* reported stress among the world’s workers reached an all-time high with more than 40% of employees stating that they experienced a significant amount of stress or worry throughout their previous day.  

Worry and anxiety – very real challenges to our emotional wellbeing - can interfere with our overall health and our feelings of contentment and success at work and in our personal lives, and they can strike any of us at any time.  

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, shining a light on these challenges and pointing people toward helpful resources. At Assurant, we will commemorate Mental Health Awareness Week May 15-21 with a series of online events, activities, and resources to help employees better manage stress and anxiety, and achieve greater balance through tools to support their mental health and emotional wellbeing.  

This year, we are looking at anxiety – how it can affect us, what external factors can trigger this strong response, and what we can do to support our peers. We know it’s important to create and foster an environment for open dialogue about mental health to break the stigma and ensure employees feel safe and supported in their professional and personal lives. 

Though we use the month of May to remind our employees of the resources available to them, our commitment to employee wellbeing is constant. Our purpose, “helping people thrive in a connected world,” includes how we help employees thrive by supporting growth and development, and by continuing to focus on their physical, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing.  

With that in mind, Assurant provides an array of wellbeing programs that support our employees around the globe, both in their professional and personal lives. While specific benefits may vary by region or country, the following mental health and wellbeing benefits are available:  

  • Free and confidential Global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) including mental health, financial, and legal services for employees and their families  
  • Free access to Headspace, a mindfulness app for managing stress and finding balance  
  • Assurant wellbeing programs/resources to help employees make positive lifestyle changes  
  • Paid holidays, as well as ongoing flexible work-from-home and hybrid options  
  • Other family-friendly support benefits, including paid parental leave, fertility benefits, adoption services and more, which vary by region 

Through the Assurant Foundation, our employees may also choose to donate to mental health organizations, and we will match their donation dollar-for-dollar.  

Together with our employees, we are working to normalize conversations about and seeking treatment and support for mental health and prioritizing mental wellbeing. For more information about our U.S. benefits, visit MyAssurantBenefits.com.   

 

* Data drawn from the annual State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report by Gallup. 

 

 

 

]]>
6 Things to NOT Do During Your Next Interview Sr. Talent Acquisition Recruiter, Brandi Satturlund identifies common mistakes people make during job interviews and offers some great tips to remember to help make your next interview a big success. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/6-things-to-not-do-during-your-next-interview/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Thu, 06 Apr 2023 10:00:00 GMT TA Blog Image

Working as a talent acquisition professional since the 1900s (well … more like 1999) and interviewing thousands (yes, thousands) of candidates, you could say that I’ve learned a few things along the way. At the top of my list is the fact that everything always changes: how we look for work, apply for positions, and even interview.

When I joined Assurant in 2018, most of my candidates were interviewed in person — seated directly across from the interviewer, resume/portfolio in hand, ready to answer any question that came their way. Then, without warning, everything changed. We were officially in a pandemic.

Just because the world had shut down didn’t mean Assurant could — and we didn’t! With some common sense, common decency, and uncommon thinking, Assurant quickly adjusted, made some necessary changes, and experienced amazing, uncommon results.

One of the changes was how we interview candidates. For example, most of our interviews occur in a virtual environment today.

So how do you best prepare for an interview in today’s world? Or, better yet, what should you avoid during your next interview? I've outlined a few things to watch out for to help you be successful throughout your job search. 


Don’t wait until the last minute to do prep work. Often, when candidates procrastinate, they’re late to the interview or they miss it altogether if they experience a technical difficulty. 

Pro Tip: Prepare ahead of time. Download the interview platform (Zoom, Teams, etc.) ahead of time. Test the audio and video. Ask a friend to do a test run with you to troubleshoot any potential technical issues. If you have an in-person interview, map your directions ahead of time to see how long it will take to get to the meeting point, and add in extra time for traffic. Being early is always acceptable; being late is a red flag.


Don’t let your environment be a distraction. If possible, you want to avoid having any noise or movement in your background, whether it is from a television or people walking around. It completely distracts the interviewer by taking the focus off you and putting it on your surroundings.

Pro Tip: Find a quiet, distraction-free area for your video or phone interview, and log in early to test your audio and video. Many applications have options that allow you to choose a photo as your background or blur the area behind you in case you aren't able to find a place with the right backdrop. 


Don’t forget to do your homework! This includes doing research about the company before your interview and reading the job description in its entirety. Few candidates do this, so when someone does, they really stand out.

Pro Tip: Read through the company’s website ahead of time so you have an understanding of what they do. Check out their social media channels and presence on job boards. Note things that stand out to you, such as recent news or big projects. Have questions ready.


Don’t be vague. When asked about things you’ve previously done or how you handled certain situations, give specific examples. Stories stand out. Generalized, vague answers are not memorable — and you want to be remembered!

Pro Tip: Try to prepare some examples ahead of time. You can search for a list of commonly asked interview questions to help you to prepare.


Don’t be afraid to reach out. After you speak with a recruiter, send them a note thanking them for the opportunity to speak with them. This is another thing that’s seldom done anymore and another way to stand out in the crowd.

Pro Tip: Follow up on your interview. Ask questions, connect on LinkedIn, and stay at the recruiter's top of mind. In a world where recruiters see thousands of applications, presence and persistence are key.


Don't let conversations be a one-way street. You are interviewing the recruiter, hiring manager, and team just as much as they are interviewing you! This stage is a crucial time for you to determine if a company and position are right for you. 

Pro Tip: Before speaking with a recruiter, determine what is most important for you when it comes to taking a new role or joining a new company. Once you identify your non-negotiables, make sure to ask questions that clearly determine if the opportunity you're considering checks those boxes. 


I hope this information helps, and I wish you luck on your next interview! If you want to find out more about Assurant and take the next step in your career with us, explore our Careers page to learn more and apply.

 

 

 

]]>
Assurant Celebrates International Women's Day 2023 Though we make it a goal to celebrate the incredible women of Assurant all year round, we were thrilled to use this day to officially recognize the contributions made across our company. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-celebrates-international-women-s-day-2023/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:06:34 GMT Celebrating Women And Their Allies (900 × 675 Px)

On March 8 of this year, Assurant joined the world in celebrating International Women's Day. Though we make it a goal to celebrate the incredible women of Assurant all year round, we were thrilled to use this day to officially recognize the contributions made across our company.

What made the occasion even more exciting was the opportunity to also commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Women@Assurant employee resource group's launch. With 1,369 active members across the globe, the group's women and allies are unified by a simple, but important, passion to advance women in the workplace and in the community.

For International Women's Day and Women's History Month, we invited our employees to share their stories over the month of March to showcase allyship in the workplace and how they #EmbraceEquity.

 

We have included some of those stories below:

Yadira R.-C., VP, Managing Attorney International Business Legal

My first allies: my dear brothers lifting me up!!!

Reflecting during Women’s History Month about gender equity makes me think about the allies I’ve had in the different roles I have played until now. Having posted in the past about my upbringing, I have mentioned that when I was little my parents were sort of traditional in terms of the roles expected from a girl. However, as life went by, my parents and my brothers embraced my fierce challenges to these expectations, becoming my first allies in life. Since then, many other allies have been present in my journey. Memory lane takes me to different roles: the little sister; the altar girl back in the 80’s when only altar boys were “acceptable”; the “sport billy”; the wife; the Mom; the professional on the "mommy track" juggling work and travel commitments. Undoubtedly, in all these roles my allies have played a huge part in my life and on what I have been able to accomplish. They have advocated for me every step of the way. Most importantly, they have opened the space for me to be present at the table, to lead and contribute. And when that space has not been clearly open, they have shown their respect when I push to create a space at that table for me and for other women. Be an ally and embrace equity!#AssurantProud#internationalwomensday#womenshistorymonth

 

Jean Carlos R., Senior Analytics Product Manager

Happy #internationalwomensday! May you continue to #breakthebias and fight for what you believe to be true. May you all continue to lead and shape the path for #futuregenerations. I am a proud husband and #girldad who hopes for a world in which my little ones will not have to face the adversities many have had to endure in their past.
#assurantproud #internationalwomensday #futuregenerations

 

Melissa H., Senior Vice President

Today we embrace gender equity for International Women’s Day. This is a good time for each of us to reflect on what we have done to provide #women from all different circumstances with the unique resources and opportunities necessary to reach their goals. I was honored to share stories with #WomenAtAssurant about calling out inequities when we see them and striving to make that small change in equity that can meaningfully change someone’s career journey. #embraceequity #assurantproud

 

Francesca L., Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer

As I think about Women’s History Month, I can’t help but remember Sir Isaac Newton’s quote, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants” – and I am instantly transported back to childhood, where I was up on my father’s shoulders seeing the world from a whole new perspective. My father was a ‘giant’ in both my professional and personal life. He made me feel empowered and emboldened to rise to the highest heights in my life and navigate the lows.

Though my father has passed, I still think about the notion of standing on the shoulders of giants and how analogous it is for me to allyship among women today. We need not only to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow women at work, but we also need to metaphorically stand on the shoulders of women who are giants in big and small ways in the workforce. Through mentoring, advocacy and encouragement, we can and should hold each other up every day.

Admittedly, it is as hard today as it’s ever been to be successful as a working woman or mom. But we need to find ways to seek out those you consider “giants” in your life and seek to stand on their shoulders – or better yet, let’s find ways we can hold each other up.
#womenempoweringwomen #womenshistorymonth #assurantproud #WomenAtAssurant

 

Lauren S., Customer Experience Analyst

March 8th is International Women's Day celebrating the success and achievements of women across the globe.

"Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them."

This is my niece, climbing a rock wall.. in a tutu. She doesn’t know she isn’t “supposed” to, and I will not be the one to tell her. Instead before the world has a chance to tell her all the things she should or shouldn’t be/do, I will tell her.

-You are brave and strong and capable.
-You are not bossy, you have leadership skills.
-Know your worth.
-Speak up even if your voice shakes. You are you are NOT too loud, too opinionated, or too ambitious.
-If you want a seat at the table, go get it.
-Be passionate and true to yourself in all you do. 
-Do not let fear stop you from doing anything in your life
-Live the life you want to live, not the life you think that you are expected to live

 
#iwd2023 #IWD #Assurantproud
#LifeatAssurant #womenempowerment
#internationalwomensday2023 #internationalwomensday

 

Christine C., Associate Learning Specialist

Each year on IWD I take a moment to reflect on the person I’ve become and the immense support from Allies that led me here:

I was the first- I was the first person (male or female) in my family to attend a college or university. My father was and continues to be a huge supporter of education and growth.

I broke the trend- For generations, woman in my family had not surpassed the age of 21 without having children. Once they had children, if they went into the workforce, it was a part-time minimum wage role. At 21, I had already graduated from two college programs and working on my BBA.

I had support- At 24 my son was born. My husband split the parental leave time with me, allowing me to follow my career journey and pursue a timely opportunity. There was no expectation that I needed to stay home, there was no conversation about how something was sure to come up in the future. The conversation was simply ‘how can he support making this happen?’.

I shined in rough times- At the age of 27 I entered a male dominated field as an HR Director and encountered more roadblocks, disappointments, and challenges from co-workers then I had ever seen before. Luckily, another ally emerged and fought to showcase my value, give me a seat at the table and advocate for the change in perspective I could provide.

I found my place- At 29 I started with Assurant. Here I met the most fierce and strong women that have become mentors and allies to my growth.

I am grateful- I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the ally ship in all it’s different forms throughout my life. Thank you!! #AssurantProud
#EmbraceEquity #InternationalWomensDay #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenAtAssurant

 

Catherine B., Director, Digital Content Marketing & Strategy

“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” ― Serena Williams 🎾

Reflecting on the intention to #embraceequity for #internationalwomensday, Serena’s sentiment came to mind. Do we absolutely need male allyship to foster stronger equity to the workforce? 10000%. But what’s driven me to be a better, stronger woman, mother, friend and career person? It is those female colleagues and mentors who’ve authenically cheered me on. By doing so, it creates a culture of belonging and empowerment, therefore inspiring me to turn my focus on how to invite others to have a seat at our collective table. 🪑

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: female empowerment is my jam.

Furthermore, it is the honor of a lifetime to help kindle and spread the fire that burns so unapologetically bright 🔥 within my nearly five-year-old daughter. She’s going somewhere and I will be there to cheer her on throughout her journey of life.

Happy women’s history month, all. Let’s keep this energy to collectively cheer each other on.

#womenatassurant #assurantproud #femaleempowerment

 

Emily L., Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director

Happy Women’s History Month! It was wonderful to celebrate International Women’s Day yesterday with my amazing colleagues. We all shared how we've promoted Gender Equity & demonstrated Alllyship in our careers. My personal and professional journey has taught me the power of advocacy to help advance Women and girls – whether as a pro bono attorney, career advisor, MBA recruiting consultant, DEI practitioner, or as a working Mom.  We all have a role to play, and there's always an opportunity to continue learning.

#AssurantProud of our Women’s ERG for fostering an environment where we can have honest dialogue about what it takes to promote Gender Equity.

#DEIatAssurant#WomenatAssurant#WomenLeaders#Allyship 

 

We are so proud to have employees, from the front lines through leadership, who set examples for other women and allies. If you'd like to join us in celebrating these stories across social media, make sure to use #WomenAtAssurant and #AssurantProud. 

For more information about Assurant's DE&I, Employee Resource Groups, and more, visit our Diversity page.

 

 

]]>
U.S. Named Great Place to Work® for a Second Year We are excited to share that we have been certified as a Great Place to Work® in the U.S. again! https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/u-s-named-great-place-to-work-for-a-second-year/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 07 Feb 2023 12:51:45 GMT AIZ 15504 0223 GPTW US & Japan 900X675 1

We are excited to share that we have been certified as a Great Place to Work® in the U.S. for the second year in a row! Great Place to Work® is considered the gold standard in employer brand recognition, and we are honored to be added to the list again. 

Assurant is now Great Place to Work® certified in thirteen countries total, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the UK, and the United States.

84% of U.S. employees surveyed say Assurant is a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.* We are thrilled to see this statistic increase from last year as well! 

Our U.S. employees highlighted:

  • 97% - This is a physically safe place to work.
  • 95% - People here are treated fairly regardless of sexual orientation.
  • 91% - People here are treated fairly regardless of their race.
  • 91% - People here are treated fairly regardless of their gender.
  • 90% - When you join the company, you are made to feel welcome.

Once again, we couldn’t accomplish any of this without our employees! We are thankful for our Assurant team members and their continued engagement, ongoing and honest feedback, and most of all, their dedication to our customers and each other as we continue to make Assurant a great place to work, grow, and contribute.

 

Click here for more information about what makes Assurant a Great Place to Work®.

Click here for a list of our global awards.

]]>
Assurant Benefits: Employees Talk Tuition Reimbursement We’re excited to share stories of some of our talented employees who have taken advantage of Assurant's tuition reimbursement program. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-benefits-employees-talk-tuition-reimbursement/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 07 Feb 2023 08:57:00 GMT Shutterstock 1515987086 (1)

At Assurant, we continually prioritize learning and development to support our employees’ career growth, help them identify new ways of doing business, and uncover new passions. This year, we asked three of our employees who used Assurant’s tuition reimbursement program to pursue advanced education opportunities to tell us about their experiences with the program. One of the employees we met with was Richard Nivar, Customer Experience Analyst at Assurant and New Father at home. As a new father, Richard told us that balancing work, home, and family can be challenging, but Assurant’s commitment to his professional acceleration put him on his “most rewarding [professional] path so far.”

“When I started with Assurant I learned about the wonderful tuition reimbursement program, which really opened the doorway for me to advance in obtaining my degree.” – Richard Nivar

See more from Richard Nivar on Assurant’s tuition reimbursement:

 


The next person we talked with, Kendra Borders, exemplifies professional advancement through continued education. In 2022, Kendra used Assurant’s tuition reimbursement program to complete her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arizona. After spending several years excelling in Assurant’s finance and accounting department, Kendra decided she was ready for a new challenge and new sets of career opportunities. Today, Kendra is a Senior Financial Analyst at Assurant, helping direct budgetary decisions and ensuring we’re meeting revenue objectives quarter over quarter.

“So far, since I completed my degree, I’ve been promoted over to the finance side, working in systems and controls … I really enjoy where my degree has taken me.” – Kendra Borders

Watch Kendra Borders discuss obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree: 

 


Finally, we talked with Patrick Murphy, one of the national account managers in our connected living business. In his role at Assurant, Patrick works with global telecommunications companies every day, optimizing sales for their extended warranty and insurance programs. He’s directly responsible for helping our partners deliver premium customer experiences and generate revenue from our programs. Patrick decided he wanted to take his career to the next level with a master’s in business administration. This year, with help from Assurant’s tuition reimbursement program, Patrick graduated with an MBA from Louisiana State University.

“Nobody had ever taken money out of their balance sheet [before Assurant] … to help fund college education to help me get better … I can’t say enough good things about Assurant for doing that for me.” – Patrick Murphy

Hear Patrick Murphy discuss the next stage of his career: 

 


How Tuition Reimbursement Works at Assurant

“Once I was enrolled in school, I spoke with my supervisor, who then directed me to HR. My HR Business Partner explained in detail what I would need to submit at the end of my semester to process my reimbursement. The expectations were well received, and I was able to plan my courses based on this.” — Richard Nivar

We want everyone’s experience with our tuition program to be as seamless and straightforward as Richard’s was. That’s why we make our program guidelines and requirements simple and readily available to our teams. Here are the basics:

  • Undergraduate and graduate programs are both eligible for Assurant’s tuition reimbursement program
  • Any employee who has worked at Assurant for 6 months can apply for undergraduate tuition assistance
  • Any employee who has worked at Assurant for 1 year can apply for graduate tuition assistance
  • Once an employee’s application is approved, he or she will be given instructions for processing tuition reimbursements
  • Assurant reimburses up to $5,250 per year for undergraduate courses
  • Full reimbursement is available for approved graduate courses

At Assurant, by investing in our employees we become a more equitable and innovative organization. This year, we’re excited to congratulate some of our employees who have taken advantage of our tuition reimbursement benefits, including Richard, Kendra, and Patrick, for their incredible accomplishments in furthering their education.

To find out more about Assurant’s benefits, visit myassurantbenefits.com or reach out to an Assurant recruiter.

 

 

]]>
Congrats to the Q4 2022 Assurant Way CEO Award Winners! This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/recognizing-our-q4-2022-assurant-way-ceo-award-winners/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 01 Feb 2023 06:14:00 GMT AW CEO Award

Our culture is the secret to our success, and we call it The Assurant Way. The four dimensions of The Assurant Way describe the things that make our company culture unique: Our purpose. Our values. Our commitments. And our vision.

To further recognize the contributions made by our employees, we recently introduced The Assurant Way CEO Award. This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. When employees embody our values to deliver on our commitments and care for our customers and communities, it helps to carry out our purpose and drive our vision.

The winners are chosen quarterly and are nominated by their fellow coworkers. Employees selected will:

  • Receive a $1,500 bonus 
  • Be able to make a donation grant of $1,500 from the Assurant Foundation for a charity/charities of their choice.

 

We are excited to share the Q4 2022 winners of The Assurant Way CEO Award

 

Lauren White 


Lauren is the Lead Business Processing Specialist in Global Automotive and has been with Assurant for almost three years. As the team lead for Global Automotive’s business processing department, she assists the team with training and organization to process contracts monthly and help keep workflow smooth. 

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment, spend time on what adds the most value. Lauren reworked the entire contract transfer process to allow for some procedures—previously only able to be supported by in-office personnel—to be handled by virtual employees. She designed the workflow, documented procedures, tested for accuracy/viability, and trained members of the team while serving as a resource to ensure continuity. 

“I am very honored that adding value was the reason for being nominated,” Lauren shares. “I want to thank Brittany Klein, Eric Raines, and Berch Sylvester for the honor of being part of such a great group.” With her team always in mind, Lauren does her best every day to think from their perspective of processing and ways to improve and simplify the process. 

Outside of Assurant, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband and their two dogs. To relax, she likes to watch movies and shows or play board games and video games. Lauren would also love to do more traveling and see new places in the coming year. 

 

Zenia Castro 


Zenia is a Technical Product Owner for Global Technology in Financial Services supporting U.S. Card Benefit clients. Having been with Assurant for 20 years, she currently helps bridge the gap between the product and the technical development of it to get it to the user or end customer. 

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment, serve clients & customers with passion & purpose. When a major financial institution partner was migrating from their current credit card benefits provider to Assurant, Zenia knew that our digital capacities were a key aspect of why this partner chose us over their existing partner of over 30 years. While there were significant challenges, Zenia was able to confirm the right resources, ensure that the implementation timeline was not impacted, gained the confidence of the partner, help launch the website functionalities, and positively influence the customer experience. 

“I truly love my job, and I’m so glad that it translates into passion and purpose,” Zenia comments. The commitment she demonstrated is at the heart of what she believes, and she tries to convey it through everything that she does. “I believe that we can always do right by the people that we serve if we do it from a place of joy and with pure and good intentions. I believe in honesty and speaking from the heart,” she says. By focusing on the positive side, Zenia aims to provide solutions to what can be done, instead of what can’t be done. 

Outside of Assurant, Zenia is passionate about volunteering and helping charitable organizations such as Autism Speaks and Habitat for Humanity. She enjoys sports and being outside with her family (including her three kids) and their dogs. Believing that “being of service to yourself is equally as important as being of service to others,” she also spends her time doing yoga, reading, dancing, and working out. 

 

Stephanie Salinas 


Stephanie is an Actuarial Information Management Associate in Global Finance and has been with Assurant for a little over three years. She handles premium reporting for domestic states and state filings. As the finance point of contact, she also performs several other essential tasks such as explaining expense figures to the Finance team, creating the annual budget for Assurant’s cost centers and presenting it to business units (BUs), submitting planning figures through the IBM Enterprise Planning tool and balancing accounts after posting month-end journal entries. 

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment, bring grit & determination to get things done, by producing a savings of $735k to the company related to assessment expenses from Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association (LIGA). After reviewing Assurant’s products, it was determined that $34.3M in premium was written on lines of business that were potentially out of scope. Stephanie persevered, with remarkable patience, in working through LIGA for more than seven months before finally getting these exemptions granted, saving Assurant $735k. 

“My request was something that the State of Louisiana hadn’t been aware of, but it was still the right and legal thing to do,” says Stephanie. Once the DOI got involved, it was confirmed that her exemption request was valid and, therefore, granted. Stephanie attributes this accomplishment to great teamwork as it required open communication and assistance from the out-of-scope product owners and the Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs team. She commends her department for always encouraging her to explore her ideas on improving certain processes. 

Outside of Assurant, Stephanie loves working out, volunteering and exploring the outdoors. “I definitely notice an improvement in my mental health when I do these three things continuously, which allows me to work to the best of my abilities,” Stephanie adds. 

 

Emily Deconcini 


Emily is a Technical Product Owner for Global Technology. She has been with Assurant for close to eight years and supports the business by understanding and prioritizing work for the POMCAS group to complete. Along with her team, she supports the IT needs for the People Organization, Marketing, Communications, Global Sourcing and Facilities. 

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for exemplifying not only the commitment, be curious to inspire new ideas & solutions, but also the Assurant value of uncommon thinking. Emily created a tool in SharePoint, including design, layout and branding, to provide employees with a simple way to determine if their doctors participate in our new health plan’s network. The tool soon replaced a vendor solution that was complicated to use and confusing to navigate. Emily managed to deliver the new tool in record time, enabling Assurant employees to use the tool during Open Enrollment. 

Outside of Assurant, Emily loves spending time with her family. She has a husband and two young children, and they enjoy watching football. Every Sunday around this time of year, Emily and her siblings’ families all gather at their parents' house for brunch and football all day. 

 

Evin Hunter 


Evin is an Associate Customer Contact & Operations Specialist in Global Automotive. He has been with Assurant for a little over a year and is now in the Payments Department of our Automotive side. Evin assists repair facilities as well as the selling dealers on getting their claims paid for the repairs completed. 

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for his extraordinary commitment to community engagement. He supported the groundbreaking work of the B.R.I.D.G.E. People organization in the greater Pittsburg area, directly helping to reduce multigenerational poverty. Evin is also involved in several refugee programs offered by B.R.I.D.G.E. People, teaching valuable life skills, English, American customs, and U.S. citizenship classes. 70% of the families who have completed the program that Evin oversees have achieved full financial independence. 

“Being able to empower others and share my story is what makes me proud every day. We all have something to give, and mine is change,” Evin shares. Reflecting on his accomplishments, he notes that “speaking for others and helping them achieve what they would call impossible is just half the battle. It’s about maintaining and evolving as you do those things.” While there exists a number of resources, outreach help, roll models and positive environments out there, it’s often difficult for people to know where to go and who to reach out to. “My job, I believe, is to connect those bridges,” says Evin. 

Outside of Assurant, Evin loves music and live performances and even has a 70-piece vinyl collection. The second oldest of eight children, Evin enjoys his siblings’ presence and cherishes laughing and doing silly things with them. He also enjoys meeting new people through B.R.I.D.G.E. and learning about their stories, always willing to be an anchor to those making the choice to change. 

 

Amanda Becerra

Amanda is the Lead Counsel in Business Legal, and she has been with Assurant for over 9 years. As part of the IP & Procurement Legal Team, she supports the business with legal advice, agreement drafting, and negotiation when there is a need to engage a third-party supplier. She primarily supports Global Auto and Financial Services with their supplier relationships.

She received The Assurant Way CEO Award for her commitment to serve clients & customers with passion & purpose. In several situations, the Auto business worked on initiatives primarily designed to offer products to Assurant customers, which included the purchase of goods. Amanda went above and beyond by taking the time to educate the business lawyers about the vendor-specific terms typically included in these types of agreements and worked with the business legal team to develop a template to address these relationships. These efforts were essential to Assurant’s Vehicle Care product suite.

Amanda’s actions helped drive efficiencies and free up more time for others to spend on what adds the most value. “It is a privilege to work with such talented teams and help to bring innovation to our clients,” she says. Driven by her passion for her clients, she adds that “At the end of the day, I am happy to help where needed to ensure that our internal and external clients are successful.”

Outside of work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters. She volunteers with her daughters’ school’s Parent Teacher Organization and as an assistant troop leader for her daughter’s Brownie troop. After her middle child was diagnosed with several food allergies, Amanda also started baking birthday cakes for her daughter and has since developed a fun hobby of experimenting with baking and decorating cakes.

 

Ruthvik Thulasiram

Ruthvik is a Senior Data Scientist with Global Data Analytics and has been with Assurant for over five years. He solves business problems and enhances business operations by developing machine learning solutions. Ruthvik has mainly supported claims operations by delivering multiple Dynamic Claim Management (DCM) solutions to automate claims adjudication for cost savings and reduction in turnaround time, resulting in better customer experience.

He received The Assurant Way CEO Award for demonstrating the commitment, be curious to inspire new ideas & solutions. Ruthvik helped guide data-driven insightful solutions by leading a team to integrate a Machine Learning (ML) driven DCM solution into Brazil’s Claim Operations Process. This solution resulted in business rule reduction from 16K+ to 300 with half a million of cost avoidance and raised auto-adjudication rate 60% for the Brazil Connected Living Claim team.

Ruthvik embodies The Assurant Way, showcasing his commitment by consistently delivering data science solutions. He has also solved multiple challenging business problems by utilizing Machine Learning and channeling the Assurant value of uncommon thinking to bring about uncommon results. Regarding his accomplishment, Ruthvik commends his team for their open thinking. “The credit should go to the entire team, especially the business, for being so responsive and eager to collaborate and implement the ML solution,” says Ruthvik. 

Outside of Assurant, Ruthvik enjoys traveling and going on road trips. He also likes to build Legos in his free time.

 

Congratulations to all! We are so proud of our Q4 winners and are honored to call them part of the Assurant team. Make sure to check back each quarter as we continue recognizing some of our employees' hard work! 

 

 

]]>
Assurant Added to Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the Third Year in a Row We are so excited to join 484 other companies as a member of the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index! https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-added-to-bloomberg-gender-equality-index-for-the-third-year-in-a-row/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:41:00 GMT Untitled Design (6)

We are excited to join 484 other companies as a member of the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which gauges the performance of public companies dedicated to reporting gender-related data. This reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: leadership & talent pipeline, equal pay & gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and external brand.

Companies are assigned a Bloomberg GEI Score based on the data disclosed for the metrics defined in the GEI framework. The GEI Score measures both the level of disclosure of gender-related data, as well as distinguished performance via a data excellence component score.

This is the third year Assurant has been included, and, each year, our score has increased! 

“The ability to track and measure our progress is the first step in fostering an inclusive environment that enables our employees to thrive,” said Keith Demmings, president and CEO. “Being part of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index demonstrates our commitment to transparency and improvement to ensure Assurant is a place where every gender can reach its full potential and where we benefit from each employee bringing their whole self to their roles.”

Assurant’s practices and programs, such as diverse slates and targeted mentorship and development, are driving a more diverse candidate pool and hires, along with greater mobility. In 2022, Assurant launched an Employee Resource Group, Women@Assurant, which aims to support women with their personal and professional growth by providing mentorship, leadership development and sponsorship to drive empowerment and engagement. At the end of 2021, 54% of Assurant’s global workforce identified as women and held 42% of managerial positions.

 

Learn more about DEI at Assurant and stay updated about our current and new initiatives here

]]>
Diversity Equity & Inclusion: Reflecting on 2022 and Looking Ahead Join us in celebrating some of our signature efforts in 2022 and prepare for what’s ahead in the new year. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/diversity-equity-inclusion-reflecting-on-2022-and-looking-ahead/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 23 Jan 2023 17:45:00 GMT Untitled Design (5) (1)

At Assurant, we celebrate the differences that make us who we are, recognizing that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive Assurant helps us better understand and connect with our employees, clients, and customers.

Each year, we continue to find new ways to:

  • Build and empower diverse, winning teams
  • Embody our values of Common Decency, Common Sense, Uncommon Thinking and Uncommon Results
  • Enable our employees to truly live The Assurant Way in celebration of our diverse thoughts and experiences. 

I’m extraordinarily proud of the work we've done to advance our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy this year. We made a difference through our efforts to connect with employees around the globe, and what we have accomplished helps to deepen our understanding of each other and strengthen Assurant as a great place to work.

Please join me in celebrating some of our signature efforts in 2022 and prepare for what’s ahead in the new year.

Reflecting on our 2022 DEI efforts and progress 
Thanks to the efforts, input and perspective from our employees and leaders across the globe, some of our top highlights include:

  • Evolving our Courageous Conversations to Diverse Perspectives. These unique forums enabled Assurant employees to come together and share perspectives that create connection and understanding, making each community feel seen and heard.
  • Launching three Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Women@Assurant, Veterans@Assurant, and Mosaic@Assurant and laid the foundation for the launch of Pride@Assurant in the year ahead.
  • Launching our inaugural DEI Mentorship Program with 11 mentors and 30 mentees.
  • Exceeding our Supplier Diversity Target by 80%, awarding $38 million to diverse-owned businesses through the program. This built on prior work to enhance our global Supplier Diversity & Inclusion program to further improve diverse representation in our supplier base.
  • Fostering community engagement activities for underrepresented communities through volunteerism and Foundation support (such as our Wounded Warrior Family Support vehicle donation)
  • Achieving 94% on our Diverse Slate & Interview Team requirement for Grades 13 and above U.S. open roles.

What’s ahead in 2023
While we made great progress this year, we are actively working to expand our program offerings and, more importantly, the impact of those offerings in the year ahead. We will continue to advance our efforts, focusing on our Workforce, Workplace, and Marketplace DEI strategy pillars and enhancing our programming and approaches globally to increase the inclusion of our employee base.

We will continue to execute our DEI Strategic roadmap and look to reinforce the following in 2023:

  • Continued evolution of our Diverse Perspectives program
  • Sustaining ERG momentum with the roll-out of Pride and Abilities ERGs
  • Expanding DEI accessibility practices through partnerships with internal and external organizations
  • Continuing to drive our programming and participation using our employee voices

Everyone has a role in these efforts and, through leading by example, we will continue to create forums for ongoing conversation that invite differences of thought and empower everyone to get involved. 

Thank you to our employees for all you are doing to build a stronger Assurant as we bring our DEI commitment to life!

For more information about DEI at Assurant, visit Assurant.com.

 

 

]]>
The Importance of Continuing Education in Today's Job Market Talent Acquisition Consultant, Joshua Svec offers some insight as to why professional development is an essential part and a key factor in building a successful career. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/the-importance-of-continuing-education-in-today-s-job-market/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Fri, 20 Jan 2023 10:01:00 GMT Untitled Design (25)

There are many ways for adults to continue their education while working full-time. Today, continuing your education with different courses and programs offered online and offline is easier than ever. Many companies offer elective courses that one can sign up for using their internal Learning Management System. Some companies even partner with organizations like LinkedIn to offer skill and knowledge-specific courses. Colleges across the country are offering more flexible options by providing programs that focus on working adults.

Continuing education is important for everyone, whether it’s for personal or professional development. In today’s rapidly changing environment, we must stay up to date on the latest technologies and processes. One may choose to continue their education to sharpen their knowledge in their current role or look ahead to their future career endeavors.

As a Talent Acquisition Consultant, I am often discussing education with candidates. Top candidates can speak of ways in which they’ve supported their career growth through continued education. Candidates are looking for organizations that support their personal and professional development, and they often weigh this benefit when making decisions on multiple offers they receive.

Candidates are prioritizing Continued Education to:

Strengthen their skills and knowledge in their current role
Employees can apply the skills learned to their current roles by attending elective courses or pursuing degrees.

Prepare for promotion
Employees can set themselves apart by focusing on courses that help them prepare for the next steps of their careers. Many will find that it’s easier to transition into a new role when equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills.

Increase salary
Companies often recognize the value of certificates and degrees. Once obtained, employees may be able to work with their internal partners on a salary increase to recognize their educational efforts.

Change careers
Employees can have more control to pivot their careers with education choices. Companies often look at internal candidates with priority. If an employee wants to work in different areas of an organization, they can focus their education on courses and programs that equip them with skills needed for those roles.

Develop themselves personally
While professional development is important in continued education, personal development is just as important. Education helps us learn a lot about ourselves. In many cases, we also get the opportunity to meet like-minded professionals and develop our interpersonal skills.

With so many options for continued education, it’s essential to focus on personal and professional development. Continuing education allows employees to have more control of their career trajectory, either as an internal employee or as a candidate for a new organization.

Assurant offers a variety of learning and development opportunities for employees interested in advancing their career. Find out more here.

 

 

 

]]>
Our Commitment to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Last week, Assurant announced our goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 percent by 2030. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/our-commitment-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 19 Dec 2022 14:59:09 GMT GHG Reduction Blog

Last week, Assurant announced our goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 percent by 2030. The target, which aligns with the Paris Agreement and the Science-based Targets initiative (SBTi), was set as part of the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) guiding principle to ensure its facilities around the world adhere to sustainability practices.

“Our new climate goal furthers Assurant’s commitment to integrate climate impact into our business operations,” said Keith Demmings, our president and CEO. “With global operations across 21 countries, serving the mobile, auto and home markets, we seek to create a positive impact for all our stakeholders by setting ambitious goals to reduce our impact on the environment. Our ongoing real estate consolidation strategy will help support this objective, as well as the implementation of energy-saving measures at our facilities and, eventually, renewable energy generation.”

Visit Assurant.com to read the rest of this article and to find out more about our recent initiative to support our dedication to protecting, connecting, and inspiring the communities where we live and work.

 

 

]]>
Assurant Adds the UK, India, and Canada to Great Place to Work List We are thrilled to add these three new countries to the additional ten Assurant country certifications, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-adds-the-uk-india-and-canada-to-great-place-to-work-list/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Wed, 07 Dec 2022 16:05:00 GMT AIZ 15051 1122 GPTW UK & Canada + India 900X6752 2

Canada, India, and the UK are the newest Assurant locations to be certified as a Great Place to Work®! 

Great Place to Work® is considered the gold standard in employer brand recognition, and we are thrilled to add these three new countries to the additional ten Assurant country certifications, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.

The UK is the first country to be accredited in Europe with 77% of those surveyed identifying Assurant as a great place to work. 97% of employees surveyed said the same in India, while 86% in Canada shared the sentiment.

“Our culture, guided by our values and aligned to our purpose, drives employee engagement and supports talent retention as Assurant empowers career satisfaction and growth within the organization,” said Paul Cosgrove, President & CEO, Assurant Canada. “Being Great Place to Work-Certified™ recognizes the work we do every day to demonstrate that our employees are valued, and Assurant is a place where people can thrive and develop their careers.” 

None of this would be possible without our employees! We are thankful for our Assurant employees and their continued engagement, ongoing and honest feedback, and most of all, their dedication to our customers and each other.

 

Click here for a list of our global awards.

 

 

 

 

]]>
Assurant Celebrates National ERG Day In recognition of National ERG Day, we celebrate all of our ERGs launched in 2022. Assurant is continuously working to create a stronger and more inclusive workplace for all. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-celebrates-national-erg-day/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Thu, 17 Nov 2022 09:11:50 GMT National ERG Day

At Assurant, we believe in the value of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and its impact on making Assurant a stronger, more innovative company. While we've made great strides in building a diverse workforce, creating a more equitable and inclusive culture has never been more important. One way to foster an inclusive environment is to identify and nurture different perspectives across the workforce that enable a sense of belonging and community.

We have introduced Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) as one way to cultivate these communities. ERGs help employees feel empowered to raise topics that are important to underrepresented groups. 

We’ve launched the following Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support these communities:

Women@Assurant
W@A aims to support women with their personal and professional growth by providing mentorship, leadership development, and sponsorship to drive empowerment and engagement.


"I enjoy being a member of the Women@Assurant ERG mostly because I feel part of a community. What an amazing thing, to be able to build connections with people who share common goals and values all across the globe. I love that the structure is there to help us be better and do better in an environment where we can feel safe and be true to our authentic selves."

Sara Belanger
Account Executive
Women@Assurant Volunteer Committee

 

Veterans@Assurant
V@A aims to create a community to support and serve our veterans through recruitment and retention efforts, professional growth and networking opportunities, company veteran awareness and community engagement and outreach.


"In a short amount of time, we have really developed a sense of community and I could already see that the benefits of that with the activity on our teams channel. Assurant is a great place to work, as we all know, and the addition of the veterans ERG, along with other ERGs, provides a great avenue for employees to engage with others outside of their normal work area."

Rich Gallagher
Sr. Finance Director
Veterans@Assurant Treasurer

 


Mosaic@Assurant
*Launching December 2022
M@A focuses on underrepresented minorities and allies. Our goal is to offer a forum for minorities to connect while fostering inclusion.


“Mosaic represents an opportunity to display Assurant’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In addition to creating a tangible network and support group for members of underrepresented groups, this ERG specifically allows the company to understand the group’s needs and experiences (positive or negative) as valued team members. It also allows for discovery, conversation, and solutions, which in turn provides an ROI for the company in the form of a more effective and collaborative workforce. I look forward to the initial outreach to understand the experiences shared by those that join Mosaic.”

David Vaughn
Director, Supplier Diversity & Inclusion
Mosaic@Assurant Co-Chair

 

As we continue creating a stronger, more inclusive workplace for all, we want to thank our ERG leaders, ERG members and partners around for driving innovative change and inclusion at Assurant.

Happy National ERG Day! 

 

 

 

]]>
Congrats to the Q3 2022 Assurant Way CEO Award Winners! We recently introduced The Assurant Way CEO Award. This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/recognizing-our-q3-2022-assurant-way-ceo-award-winners/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 07 Nov 2022 13:18:00 GMT AW CEO Award

Our culture is the secret to our success, and we call it The Assurant Way. The four dimensions of The Assurant Way describe the things that make our company culture unique: Our purpose. Our values. Our commitments. And our vision.

To further recognize the contributions made by our employees, we recently introduced The Assurant Way CEO Award. This recognition takes into account all the components of The Assurant Way and also highlights commitments to community engagement. When employees embody our values to deliver on our commitments and care for our customers and communities, it helps to carry out our purpose and drive our vision.

The winners are chosen quarterly and are nominated by their fellow coworkers. Employees selected will:

  • Receive a $1,500 bonus 
  • Be able to make a donation grant of $1,500 from the Assurant Foundation for a charity/charities of their choice.

 

We are excited to share the Q3 2022 winners of The Assurant Way CEO Award

 

Chris Anderson 


Chris is a District Manager for ADS in Global Automotive and has been with Assurant for over three years. He was nominated for The Assurant Way Commitment, bring grit and determination to get things done, by establishing a partnership with a dealership after over two years of trying to get the business awarded to Assurant. When a dealership’s commitment to partner with Assurant fell through during COVID-19 shutdowns, Chris maintained the communication channels open. He consistently followed up to see if the dealership was getting the service, training, and development they were promised by the current vendor to increase business.” 

“I embrace The Assurant Way mindset to deliver to our partners what we promised and to continue to grow my market,” says Chris. Sharing a takeaway from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, regarding the importance of first seeking to understand, then to be understood, Chris believes in “truly listening to our partners and potential partners. This allows us to bring value and solutions that help them reach their goals.” Starting in 2022, the dealership partnered with Assurant and current results are far above the dealership’s expectations and performance is continuing to increase. 

Chris’ manager, Jeffrey Strickland shares, “Chris’ professionalism and hard work to deliver for both his clients and the organization, is a great example for our entire team of truly embracing our Commitments within The Assurant Way. 

Chris has over 33 years of automotive experience as well as being a NADA Dealer Academy Graduate. Outside of Assurant, Chris enjoys golf and college basketball, as well as spending time with his wife to whom he has been married for 35 years, their three children, and five grandchildren. A proud Blue Star Family, Chris’ oldest son served three tours in Iraq during his time in the military.  

 

Lisa Fisher 


Lisa is an Operations Technology Manager in Global Housing Operations. She has been with Assurant for a little over 12 years and leads a group of Business Analysts. She received a The Assurant Way CEO Award for advancing The Assurant Way Commitment, serve clients & customers with passion & purpose, by onboarding a new client which required implementing a new custom SmartFlow Linked Loans process with a very aggressive timeline. Lisa met the client’s ask and invested the time required to map out and provide detailed instructions for the team to execute this project. She engaged the right people, Operations and the SmartFlow development team, with the knowledge to fast track the work ahead of them.  

“I am only one of many who worked on this project,” Lisa shared, crediting the grit and determination of the team who provided outstanding results. “I feel blessed to work with others who understand and live The Assurant Way,” Lisa says. “It is a powerful guide that, if followed, brings great results to all that we do at Assurant.”  

Lisa encourages new ideas, teamwork, and to constantly keep learning to better serve our clients. She is never too busy to share or assist anyone, and truly represents The Assurant Way every day.  

Outside of Assurant, Lisa enjoys cooking and baking and loves to experiment with new recipes. She loves her cats, as they are great stress relievers, and spending time with her family and friends whom she calls her the biggest blessings in her life. 

 

James Downs

​​​​​​​
James is a Senior Software Engineer in Global Technology and has been with Assurant for nearly three years. He works on the Assurant Labs teams as part of Global Lifestyle and International Technology, as well as on software integrations for the Personal TechPro features for Assurant applications and external customers. James was a recipient of The Assurant Way CEO Award for exemplifying The Assurant Way Commitment, engage the right people at the right time, through his support of the Japanese Team (Trygle) and assistance in delivering add-on functionality for their mobile app (Torisetsu). 

“Delivering this feature to our team in Japan has been a large step toward entering further into the region in general,” James says. He spent many days engaging numerous teams at the right time to troubleshoot and fix issues with urgency. He developed a game plan while exhibiting inspiring creativity and knowledge when it came to reading code and suggesting edits that would fix the issues. James had been involved with this feature since the start of its current iteration back in late 2019. “Getting it right was important for me and the team from the start, as it’s our first launch of this feature outside of Assurant Labs-developed applications,” he shared.  

James has continuously worked with the multiple teams responsible for bringing the feature to an end-user and feels a strong sense of responsibility for it. He is an exceptional problem solver, communicator, team player, and displays strong commitment to serving clients and customers. Assurant's mission of helping people thrive in a connected world wouldn't be possible without talented engineers like James. Outside of Assurant, James and his partner enjoy traveling as well as playing board games and Dungeons and Dragons with their friends. 

 

Bernardo Pérez Rodríguez 

Bernardo is a Senior Implementation Analyst in Global Lifestyle and has been with Assurant for almost four years. He performs analytics, the translation of systems, configuration and testing of new businesses, as well as the maintenance of existing ones. In addition, he’s involved in automating manual and certain critical processes for Assurant Mexico. 

Nominated for exemplifying the Commitment, be curious to inspire new ideas & solutions, by supporting his co-workers and bringing forth innovative solutions. Bernardo has been successful at improving tools for the Assurant Mexico team. He has made more than 20 automations via the RPA (Robotic Process Automation) robot which have allowed for reduced workload, more efficiencies and above all, increased speed of responses to Assurant customers. His actions and great results show how he diligently serves his internal and external clients with passion. 

Bernardo’s approach is to “Start with the User Experience, and work backwards with the technology, not the other way around.” He also emphasizes that teamwork is a fundamental pillar. “Being able to help my colleagues is a great experience and gives me personal satisfaction,” shared Bernardo, “along with the knowledge I acquire everyday thanks to them.” 

Keenly observant in how technology works, Bernardo likes to compare expectations against reality. “I behave like a user who expects to be helped when something does not work as expected,” he says. Outside of Assurant, Bernardo enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and pets, which include five rabbits and a cat. 

 

Brittany Steele 


Brittany is an Associate Regional Account Manager in Multifamily Housing. She’s been with Assurant for over three years. Brittany is responsible for conducting training for new and existing clients and, as the point of contact, answering questions from site teams about our products and how to use them.  

Nominated for embodying The Assurant Way Commitment, be curious to inspire new ideas & solutions, Brittany has gone above and beyond to service clients and colleagues. She has molded her department by implementing procedures, training manuals, conducting training sessions, and undertaking the implementation of CRM.  

Managers seek Brittany's input on many projects and situations, which is an illuminating sign that she is crucial to not just the department but to managers as well. “I am just so honored that the work I have done made at least one person’s day a little better,” says Brittany, and she credits her team, sharing that it was their positive feedback that made her willing to go above and beyond to provide resources and make the process as smooth as possible for everyone. Brittany is a role model and great example of someone who knows Assurant and exemplifies The Assurant Way. 

Outside of Assurant, Brittany is an avid crafter, doing a little bit of everything from sewing to crocheting.  

 

Steven Stokes 


Steven is a Senior Manager of Production Operations in Connected Living at the Lewisville Device Care Center. Having been with Assurant for seven years, he has had several roles from Planning to Materials to Operations which he really enjoys doing now.  

Steven was recognized for The Assurant Way Commitment, be curious to inspire new ideas & solutions, through the design of a new bubble bag that allows for easier scanning of cell phone devices being processed at the Lewisville, Texas Depot. This innovation has eliminated bag to phone mismatches since labels are no longer required to be placed on the bags, devices are protected from getting damaged, and the overall count time was cut in half.  

“The challenge has been around for as long as I can remember and with our current automation, there were just not any good solutions out there,” reflected Steven. “Having relationships with our packaging partners from my previous role encouraged me to reach out to work with them and our materials team on the idea.” Steven shared that this solution wasn’t an option in the past, but with new technologies and trial and error, he and the team were able to bring this idea to life from not only one but two suppliers.  

This bag has drastically improved the scanning process and as a result, the company is seeing savings. “The benefit of saving the company a substantial amount of money quarterly was the original goal, but the unexpected benefits of the bag have far exceeded all expectations.” 

Outside of Assurant, Steven cherishes every second that he gets to spend with his wife, kids, and family. He also enjoys spending time outdoors and fishing. 

 

Daniel Quiroz 

Daniel joined Assurant in 2021 as a Business Technology & Reporting Analyst in Global Lifestyle. He provides strategic technology support to the Contact Center related to applications, reporting, and improvement of operational processes. He also manages operational data to measure contractual and business-related key performance indicators. 

Daniel was nominated for living The Assurant Way Commitment, spend time on what adds the most value. He developed a unique, automated database for a client notification claims status system that performs the necessary downloads and filters to expedite the files for management review. As of its implementation in June 2022, results show a 50% reduction in download time and data filter, centralization of information for use by the Operations area and Call Center, and an increase in the productivity of average daily calls. In addition to improving execution time and resulting inputs, this database will also be used to manage communications for our customers. 

Daniel further exhibits The Assurant Way Commitment through his continued work on optimization and improvement projects. One such project was the creation of templates for sending messages through WhatsApp that follow the extended status of a claim in order to ensure constant communication with the customer and to improve their experience. Follow-ups can now be given without losing sight of what phase of the process each claim is in, since the databases include working groups focused on each part of the process. 

Outside of Assurant, Daniel enjoys activities that exercise mental abilities, as well as going to the movies, watching TV, and bike riding. 

 

 

We are so proud of our Q3 winners and are honored to call them part of the Assurant team. Make sure to check back each quarter as we continue recognizing some of our employees' hard work! 

 

 

 

]]>
Assurant's Strategic DEI Partnerships Spotlight Assurant is committed to investing in strategic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) partnerships to further foster inclusion and enhance access to best practice DEI resources for all employees. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/strategic-dei-partnerships-spotlight/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:39:00 GMT DEI Partnership Spotlight Blog Image

Assurant is committed to investing in strategic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) partnerships to further foster inclusion and enhance access to best practice DEI resources for all employees. In alignment with our commitment to fostering greater diversity and development opportunities and with support from the Assurant Foundation, we are thrilled to partner with non-profit organizations in 2022 such as the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), Disability:IN, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE), and LEAP (Leadership Education For Asian Pacifics) in our commitment to empower women and underrepresented minorities in the workplace. 

 

Black Men in Leadership Conference with the ELC

The ELC is a national organization that works to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline, opening channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to impact business and our communities positively. Through our strategic partnership with the ELC, Assurant recently offered a group of high-performing Black and African American male leaders the opportunity to further their professional development by participating in this year’s virtual Black Men in Leadership Conference held in May. This one-day event is designed to accelerate the process of redefining leadership and provide crucial conversations, networking and resources to purpose-driven Black male leaders who are committed to overcoming adversity and developing their mindset, skillset, and toolset. 

This year’s Assurant attendees were Anthony Bothwell, Brenton Burkhalter, Bruce Goodwin, Chad Glover, Christopher Anderson, Claude Sarfo-Agyare, Garnet Bishop, Justin Harrison, Patrick Brutus, and Rod Pauldin. We asked a few of the attendees to reflect on their experience and to share more about how the program helped advance their career goals or strengthened their skills:

  • Anthony Bothwell, AVP Operations Device Lifecycle, said, “This conference reinforced the importance of having mentors and sponsors, both to help achieve personal career goals and to help others.”
  • Justin Harrison, District Manager ADS, said, “This experience motivated me to keep pushing for diversity, equity, and inclusion. It was motivating to hear from others on their career journeys and their various strategies to help do that.”

 

 

Disability: IN Annual Conference

Disability:IN is the leading non-profit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide, working to expand opportunities for people with disabilities and effect change. Through our strategic partnership with Disability:IN, a group of Assurant employees participated in Disability:IN’s Conference & Expo held in July. We’re proud to partner with Disability:IN to support its vision for an inclusive global economy where people with disabilities participate fully and meaningfully. This year’s Assurant attendees were Emily Liu, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director, David Vaughn, Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Director, and Timothy Burden, Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Administrator.

Earlier this year, we launched enterprise-wide Diversity Training for all employees to engage with in 2022, customized to the Assurant Way and our DEI strategyLanguage about disability is a changing landscape across our globe. We are offering access to the course, "DEI Education Course: The Language of Disability," where our employees can discover some basic guidelines about disability and the language that can be used to encourage a more inclusive culture for all people, disabled or non-disabled.

 

Emerging Latino Leaders Program & Mujeres de HACE

HACE is a national non-profit dedicated to the employment, development, and advancement of current and aspiring Hispanic and Latin professionals. Through our strategic partnership with HACE, a group of Assurant employees were invited to participate in the Emerging Latino Leaders program held from May - August. This program is a dynamic and intensive action learning experience that transforms high-potential Latino professionals into high-performing leaders. This year’s Assurant attendees were Diego Rodrigues, Nadja Rosario, and Neisha Aponte.

We asked Neisha Aponte, Manager of Regional Order Management, to reflect on her experience and share what she liked most.

  • She said, “As a Latina leader, not often I get exposed to people who look like me, who come from although diverse heritage, we all seem to follow the same backgrounds. For me it was more the network, the camaraderie, the friendships established where I found the greatest value - one that extends far from the session/program. It was a once-in-a-lifetime commitment to growing as a leader that I will share and apply for many years. It also ignited in me the need to get involved within my community, to keep encouraging others, to be of service.”

With our partnership, we’re also able to sponsor five employees in the Mujeres de HACE program, a one-of-a-kind cohort-based leadership program that provides an individualized and culturally relevant curriculum geared to empower high-potential Hispanic and Latina women to succeed professionally. The program is currently underway, with expected completion in mid-November. The Assurant participants are Alexandra Reyes, Damaris Torres, Mariela Pennock, Mary Lee, and Samy Torres

 

LEAP: Pathways Program

LEAP is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to achieve full participation and equality for Asian and Pacific Islanders through leadership, empowerment, and policy. Through our partnership with LEAP, two Assurant employees, Namita Vishe and Utkarsha Hazarnis, were selected to join the 2022 Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) Pathways Cohort that took place from Sep. 14 - 23. LEAP Pathways opens new avenues for leadership advancement for Asian and Pacific Islanders while helping retain their values and culture.

We asked Utkarsha Hazarnis, Director of Product Operations, to reflect on his experience and what he liked most.

  • He said, “The program helped open new avenues to advance our leadership skills while helping to retain our values and culture. I am excited for the upcoming coaching sessions with a professional executive coach. Thanks to Assurant for allowing me to participate in this training.”

 

To read more about DEI at Assurant, check out our diversity page and careers site blogs. Make sure to check back for more updates about our DEI strategic partnerships later this year! 

 

]]>
Assurant Helps Gift a Mobility-Modified Truck for Veteran This week, we proudly teamed up with Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) to present combat-wounded veteran, Sean Adams with a mobility-modified 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 truck. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-helps-gift-a-mobility-modified-truck-for-veteran/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 17 Oct 2022 16:01:56 GMT Ww

It was an honor to travel to Atlanta last week to witness the outcome of the Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) and Assurant partnership. Together, we proudly presented Retired U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Sean Adams of Gainesville, Ga. with a specially modified 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 truck as part of the WWFS Mobility is Freedom program.

As a veteran, this ongoing partnership is incredibly impactful. Assurant has partnered with WWFS since 2018, and this is the second mobility-modified vehicle presented to a veteran since the collaboration began.

I am proud to be part of a company that recognizes the challenges veterans face and through my work as Executive Sponsor of the Veterans@Assurant Employee Resource Group, I am honored to be able to support veterans like Sean as part of my work at Assurant. It reminds me of the importance of supporting the communities where we live and work.

Sean’s story is one that will stay with me for a while. He enlisted in the Marines after graduating from high school because of the impact the September 11th attacks had on him. On the morning of February 10, 2012, Sean was in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on a reconnaissance patrol when he was severely injured by an improvised explosive device. The blast took both of Sean’s legs above the knee and injured both hands and his right arm. He also lost partial vision in his left eye. Sean considers the Navy Hospital Corpsmen and Marines who helped him in the field that day true heroes.

The new truck will help Sean work on his 67-acre hay farm. Mobility modifications include the installation of a special wheelchair lift, a digital accelerator ring, and a custom brake handle.

Please join me, along with Assurant colleagues, in wishing Sean support and success in his future.

 

LaShonda O.

“Proud to work for a company that makes a difference in the community. Assurant partnered with Wounded Warriors Family Support (WWFS) to present combat-wounded veteran, Sean Adams with a mobility-modified 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 truck.”

 

Stephanie H.

“Honored and proud to have been a part of this dedication. Sean had some very important words and messages that he didn’t want us to forget… we need to continue to support our wounded veterans and the families of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Mental health needs to be a priority for wounded veterans, and support services like Wounded Warriors Family Support should continue to be a focus for us all to honor those who so bravely and selflessly served and sacrificed for our freedom.

It was a pleasure getting to know you, Sean!”

 

Jill H.

“Honored to be present during the ceremony handing over the keys. Ret. Col. Sean - it was a pleasure to meet you, hear your words, and experience your humor.”

 

Mark A.

“Amazing commitment to assist our veterans and show appreciation for their sacrifices and efforts. Thank you to ERG leadership and all those involved in making it happen.”

 

 

]]>
Assurant Launches Employee Resource Group for Veterans "It’s with this focus and vision that I’m proud to share announce of the Veterans@Assurant (V@A) ERG, which officially launched on July 4th of this year." https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-launches-employee-resource-group-for-veterans/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 11 Oct 2022 17:10:00 GMT Veterans At Assurant ERG

As a People Partner at Assurant, I believe in the value of investing in our workforce and fostering talent. Assurant’s commitment toward Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is an additional driving force within our organization’s culture because its impact makes Assurant a stronger, more innovative place to work.

As Assurant continues to make strides toward our goal of building a more diverse workforce, creating a more equitable and inclusive culture not only for our employees, we’re also driving change within the communities where we live and serve across the globe.

In our journey toward fostering this inclusive and equitable culture, we’ve expanded our DEI footprint in 2022 through the introduction of Employee Resource Groups.

In our journey toward fostering this inclusive and equitable culture, we’ve expanded our DEI footprint in 2022 through the introduction of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). In March, we collectively celebrated the introduction of the Women@Assurant ERG, which mobilized over 900 memberships of women and allies alike at the time of launch.

But, the work has just begun and I’m proud to share some of the recent momentum we’ve seen in identifying and nurturing different perspectives across the workforce at Assurant. When we harness the collective strength of our unique differences to work together, we unlock creative potential, making our community stronger.

It’s with this focus and vision that I’m proud to share announce of the Veterans@Assurant (V@A) ERG, which officially launched on July 4th of this year...

 

Read the rest of this article and hear from some of our members on Assurant.com

 

 

]]>
Assurant’s Commitment to Breaking the Mental Health Stigma Our purpose, helping people thrive in a connected world, also applies to how we help employees thrive by supporting growth and development and by continuing to focus on their health and physical, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-s-commitment-to-breaking-the-mental-health-stigma/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 10 Oct 2022 15:21:00 GMT World Mental Health Day

1 in 8 across the globe live with a mental health condition. 

And Assurant is working to break the stigma.  

 

Our purpose, helping people thrive in a connected world, also applies to how we help employees thrive by supporting growth and development and by continuing to focus on their health and physical, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing. We continue to prioritize mental health based on employee feedback and the broad effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on issues of isolation, burnout, depression, stress, and anxiety. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated a “rise in both anxiety and depressive disorders at more than 25% in the first year of the pandemic,” all while identifying a widening gap in mental health services and available resources. 

This inspired our theme this year: “Connections.” Connecting with supportive people heightens our sense of belonging and wellbeing, while feeling disconnected can create a sense of loneliness and isolation which can take toll on both emotional and physical wellbeing. Connecting with others or spending focused solo time to connect with yourself also can help build resiliency to face challenges and grow.  

Though today marks World Mental Health Day, we’re committed to providing our employees with information and resources to support wellbeing all year long. It is important to create and foster an environment for open dialogue about the issue of mental health to break the stigma and ensure employees feel safe and supported in their professional and personal lives.  

Beyond this support, our U.S. employees have access to an array of mental health and wellbeing benefits, including: 

  • Health insurance coverage that begins on day 1 of employment 
  • Headspace App, a resource for managing stress and finding balance 
  • Free and confidential Global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) including mental health, financial, and legal services for employees and their families 
  • Family-friendly support benefits, including: 
    • Paid parental leave 
    • Fertility benefits 
    • Adoption, surrogacy, and fertility services 
    • Back-up childcare, dependent adult care, and virtual tutoring services 
  • 13 paid holidays, including flexible days to focus on personal cultural celebrations, wellbeing, and family time 
  • Assurant Wellbeing program, to help employees make positive lifestyle changes 
  • Ongoing flexible work-from-home and hybrid options available 

 

2:1 Match: Donations to Charitable Organizations on World Mental Health Day

Assurant is also offering a 2:1 match for donations to mental health agencies today through the Assurant Foundation. The special match will be above and beyond the regular annual match allocation of $1,000 per employee.

 

Together with our employees, we are working to normalize and prioritize mental wellbeing. For more information about our U.S. benefits, visit MyAssurantBenefits.com.  

 

 

]]>
Career Progression: My journey of advancement and growth at Assurant Sr. Talent Acquisition Analyst, Kim Crego shares her story of career growth and advancement during her 18 years at Assurant. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/career-progression-my-journey-of-advancement-and-growth-at-assurant/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 16 Aug 2022 09:00:00 GMT KC (675 × 900 Px)

Stop Looking for a Job

You may be thinking that is a very odd beginning for a Fortune 500 Company Career Site blog post, but I can assure you it will make sense after reading more.

I remember walking through the swinging door of Assurant Health in Milwaukee, WI for my Human Resources Administrative Assistant interview like it was yesterday. ‘Yesterday’ was 18 years ago. I was a stay-at-home Mom for almost 2 years when I decided to return to the workforce, so I was eager to put my best foot forward. I met so many great people during the interviews I had that day, interviews that felt like conversations with old friends. What struck me was recognizing how different I felt walking back out that swinging door. I felt energized about all I had learned and about the individuals I would potentially be working with. It was no longer ‘just a job' I had applied for. It was an opportunity I wanted. An opportunity within an evolving organization that presented growth along with a strong collaboration embracing culture.

Create Your Own Path

During my 18 years with Assurant, I have seen those growth opportunities come to light in several other positions within Human Resources and Talent Acquisition. I began my Assurant journey as a Human Resources Administrative Assistant, moving into an HR Coordinator role in 6 months. I spent 5 years in the HR Coordinator and Talent Acquisition Coordinator role before moving into the Talent Acquisition Consultant (Recruiter) position. This allowed me to learn more about the business while partnering with many business leaders throughout the company and identifying and hiring strong, diverse talent into the organization.

I then rerouted after 5 years and moved into the Talent Acquisition Analyst role for 4 years before being promoted into my current role as a Sr. Talent Acquisition Analyst. To say I have learned a lot would be an understatement. I have gained greater insight and analytic perspective of Assurant’s Talent Acquisition efforts. I have also had the privilege of working with many of our Global Assurant colleagues in the UK, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Argentina. Assurant has given me the ability to collaborate with many business areas and so many incredibly talented and success-driven individuals. To this day, several of my most cherished friendships developed from a working relationship that began at Assurant. 

Change Is Inevitable – Growth is Optional

Before starting with Assurant, I wasn’t prepared for the numerous changes ahead of me when taking on new career growth opportunities, the transition of new leadership, and system changes. Initially, this was quite challenging as I was not a champion of change.

The word ‘change’ often conveys a sense of uncertainty or can bring a negative connotation. But what I came to realize over time, was that all those changes were the pathway to the opportunities to learn and grow and push me outside my comfort zone. That is what energized me during my interviews. Every opportunity I have had with Assurant has done just that which has allowed me to embrace change today.

The People

When I am asked what I like most about working at Assurant, my immediate response is ‘the people’. I’m not alone. But what does ‘the people’ mean? To me, it means I’m surrounded by supportive, collaborative, engaged management and colleagues across the business. It means my colleagues are diverse – in every possible way, bringing new perspectives and creative, innovative ideas to Assurant’s purpose. It means I genuinely care about the individuals I work with and Assurant’s unique culture.

When you are surrounded by personable, talented leaders and dynamic, engaging colleagues who support your success while driving Assurant’s goals, it is much more than a job.

So, when I said earlier, ‘stop looking for a job,’ I meant it because, for me, the search stopped with Assurant nearly two decades ago. Instead of looking back, I’ve moved forward for my love of what I do and for Assurant investing in talent and growth. I believe my work makes a difference, and I couldn’t be luckier to work alongside colleagues just as passionate about Assurant’s mission as I am.

If this sounds like a place you would thrive and grow in, look for your next opportunity here!  

]]>
LaShonda Oglesbee Named One of Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America LaShonda was selected from of over 500 prospective candidates across corporate sector influence, scholastic achievement, career growth, community outreach and recognition. She shares insights about her own career path and shares advice for others. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/lashonda-oglesbee-named-one-of-most-influential-black-executives-in-corporate-america/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 19 Jul 2022 07:20:20 GMT AIZ 13952 0722 Blogsocial Image Lashonda Oglesbee 900X675

LaShonda Oglesbee, Vice President, Global Head of Strategic Enablement & Change at Assurant, was recently named one of Savoy Magazine’s 2022 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. Savoy is a leading African American business and lifestyle magazine and this recognition showcases individuals who’ve been recognized for their executive and business leadership in national and global-leading corporations.

With about two decades worth of strategic consulting experience, LaShonda supports significant transformation initiatives and employee engagement efforts across the globe at Assurant. She also leads in the development and implementation of strategies to drive employee engagement, leveraging insights from the voices of close to 16,000 employees and an extensive network of global Engagement Champion Teams (ECTs) to elevate the employee experience.

LaShonda was selected from of over 500 prospective candidates across corporate sector influence, scholastic achievement, career growth, community outreach and recognition. In light of her distinction from Savoy, LaShonda shared insights about her own career path and shares advice for others:

 

Congratulations on being recognized as one of 2022’s Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. What was your first reaction when you found out about this recognition?

I felt extremely honored just to be considered when I received the request to meet with the selection committee. When I found out that I was actually selected, I was thrilled to be listed and recognized for the work I have done in the community and at Assurant. Also, I felt thankful for all the support and encouragement I received from my family and colleagues over the years who have challenged and stretched me to take risks, dream big and help others as I pursue my goals.

 

As Assurant’s VP and Global Head of Strategic Enablement and Change, you keep employees and employee experience top of mind. How do you think your career with Assurant (or in general) positioned you for this recognition?

I joined the consulting industry directly after graduating from Spelman College. Early on in my consulting career, I was introduced to change management, which is centered around helping people prepare for and adapt to changes. By specializing in change management, I gained a greater appreciation for listening to employees and developing plans to help people understand and prepare for transformational changes. This foundation prepared me for the role I have today, which is focused on developing and implementing strategies to drive employee engagement, leveraging insights from the voices of 16,000 employees globally to enhance the employee experience, partnering with people across Assurant to ensure changes are executed successfully and overseeing HR due diligence for mergers and acquisitions.

 

Tell us about a specific experience or person who inspired you to where you are today.

That is a difficult question to answer because I would say multiple experiences and people have influenced and inspired me. When I think about where I am today, it’s truly an outcome of:

  • Growing up as an only child, watching my parents’ strong work ethic
  • Having the support of my husband, son, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends in all of my extracurricular pursuits and their unconditional love
  • Church members who helped me grow spiritually and nurtured my desire to get involved in the community
  • Classmates and professors who challenged my thinking
  • Colleagues who provided opportunities because they saw things in me that I didn’t necessarily see in myself at the time.

I am where I am today because of a combination of all my experiences and all the many people that invested in me personally and professionally.

 

If you could go back in time, what advice – career or personal – would you give to yourself just starting out in your career?

I would tell myself:

  • “Take more calculated risks” - You will be surprised of the outcome when you believe in yourself and get uncomfortable. This is where you will have your greatest successes, learnings and failures.
  • “The love of family and friends is one of life’s greatest blessings” – Life is short, so spend time making every moment and every second count with your family and friends; create those unforgettable experiences today because tomorrow is not promised.
  • “Don’t sweat the small stuff” – Everyone makes mistakes - the key is to learn from them, not agonize over them.
  • “To whom much is given much is required” – Always find time to help and support others you meet in life.


This year, Assurant’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives include a prioritization in Strategic Partnerships across underrepresented communities. Many of these partnerships aim to support Black men and women in the workplace. What advice might you give to Corporate America to support Black employees looking to make a difference in business leadership?

  • “Connect With-and Listen to-Employees” - Provide opportunities for senior leaders to have transparent conversations with black employees on their concerns and engage them in developing and implementing solutions.
  • Develop and Manage Your Leadership Pipeline” – Focus intensely on identifying the next leaders within the organization. As your leadership pipeline is identified, review the list to ensure it reflects the diverse composition of your employees and customers. Then review the list again from a diversity and inclusion perspective. Once the list has been developed, actively manage it to ensure people on the list are provided with exposure to senior leaders and the appropriate professional development opportunities.
  • Identify & Measure the Effectiveness of Strategic Partners” – As you look for organizations to partner with to support your Black employees, clearly define the objectives and metrics for each partner. Ensure that the partnership will truly support the needs of your current and future Black employees.


What advice would you give to junior or midlevel Black employees who aspire to progress their careers in Corporate America now?

  • “Build Your Personal Board of Directors” – Identify a group of people that will serve as your sounding board to advise you and provide you with their open and honest opinion. Your personal Board of Directors should consist of people from various ethnicities and diverse backgrounds.
  • “Identify Both Mentors & Sponsors” – A mentor is someone that can provide you with career advice and will serve as a role model for you. A sponsor is someone within the workplace who will advocate for you. Sponsors leverage their influence within the company for your career advancement and they make introductions to help you broaden your network.
  • “Strive to Become a Servant Leader” – The most effective leaders, in my opinion, try to serve others. They value people, engage in active listening, empower others so those around them can realize their own potential, are altruistic and care about others.

 

In addition to her work with Assurant, LaShonda serves as a Board member with the Nicholas House, an Atlanta shelter that provides housing to homeless families. She’s also a former president of the Buckhead Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill of America. In addition, LaShonda is an alumna of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation: Inspire Atlanta Program and was selected as Mentor of the Year by Pathbuilders, a professional mentoring and leadership development company dedicated to supporting women in their careers.

Click here to read more about LaShonda and her recognition.

 

 

]]>
Assurant Employees Surprise Young Runners at Girls on the Run 5K The spirit of community support was evident for the Girls on the Run of Atlanta 5k event, with over 100 Assurant employees who assembled to motivate, support and celebrate young runners, walkers, movers and shakers both on and off the track. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-employees-surprise-young-runners-at-girls-on-the-run-5k/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Thu, 14 Jul 2022 14:36:00 GMT GOTR

In the last three years, over 50,000 volunteer hours have been clocked by Assurant employees across the globe. This is worth celebration, especially considering how the COVID-19 pandemic has redefined the way we work and engage with our communities. It is because of employees dedicated to strengthening the communities where we live and work that Assurant was named an Honoree by the Civic 50, an initiative of Points of Light, recognizing us last year for being one of the most community-minded companies in the United States.

The spirit of community support was especially evident for the Girls on the Run of Atlanta 5k event earlier this year, with over 100 Assurant employees who assembled to motivate, support and celebrate young runners, walkers, movers and shakers both on and off the track.

Since 2018, Assurant has partnered with Girls on the Run, a national non-profit organization committed to strengthening elementary grade aged girls and their social, emotional, physical and behavioral skills to successfully navigate life experiences. The program engages girls in lessons to foster confidence and establish peer connections, while also preparing them for a 5k. The organization concludes their 12-week programs by hosting local 5k races.

 

“The race was fun and there were a lot of good snacks at the end!”  - London, 3rd grade 

 

Our support for Girls on the Run has spanned across volunteerism, Board of Director engagement and corporate gifts from the Assurant Foundation, prioritizing our investment in the future leaders of our communities. Our gift this year ensured that all participants had access to partake in the Girls on the Run spring and fall program seasons, regardless of their families’ financial situation.  

 

“My favorite part of the 5K was the feeling of finishing and also being with friends and running. “ - Addie, 3rd grade 

 

On race day, over 350 volunteer coaches and 1,086 community runners gathered to motivate and encourage the 1,193 young girls to complete the 5K. Among the supporters were on-site Assurant volunteers who engaged with runners and supporters at the Assurant activity tent.  

“The 2022 Girls on the Run Atlanta 5K race was a fantastic event…for the girls AND for our Assurant volunteers. So much energy and excitement from all the teams,” said Assurant volunteer, Kathy Marker who was excited to participate in an on-site community event for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe.

The Assurant tent was assembled as a place for family or friends of a participant to create personalized 3-inch buttons and posters to celebrate and cheer on the participants. “The Assurant team had a great time cheering them on and helping them with button and banner making,” Kathy added. 

 

“I liked running with my friends and seeing lots of new people.”  - Sienna, 3rd grade 

 

Even before race day, The Assurant Georgia Engagement Champion Team (ECT) was busy commissioning a surprise for participants. To encourage and motivate the participants for the Girls on the Run 5K, 111 Assurant employees leveraged their creativity and dedicated their time to creating and mailing in over 1,300 motivational cards that were added to participant race day bags.  

“We are so grateful for Assurant’s support of the spring 5K as well as for our ongoing partnership,” said Girls on the Run of Atlanta Executive Director, Lea Rolfes. “From providing thoughtful, personalized cards offering words of encouragement to our girls before the big event to having the fantastic team of Assurant volunteers on-site at the 5K celebration to help girls make buttons, there’s no doubt our GOTR girls felt tremendous support from Assurant. Thank you for making such an impact in the lives of girls!”  

Supporting our communities has always been core to Assurant’s culture, and we understand that we can drive a stronger business impact when we strengthen communities where we operate through community engagement to support the greater good.

While the pandemic may have changed how we engage with our communities in the short-term, we’ve never stopped our momentum toward community giving and volunteerism. Just last year, Assurant employees reported 15,396 volunteer hours, while the Assurant Foundation donated close to $5 million in grants and matching gifts to non-profit organizations globally. Furthermore, as part of our Total Rewards and Benefits, Assurant employees are allotted eight fully paid hours every year to use toward volunteering for causes they feel strongly about.

 

To learn more about our continued impact, check out this year’s Sustainability Report or explore open roles with Assurant. You can also join our Talent Community to stay updated on Assurant news. 

 

 

 

]]>
Ask a Recruiter: Tips for Job Search Success Christopher Robinson offers suggestions to not only ensure you match with the right employer, but he also shares tips to showcase your skills and experience to land your dream job. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/ask-a-recruiter-tips-for-job-search-success/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 27 Jun 2022 11:41:00 GMT Untitled Design (3)

As a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant at Assurant and with 18 years of combined recruiting and staffing experience, I’ve always been passionate about making an impact on candidates’ lives. It is my mission to help candidates find their dream jobs and become much more fulfilled in their professional and personal lives. I’ve outlined some tips to not only ensure you as a candidate are matched with the right employer, but also equip yourself to showcase your skills and experience to land your dream job.

Choose Company Culture & Values That You Align With

Remember that when you’re interviewing for a role within a company, you’re also interviewing them to see if they’re the right fit for your career goals and lifestyle. Make sure a company’s values align with yours and try to get a sense of the culture within the organization. This will help ensure that it’s the kind of environment where you can flourish.

But how do you learn about a company’s culture or values without directly speaking to a current employee? Here are a few resources you can use to gather information about a company:

  • Company Website
    • Companies often display their core values or mission statements on their company website. Explore any annual reports they may publish related to topics on corporate social responsibility, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and sustainability. This will give you a wider lens into the company’s key focuses and priorities
  • Social Media pages
    • How does this company position itself online? Do employees engage with the posts? You can learn about a company and its culture with the content they share on their feed.
  • CEO or Executive Leadership Statements
    • Culture begins from the top-down. Look to see if leaders of the company make external statements in response to matters that mean the most to you. This shows integrity and transparency within the organization.

What Kind of Benefits Do They Offer?

Benefits are a great way to see how companies invest in their employees. A dynamic benefits package can show that an employer places a heavy value on their employees’ happiness, growth and well-being. Everyone’s needs are different, so strong employers will offer benefits that aren’t intended as a one-size-fits-all solution.

If you’re in strong consideration for the opportunity and you’re curious about the company’s benefits package, you can ask the Recruiter or HR Representative for more details.

Consider Job Security & Growth Opportunities

Ask questions during the interview process so that you can get a clearer picture of how the company is performing, financially. It is also a good idea to ask what advancement opportunities might be available in the future if you were to exceed expectations in the role.

When you interview the company, it allows the recruiter to articulate what makes this company unique. And when you inquire about career growth, it tells the recruiter you’re not only confident and ambitious, but you’re looking for a long-term commitment in your next role.

Consider questions like:

  • “What do you like most about working for XYZ Company?”
  • “What excites you most about where the company is headed?”
  • “What does a typical career path look like for someone stepping into this role?”
  • “What role(s) does a high-performing associate typically grow into after starting out in this position?”

How to Stand Out from Other Candidates

  • Social Media Presence
    • Your social media accounts should professionally reflect you. Recruiters generally search for public information they can gather on potential candidates, including reviewing social media accounts to uncover any red flags in their candidacy.
  • Revisit your Resume
    • Don’t forget to include any certifications or completed training on your resume that relates to the jobs you are applying for or shows your interests. It is also a good idea to add those details to your LinkedIn profile.
    • Also consider including specific keywords in your resume. When recruiters search for candidates, they screen for specific keywords related to the job, such as specific job titles or ideal skillsets for the position. Before applying to the role, review the job description and determine applicable skills to include in your resume and LinkedIn profile to show your qualifications and stand out to the recruiter.
  • Do your research on the role and the company
    • As a recruiter, I ask candidates, “Are you familiar with our company and what we do?” to get an idea of how engaged they are in pursuing the opportunity. I don’t expect the candidate to be an expert on our company, but it is encouraging to hear when a candidate has a basic understanding of Assurant.

If you want to find out more about Assurant and take the next step in your career, explore our Careers page to learn more and apply.

]]>
Before You Swipe Right on Your Next Employer, Consider This Advice The relationship you have with your employer is one of the most important in your life. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/before-you-swipe-right-on-your-next-employer-consider-this-advice/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Fri, 17 Jun 2022 14:41:00 GMT AIZ 13042 0322 New Purposeassurant Way Careers Site Blog 3 3

The relationship you have with your employer is one of the most important in your life. You spend a lot of time looking for your ideal job, searching for a company with the right combination of must-have characteristics. Are they solid and trustworthy? Interesting and fun? Do they care about their people? You do your research and stalk them on social. Then you finally take the leap and make a connection. And when it’s a match, you’re thrilled. You start your new relationship with high expectations and every hope that you and your new employer will build a rosy future together.

But time alone well tell whether it’s truly a match made in heaven, or just a short-term thing. So how do you know when you’ve found the right fit?

Start with the basics.

Start by looking at company culture. Some companies are hierarchical, bureaucratic and process-oriented. Others are more entrepreneurial and willing to take risks. Some companies view employees as replaceable commodities. Others see talented people as the single most important factor to the company’s long-term success.

Assurant’s unique culture is a big reason why so many talented people choose to work here, and why they tend to stay. Although we have a wide variety of skills and experience, and come from many different countries and cultural backgrounds, we share some characteristics that are uniquely Assurant. Like a passion for service. An ability to innovate in practical ways. And a willingness to take chances. We believe that staying on top doesn’t mean sacrificing our values. We believe clarity of vision and a sense of purpose will carry us forward. And we take charge of our own success.

Create a purposeful connection.

Top talent is often attracted to a purpose-driven company. Look for a company that has a strong sense of the role they serve in society and why they exist in the world. For every moment you spend working, you should feel that you’re doing something fundamentally important. At Assurant, we help our clients and their customers thrive in a connected world, with products, support and services that make our complicated lives a little easier. That spirit of service spills over to the communities where we live and work, with opportunities to give back. And we’re committed to providing support for each other, because we know that every Assurant success story lifts all of us even higher.

Make sure your values are aligned.

A good cultural fit starts with your fundamental values. Don’t be satisfied with a list of corporate values on a website. Look for a company that clearly puts those values in practice. At Assurant, our values are the most enduring piece of our culture. They bring to life expectations we set for ourselves. Common sense, to simplify the complex. Common decency to embrace inclusion and behave ethically. And the kind of uncommon thinking that drives innovation and delivers uncommon results.

Take charge of your own happiness.

If you want your relationship with your employer to stand the test of time, then you’ll need to grow together. You’ll need to understand your own career goals, and you’ll need your employer to provide the tools to help you get there. We know what it takes to be successful at Assurant, and we’re committed to making sure our people know as well. That’s the secret to some of our greatest employee success stories. Did you know our CEO started out as an intern at Assurant? That’s just one example of how it pays off to understand what’s important both to you and your employer and work together to build something beautiful.

Share a common vision.

There’s nothing more unifying than working toward a common goal. And achieving and sharing milestones along the way is a time-tested bonding experience. Look for an employer with a bold, audacious vision. Something that excites you when you get up in the morning. Make sure you know how you fit into this vision, and what you can do to contribute to it. And stay ready to adapt to change. At Assurant, we’re not the same company we were five years ago. And we continuously reinvent ourselves in order to ensure that our clients, consumers and employees are well prepared for whatever the future holds.

Is Assurant a match for you?

If you’re looking for a company that’s grounded in values, inspired by purpose, propelled toward success and united by a vision of the connected future, then we would be a great fit for you. Learn more about how we define our culture called "The Assurant Way" here

 

Ready to swipe right on Assurant as your next employer?

Learn more and check out our open roles here.

 

 

]]>
World Day for Cultural Diversity Employee Reflections Assurant is committed to advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) across the organization. We believe we’re stronger when we bring together individuals with diverse experiences and perspectives. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/world-day-for-cultural-diversity-employee-reflections/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 31 May 2022 18:23:51 GMT Add A Heading

For the first time at Assurant, we proudly observed World Day for Cultural Diversity, which the United Nations acknowledges and celebrates annually on May 21. It’s an international day dedicated to understanding the depth, value and strength of cultural diversity. While celebrating the richness of the world’s diversity, it also highlights the need for intercultural dialogue.

Assurant is committed to advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) across the organization. We believe we’re stronger when we bring together individuals with diverse experiences and perspectives. And it starts with listening. It begins with hearing from our employees about their life experiences – including their personal history, identity and heritage. We encourage open dialogue across our global footprint of 21 countries, 80 locations, 22 time zones and 65 languages spoken.

One example comes from our Tennessee U.S. depot center, where they recently underwent an exercise to creatively showcase the diversity of employee nationalities within their production floor. To represent the 35 different nationalities of our employees in the depot, they displayed 35 country flags along the main walkway as a tribute to the richness of our diverse workforce, backgrounds, perspectives and ideas. 

Since the launch of this project, there's an increased dialogue and conversations among employees about heritage, country histories and what their flag represents. Celebrating our unique heritages and learning from one another brings us closer to inclusion, and inclusion is the heart of our Workplace DEI goals.  

International Flags at an Assurant Depot

To continue celebrating the unique voices and stories everyone has to share, employees were eager to share stories of their heritage across the organization through internal communication channels and social media. Here are a few - of many - employee stories:

Monica B.

"I am from Tanzania and a tradition that I really enjoy is getting henna tattoos. Henna tattoos are part of a special ritual during occasions like religious holidays (Eid), birthdays and/or weddings. During traditional ‘Swahili’ weddings the bride is decorated with henna for good luck. Henna tattoos are really popular now and you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to get one. The last time I went home (pre-Covid) my daughter and mother-in-law got beautiful tattoos."

Hands displaying henna tattoos

Todd B.

“May is Jewish American Heritage Month. Throughout time, it was looked down upon to be Jewish. People were held back, punished, discriminated against, told “no” and even killed. Despite these obstacles, Jewish people have held their heads high, pushed back, and never let anyone stop them from achieving their goals, which has helped shape the world. 

To share my Jewish culture, here’s a picture of apple charoset (pronounced “Horosa”). It is a dish that reminds me of my grandfather, as he traditionally made this dish. While the recipe varies, common ingredients in apple charoset are apples, pears, raisins, figs, orange juice, red wine, pine nuts and cinnamon and it is traditionally eaten during Passover Seder.

I'm proud to be Jewish, during this month and every day.”

Todd B. Jewish Cultural Dish: apple charoset

Jessica S.

"Although I have lived in the United States for nearly 23 years, I am originally from Northern Spain. Here are some photographs that remind me of where I come from.

The traditional Basque clothing although it varies per region, derives from what farmers would wear back in the day. Usually people will dress in traditional clothing for town festivals to celebrate their heritage, you will also see performances of traditional dances.

The Txistu, it's a popular Basque instrument usually played alongside a drum during these celebrations, typically you would march around the streets of the town for all to hear.

I also wanted to share some pictures of the beautiful home architecture (the picture shared is where my mom currently lives). We also have beautiful mountain views and beaches.

My son got to visit Spain and meet his great grandma for the first time in 2019. Hopefully we can go back again soon!"

Jessica S Northern Spain Traditions

Melissa T.

"As an American Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) that was born in the U.S. with immigrant parents, English became my primary language out of necessity. Fast forward many years later and both my children are in a Mandarin immersion school, because both heritage and diversity helped me to be a better leader. It allowed me to empathize and collaborate with people that have had accomplishments, struggles and experiences shaped by their own cultural differences. Diversity of thought, inclusion of ideas and courage to change is what drives organizations (and people!) to succeed."

Melissa T. AAPI Greeting Card

Ricardo C.

“Our individual cultural identities help inform the way we see the world. Sharing about our cultural diversity with our colleagues in the workplace is super important, as it offers new perspectives that can inspire us to see the world in a different light. Bringing these new perspectives about the world into the workplace have been proven to inspire creativity, drive innovation, and even make businesses more competitive and profitable!”

Ricardo Wedding

Daniel O.

"#WorldDay Baleadas are among the most popular Honduran foods to date. These soft, thick tacos, in their simplest form, are stuffed with refried beans, salty cheese, and Honduran-style sour cream. Other satisfying fillings may include scrambled eggs, avocado slices, and meat. What’s even better is you can customize baleadas to suit your taste! #AssurantDiversity #Honduras"

Baleadas from Daniel O

 

 

 

]]>
Assurant’s Commitment to Employee Paid Leave Transparency We believe in the importance of inclusion and flexibility in the workplace, so we recognize employee benefits shouldn’t fit into a one-sized-fits-all policy. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-s-commitment-to-employee-paid-leave-transparency/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Fri, 27 May 2022 09:05:45 GMT #Showusyourleave

Earlier this year, Assurant joined 500 companies and organizations (and counting!) in a viral social media movement inspired by media company, The Skimm. Their ongoing campaign encourages employer transparency by inspiring companies to showcase their family leave benefits. The Skimm believes transparency is a crucial first step to improving paid leave for all. As a company employing nearly 16,000 employees across the globe, we do, too.

We believe in the importance of inclusion and flexibility in the workplace, so we recognize employee benefits shouldn’t fit into a one-sized-fits-all policy. Some may need to step away from work to care for a loved one, grow their family, or focus on themselves.

We shared a highlight of our parental leave and family support benefits in our recent social post, but we’ve given you a closer look at how Assurant remains committed to supporting employees below*:

Assurant Parental Leave and Family Support Benefits

  • 12 weeks paid pregnancy leave and parental leave for birthing parents 
  • 4 weeks paid parental leave for all new parents, regardless of gender or caregiver status 
  • Family expanding financial and medical support: $20,000 for qualifying adoption or surrogacy services and $30,000 for fertility services plus expert support
  • Back up childcare, dependent adult care and virtual tutoring services
  • Free and confidential Global Employee Assistance Program, which includes a variety of services for employees and their families, including mental health, financial and legal
  • Future Moms program includes personal pregnancy nurse to assist with prenatal care 

Additional Assurant Benefits Popular with Parents and Families

  • Generous Paid Time Off that increases with tenure
  • 13 paid holidays, including national observed holidays and flexible days to focus on: personal cultural celebrations, wellbeing and family time
  • Paid volunteer day for employees to dedicate toward charitable causes 
  • Health insurance coverage that begins on day one of employment
  • Ongoing flexible work-from-home and hybrid options 
  • Variety of employee discounts & perks for travel, retail, electronics and more 

For more information about our U.S. benefits, visit myassurantbenefits.com. For details about our global benefits, please speak with a recruiter. 

*As of March 2022 | Benefits are for U.S. employees. Regional benefits may differ. 

 

 

 

 

]]>
Stand Out: Tips for Improving your LinkedIn Presence Mini Sharma shares helpful tips and explains how building your profile and expanding your network can lead to new, boundless opportunities. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/stand-out-tips-for-improving-your-linkedin-presence/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Fri, 13 May 2022 12:39:07 GMT Shutterstock 684065722

As of this year, LinkedIn boasts more than 810 million global users across 200 countries and territories, making it the largest professional network on the planet. It is a platform that is perfect for staying up to date on industry trends or emerging professional roles.

Alternatively, LinkedIn can also be leveraged to attract people in your network to our company by sharing opportunities and business highlights. This allows us to leverage one another’s connections to build our brand and attract the best talent. It’s estimated that roughly 80% of the jobs filled are through personal and professional connections.   

As a Senior Recruiting Consultant, I’ve learned in my 20 years of experience that networking is key if you're serious about your career and professional advancement. But it isn’t just about having a presence on LinkedIn or other networking sites. Don't just "set it and forget it." You need a great LinkedIn presence that highlights your expertise, interests and personality. That way, you're able to connect with the people who can help you expand your career. 

At Assurant, our guiding mission as a responsible employer is to foster a culture that values diversity, equity and inclusion while recognizing the importance of investing in employee talent. 

We see a lot of fantastic candidates applying for roles at Assurant. Here’s a few tips for making yourself stand out in your job search or networking endeavors:

In your settings, turn your profile on to public

  • Friends, current or past colleagues, recruiters or industry networking opportunities won’t be able to find you if your profile visibility is limited.

Connect with people who send you an invitation

  • Try connecting with like-minded and skilled individuals to expand your industry impact and potentially advance your career. 
  • Once connected to people, try to make a point to engage with them and their content. Make comments on relevant stories. Answer any messages. The possibilities for engagement and networking are out there and can work to your benefit.

Add substance to your profile with specific details 

  • Update your profile with a picture of yourself so people can recognize you. 
  • Choose a memorable background photo that features your interests or expertise. It helps to tell a visual story about who you are.
  • Craft a standout LinkedIn headline. Having a headline on your profile is key to making a positive impression and concisely explaining what you bring to the table.
  • Tell your story in the summary section. Some people may simply use it to list their recent job titles or most valuable skills, but this section also has the potential to help you provide unique information about who you are and can differentiate you from the competition. 

Edit your profile regularly 

  • Did you move recently? Update your location so that recruiters know where you’re located.
  • Try to regularly update your other content, such as adding new skills or projects you completed recently. This shows to recruiters that you’re committed to growing and learning, which is always an attractive quality.

Ask your colleagues for recommendations on your skills. This is a great way to boost your profile to the people looking to connect with you while adding credibility to you as a professional and a teammate.  

I am reminded of a time when we hired an employee who I connected with on LinkedIn a while back. Although it didn’t work out for that specific position I was looking to fill, he reached out when he saw that I had posted a new role on my LinkedIn that very much aligned with his background. So, you see, building your profile and expanding your network can lead to new, boundless opportunities.

It’s estimated that roughly 80% of the jobs filled are through personal and professional connections. As our “new normal” has moved to a more virtual work environment, forging those connections through social networking has become even more critical, so let’s start building our connections!  

Interested in joining our team? Click here to learn more and apply!

 

]]>
Five Quick Tips of Career Advice I’d Give My 25-Year-Old Self "In my role leading our legal function at Assurant, I think of these pieces of advice every day as I help our team members grow their careers through new experiences." https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/five-quick-tips-of-career-advice-i-d-give-my-25-year-old-self/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 25 Apr 2022 16:18:00 GMT AIZ 13357 0422 Careers Blog Jay Rosenblum 900X675 Final

I recently had the honor of participating in the Innovative Legal Leadership podcast. During my discussion, I was asked what advice I would give my 25-year old self. Fortunately, I didn’t have to think hard about it because I happen to have two sons who are in their twenties and starting their career journeys. Because I’d give them the exact same advice, I’m eager to also share with you:

  1. There is no “best job” that will determine the rest of your career.
    Don’t worry about getting that perfect first job. You’ll learn from every job you have, especially those that don’t work out. 
  2. The career “ladder” is not a natural progression, with each step a straight line to the top. 
    Take risks, try new things and learn from each step along the way.
  3. It is okay if you don’t know what you want to do for the rest of your life. 
    Don’t look at managers and corporate leaders and assume they always knew where their careers would lead. They were also in their twenties once, and just like you, they likely had no magic ball to know where their careers would lead. 
  4. Help everyone you can, especially your peers.
    Being a team player will pay more dividends than succeeding at the expense of others. (And trust me, it will be noticed.)
  5. Be in the moment.
    Excel in every job and push yourself to gain new experiences, different perspectives and new skills. Don’t always be thinking about what comes next. 

In my role leading our legal function at Assurant, I think of these pieces of advice every day as I help our team members grow their careers through new experiences. The commitment to helping our employees with their learning and development is part of what makes Assurant such a great place to work. 

 

Hear More from Jay

Check out the Innovative Legal Leadership podcast to hear about Jay’s belief in trying new things and taking risks, including:

  • Lessons from his time at the White House
  • Structuring the legal department to best serve business priorities
  • A purposeful approach to talent retention
  • Assurant’s DEI initiatives

🔊Listen on Apple 
🔊Listen on Spotify

 

About Jay

Jay Rosenblum is executive vice president, chief legal officer of Assurant, Inc. and a member of the company’s Management Committee. He leads Assurant’s global legal department, which includes oversight for compliance, government relations, regulatory affairs and other legal matters affecting the company. In that role, he serves as a key advisor to the Assurant Board of Directors and oversees corporate governance matters.

Mr. Rosenblum joined Assurant in 2019 as senior vice president, Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs where he was responsible for developing and advancing Assurant's global government relations and regulatory affairs strategy, establishing engagement priorities, building partnerships with external stakeholders and advocating for the company's policy and regulatory positions. Prior to his appointment as chief legal officer, Mr. Rosenblum served as interim chief legal officer from February to July 2020.

 

 

 

 

]]>
Growth Opportunities, Authentic Culture and Proactive Leadership: Why Stella Loves Assurant In Stella Arndt's opinion, Assurant is the best company she has ever worked for. Here are few reasons why she loves working here. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/growth-opportunities-authentic-culture-and-proactive-leadership-why-stella-loves-assurant/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Mon, 11 Apr 2022 13:56:46 GMT AIZ 13284 0422 Newslettersocial Image 900X675 (1)

I joined Assurant 9 years ago and am currently a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant, based in Phoenix, AZ and working remotely from my home office. In my opinion, Assurant is the best company I have ever worked for. As part of the Professional Recruiting team, I partner with managers in the Global Housing division to recruit, screen, interview and hire for various claims related positions such as desk claims adjusters, field adjusters, special investigators, leads, supervisors and managers.

Here are a few reasons why I’m proud to work for Assurant:

Assurant invested in my growth

Upon being hired, I was given a structured and detailed training agenda that enabled me to transition into the role and within the team with ease. My supervisor ensured to touch base with me daily to answer any questions I had or to walk me through any obstacles or challenges I was facing. I was assigned to a seasoned recruiter, who not only helped train me on all the department processes but who was always available to help me out when needed.

Employees are encouraged to pursue their career aspirations, and Assurant is committed to investing in our growth. As a recruiter, I am always excited to see our employees get hired, move into senior leadership positions and further their careers while utilizing their skills to enhance our business.

Assurant’s full of talented, collaborative individuals

What I like most about working here is the unique culture that is so prevalent. Every interaction I have had and continue to have at Assurant is positive. The people who work here are not only professional but also down-to-earth, respectful, approachable and collaborative. My team members are talented, sharp and efficient, and we function as a tight unit. Our supervisors provide a high level of support and ongoing training to keep us relevant, efficient and innovative in this market. Assurant continues to have a high-level commitment not only to clients but also to employees.

Assurant prevailed during the pandemic by taking care of the employees and communities

At the on-set of the pandemic, executive leadership mobilized us all to safer working conditions, such as equipping us to work from home or providing proper PPE for those who needed to continue working on-site, such as in our depot centers. While other organizations were focused on the bottom line by issuing large layoffs, Assurant took our safety and wellbeing into consideration first. We are updated on the global situation on a regular basis, and we’re given an opportunity to adjust to the new way of working with a special focus on our mental well-being through our global Employee Assistance Program.

Personally, my performance, efforts and dedication to my role at Assurant have always been noted and recognized, which is incredibly encouraging. I was promoted to a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant last year, and that just made me appreciate working at Assurant even more!

If you are considering a role with Assurant, I’m happy to discuss in more detail. Connect with me!

 

 

]]>
Assurant Women and Allies #BreaktheBias During Women's History Month Assurant employees overwhelmed LinkedIn newsfeeds as they participated globally in this campaign. While we can't share all of the stories, we collected a few fantastic insights from Assurant women and allies. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/assurant-women-and-allies-breakthebias-during-women-s-history-month/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Tue, 29 Mar 2022 10:58:00 GMT AIZ 13124 0322 Social And Careers Imagery Break The Bias 900X675 2

On March 8th, millions recognized International Women's Day, a global observance focused on celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. At Assurant, our celebration rang a bit louder on International Women's Day, as we announced the launch of our very first Employee Resource Group (ERG), Women@Assurant, and turned it into a month-long celebration for Women's History Month.

This ERG, which tallied over 900 global employee registrations for membership at the time of launch, seeks to support women through personal and professional growth. It provides growth opportunities through leveraged mentorship, leadership development and sponsorship to drive empowerment. The ERG serves as a forum to collaborate and connect with other women and allies and remains open for registration.

To help take this exciting step toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive Assurant, the leadership team of Women@Assurant hosted a virtual panel on March 8th for all employees called, Diverse Perspectives “Women’s History Month – Discussing Women’s Development, Mentorship and Allyship." Nearly 2,000 global employees joined virtually from 14 different countries to bear witness to the ERG's launch.

During this event, which shared personal stories of overcoming bias, triumph against odds and honest feedback about the challenges women face, leadership also spoke about the #BreakTheBias campaign, which showcases support and allyship across social media to breaking biases for women in the communities we work, live and serve.

Assurant employees overwhelmed LinkedIn newsfeeds as they participated globally in this campaign. While we can't share all of the stories, we collected a few fantastic insights from Assurant women and allies:

 

Naz M., International Tax Manager


At the age of ten, my family relocated from Canada to Tanzania. In that moment, I felt as though my entire life had shifted, but in retrospect, those years shaped the person I became (for the good, bad, and ugly). I am so grateful for two amazing role models, my mother, and my aunt Annar Shariff, both are fearless, headstrong, and principal driven women. In a country where businesses are dominated by men, these ladies, single handedly paved a path to a successful enterprise. Every day is a new battle for them, and not because of their business acumen, but rather their gender. And each encounter has only made them stronger.

For me, personally, I was oblivious to biases, until (of course) I joined the workforce. At first, I took all comments as advice. One interviewer (after two hours of conversation) said – “I really like you, so I’ll share a tip, women are better auditors than tax advisors, it has to do with how the brain works”. And silly me, I took that to heart. It wasn’t until I opened-up to a mentor, that I recognized gender has nothing to do with career choices. It’s all about having an aptitude to pursue your dreams. Today, I work for a company that has a tax department lead by a remarkable woman Melissa Hall who is always a step ahead, humble, and one of the best leaders I’ve met. #assurantproud

This is to all my friends who were taught to stay within their lane – I say – you can do anything, for those who can drive, change lanes, down shift and pass! Be brave – and break the bias! 

 

Jean Carlos R., Senior Customer Experience Analyst


In honor of International Women’s Day, I want to share a collage of the most important women in my life.

I am a proud #girldad and I look forward to seeing these ladies grow both personally and professionally. I feel honored to have been entrusted with the task of helping them navigate the world and letting them know that they will always have an ally!

I am also thankful for the women who have broken and continue to break barriers for the future generations. You have all made a Dad’s job easier by setting examples of resiliency and courage for our girls to follow.

 

Giovanna R., District Manager - Field Repair


Incredibly proud of the gentlemen in this photo. These past 5 months we have gone through a plethora of changes, challenges and successes. All in all- these men have continuously worked alongside me. They have given me their respect and most importantly their trust. They each have played a role in my continuous development as a leader and I hope they all can say the same about me.

This group fosters the true definition of hard work and collaboration. It can be challenging being the only woman amongst my peers and in addition leading a group of just men- but I’m fortunate enough to be treated as an equal and be respected as one as well. Thank you team, for all that you do and continue the great work! #togetherwemakeadifference #leader #work #development #respect #collaboration #assurantproud #womenshistorymonth #womeninleadership #BreakTheBias

 

 

Keith N., Director, People Business Partner


For my family, for my friends, for my co-workers, for my community. I am committed to breaking the biases for women to thrive!! #breakthebias #iwd2022 #lifeatassurant

 

Melissa H., Senior Vice President, Head of Global Tax
When I worked in as a tax manager in London at age 26, my female co-worker and I were referred to as the tax “Tarts” by an important client (look it up, I had to), who always requested that we be sent to do the work at his company. We were sent.

Today I head up a global tax department for a Fortune 500 company with staff in eight countries. On my team we all, men and women, earn our seat at the table through merit, and serve our business partners and stakeholders accordingly.

When my daughter was in high school her biology teacher refused to provide test prep for her to practice over the weekend, saying she needs to meet in person with him after school because she “sits there and twirls her hair during class.” She could not meet after school because she was an athlete with practice and competitions six days a week. Another teacher there told me, in front of her, that he was intimidated by her because they have never had such good athletes in the school, and he gave her a special job - to hang up student’s work that needed to be up high since she is so tall. Zero recognition for her academic accomplishments.

My daughter transferred to an all girls high school, where she thrived, and was recruited to college as a varsity athlete. This May, she graduates from Georgetown University with a degree in biology.

See us for who we are. I am proud to be an advisor for Women@Assurant, and I am committed to break the bias, for the sake of my own daughters and for women everywhere. #breakthebias #lifeatassurant #internationalwomensday #iwd2022

 

Yadira Riveria C., Vice President & Managing Attorney, International


I grew up in a middle-class family with my mother, my father, and three brothers. In that world surrounded by boys, I grew up competing and playing with my brothers, and with my dear mother and father talking about the roles of girls in the house: girls play with dolls and boys play on the streets. Growing up in this environment, full of filial love, but at the same time full of expectations based on my gender, I learned from very early on to question and challenge these norms.

That is why I ask many questions, I push and challenge any aspect of life that does not make sense to me or that has signs of injustice, including any expectations of what a woman should or should not do. I started in the world of sports at a very young age. I played volleyball and yes, basketball too. A sport that in the 80's was still primarily for men. If you were a girl and played basketball you had to take great care of your appearance. Watch your steps and what you wore, all these superficial things that if you did not take care of could lead you to be labeled. I was never frightened by these preconceptions and that's why I continue to play and participate in fulfilling activities that make me happy.

I studied law when women were almost beginning to be a majority in that world. I was a prosecutor of criminal cases, another world surrounded by many men. Today the story is very different, but back then the prosecution was still dominated by men. Even my mother looked at me with a weird face, just like when I started drinking whiskey. When I was about to be confirmed on this role someone asked me how a "young girl" like me was going to get up at night and go by myself to investigate criminal scenes. You can imagine my face, “how is it possible that he is asking me that and did not ask to the other “young boys” who appeared before me? The concern for safety on the streets should have been the same”, I thought to myself. Fortunately, a great woman appeared, challenged the question, and raised her voice in protest. What a great ally!

Reflecting on what I have accomplished in my life it all has been possible by the work and struggles of many women, including the most important female forces in my life: my mother and my daughter. It is also the result of many allies who have accompanied me on this path, who have given me the opportunity to be present at the table, to collaborate, contribute and make decisions. #BreakTheBias #IWD2022 #LifeAtAssurant

 

Francesca L., Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer

Over the years, we’ve collected stories that have profoundly shaped us into the people we are today. Let me start at the beginning of my professional career – the first month at my first job, right out of college.

I was asked to join a colleague at a client meeting abroad. My team needed someone with strong financial modeling skills with fluency in a specific language. It was me.

I was so excited and anxious to make an impact. When we arrived, we were introduced as part of the larger deal team, and we were ready to begin negotiations. Before starting, an advisor asked - in front of all - that I leave to get coffee. I was dumbfounded - why now, why me - we needed to start. As I started to speak, my managing director jumped in and told the advisor, “Perhaps, YOU should go.”

After weeks of hard work (and many coffees later,) we closed the deal, and the rest was history. For me it was a broader lesson: we need allies and outspoken advocates.

 

Isabel D., Vice President, International Operations


In celebration of International Women's Day, I would like to share with you a personal story and the difference allies make in breaking the biases and driving change.

My great-grandfather “Papi Alva” taught me that we all are equal, and everyone deserves a place at the table. It took me years to understand the impact his actions had in my family and my future.

My grandmother “Mamin” was an only child, regardless of how society perceived woman at that time, Papi Alva encouraged Mamin to pursue a career and follow her dreams. Long story short my grandmother raised 3 boys, became a widow in her early 30s, worked for more than 50 years as an Optometrist, and today at 96 she is still enjoying life! Many know and love my unique grandma, but today I wanted to share Papi Alva’s story….allies are critical to drive change!

My great-grandfathers actions to break the bias for his daughter has had an enduring impact in past, present, and future generations.

I am committed to breaking the biases for women to thrive ensuring there is always a place at the table for everyone. #BreakTheBias #LifeatAssurant #iwd2022

 

Amanda M., Director, Administrative Operations

As the youngest girl in a family of 6, opportunities to speak and be heard were limited. I was the family’s pet sister, often referred to as “Mini-Mouse”. I was very much loved, but usually overlooked and not taken seriously, so I learned from an early age the value of watching, listening and peace keeping. For me, expression while growing up was in the form of the performing arts. I also love reading and learning.

Fast-forward to my career growth, I always had a lot to offer, and saw things “differently” than those around me but didn’t know how to speak up and be heard. Fortunately, I’ve met so many people along the way who saw my potential in the small moments that mattered and encouraged me to speak up. Speaking up can be messy and uncomfortable but we must begin somewhere and then practice, practice, practice. I lean on my creative brain and practiced language skills to pack what I say with value, using clear and succinct language wherever possible so I can be heard. It’s a skill I continue to develop and leverage so I can show up as a valuable contributor.

I pledge to continue to pay it forward to others struggling with the same challenge so they can grow alongside me. Join me in helping others find their voice and #breakthebias #IWD2022 #LifeatAssurant

 

Carol M., Vice President, Global Supply Chain Platforms

I was born in the mid 60s during a time of cultural revolution. Although I witnessed a great deal of radical events on TV like the coverage of the Vietnam War, Civil Rights protests, and the Apollo missions, life is our house seemed very ordinary for a middle class family.

I wasn't encouraged nor was I discouraged concerning my goals and was told "There's no money for school, so don't ask." I was told that I was my father's last hope for a boy and that I was to be called Joseph after my grandfather. I wanted to go to school but was unsure directionally. So, I decided to get a decent paying job and pay my way through school.

My first manufacturing job was in a production machine shop. My boss asked me every day "How's my token female?". I learned later that he did not want to hire me but was forced to by a future woman mentor who would not let him refuse a woman candidate.

That job led to one in Production Control and then to HR where I met the previously mentioned mentor who encouraged me to go further in my career and continue my studies. I started applying for other jobs for which I didn't possess 100% of the qualifications which men often do. My husband told me "The worst they can do is tell you no." I internalized that advice.

Later as a Manufacturing manager I recall a vendor who refused to correspond with me until my manager asked him to directly. I received an email to Mr. Carl Miner. I respectfully replied as Carol and got a reply to Mr. Carl. He would not correspond with me as a woman, so to keep our production line going, I became Mr. Carl Miner in my correspondence. My focus however is not on the negative but instead to persevere and focus on what's important.

I developed grit, spoke up when spoken over and presented my ideas before they became someone else's. I've experienced lots of challenges like the above and many more. However, I have received tenfold back in mentoring and the joy I get in mentoring others. More importantly, I finished that degree with honors and earned my PMP.

I am committed to breaking the biases for women to thrive. Studies show that companies who have women in leadership positions and diversity of thought at the table do better financially. When women rise, we all do. #breakthebias #iwd2022 #lifeatassurant

 

The Work in Supporting Women Continues

In addition to this exciting ERG launch and campaign participation, here are some of the additional exciting ways we're making a difference for women:

  • We recommitted our partnership with Catalyst, a global nonprofit organization that works with over 800 companies around the world to accelerate women into leadership. All employees have access to their catalogue of data, tools, research and insights.
  • Through the Assurant Foundation, employees who wish to donate to causes supporting women and girls will receive a special 2-for-1 match for donations made to eligible charitable organizations through March 31, 2022.
  • We partnered with Pathbuilders to launch a Mentoring Program pilot focused on women and allies that will grow over the next few years to include other underrepresented groups.
  • We're continuing to invest in our talent by forging strategic partnerships dedicated to the development of women leaders, including leadership development programming for Women of Color and other underrepresented groups.
  • We launched Diverse Slate & Interview requirements for senior roles in the U.S. in 2021, which continues to be leveraged as a standard practice for interviewing candidates.
  • We regularly assess feedback from our employees to ensure we’re providing equitable benefit options. For U.S.-based employees, we’re proud to offer more inclusive family planning and support benefits, such as fully paid parental leave, regardless of gender or caregiver status, backup child and adult care and generous financial support for fertility, adoption and surrogacy services.

 

]]>
The Best Job Ever While everywhere I’ve worked has had some unique virtues, Assurant stands out because it’s a kind, principle-driven company you can be proud to work for. https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/the-best-job-ever/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Thu, 24 Mar 2022 10:51:41 GMT Shutterstock 1994949479 900X675

I’ve been working since I was 10 years old, starting off as my mother’s bookshelf-duster and moving on eventually to the corporate world. Of all the places I’ve worked, Assurant has been the best.

Viewed superficially, companies are the same. They attempt to enrich their owners, they employ people and they offer products or services. But look more deeply, and you find companies differ vastly in terms of culture. A company’s culture is its personality, and they vary widely.

While everywhere I’ve worked has had some unique virtues, Assurant stands out because it’s a kind, principle-driven company you can be proud to work for.

 

Our People Are Our Best Asset
Here, people here support each other. If I email someone with a question, I usually get an answer that same day with the information I need and an offer of more help. It’s a simple thing that makes my days smoother.

This helpfulness extends to every level of the company. For example, on a recent Town Hall with our CEO, Keith Demmings, he said people should email him their questions. He’d be sure they got answers they needed. It is essential, he said, for the CEO to be in contact with Assurant’s people.

Bottom line: People are nice here.

 

Stocking Your Toolbox
When I ask for something I need to get my job done, I get it. Early on with my career at Assurant, I asked if I could get a license for Microsoft Project, software than makes tracking complex, multi-step effort easier. The answer from leadership was “yes.” It was so easy! And now, in my work as a content developer, copywriter, and producer of corporate reports, I use my copy of Project almost every day.

Bottom line: Being trusted to know your needs and having them met makes for a job well done.

 

Values with Meaning
Assurant’s core values drive the company’s behavior. The folks directing the company put values first. The rest of the workforce feels inspired to follow suit.

One of our core values is common decency. Its influence showed up clearly when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. Assurant swiftly prioritized safety and health accommodations for our global employees. Since then, they’ve been transparent in their communication strategy, ensuring they are empowering employees with the utmost safety options, such as hybrid work options, work-from-home options or increased PPE for those with face-to-face roles.

The company is also deeply committed to empowering the communities where it serves. Employees are encouraged to make charitable donations to causes they feel passionately about. Through the Assurant Foundation, those charitable donations are met 1:1 or sometimes 2:1. In 2021, Assurant donated $5.3 million in matching funds and supported about 1,700 charitable organizations.

Assurant is constantly striving to exceed their global diversity, equity and inclusion goals. For example, we’ve launched our first Employee Resource Group (ERG) March 2022 — Women@Assurant — and there are plans to launch additional ERGs this year to provide stronger representation and growth opportunities for underrepresented groups.

Bottom line: A values-first approach makes Assurant a place where I’m proud to work.

 

A Great Place to Work
It’s rare to find a place where you feel supported and valued every day. And finding such a place that’s value-driven and financially sound seems to me like finding a unicorn in your bathtub.

Assurant has received numerous recognitions echoing the sentiment I feel for the company. Ten Assurant locations globally have earned the Great Place to Work® certification, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Japan, Mexico, Peru and the United States. We have also been named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality for the fourth consecutive year in 2022, with a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign, and we were included in the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for a second year.

Bottom line: It has been, and continues to be, a joy to work here.

 

If you want to find out more about Assurant and you’d like to take the next step in your career, check out the Careers page.

 

 

]]>
Giving Back: A Q&A with Deb Battaglia When we build relationships rooted in trust and authenticity, it enables us to engage and empower one another on an even deeper level.   https://jobs.assurant.com/en/blog/latest-news/giving-back-a-q-a-with-deb-battaglia/ 6e224a72-0085-42ab-99f2-6b08f75bbcff Fri, 25 Feb 2022 15:35:00 GMT Microsoftteams Image (13)

Throughout my career, and particularly since I joined Assurant in 2019, I’ve been deeply committed to enhancing and bringing innovation to customer experiences across the spectrum. Along the way, I’ve seen how organizations who invest heavily in building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, the way Assurant does, can help equip people to better understand the world around them. A key outcome of this is that individuals also discover more authentic connections with their colleagues, clients and customers. As a global company, it simply makes sense to embrace our differences and seek to understand one another. When we build relationships rooted in trust and authenticity, it enables us to engage and empower one another on an even deeper level.

But how do we expand our reach and drive even more effective change? Honestly, it doesn’t have to be a major effort to drive a lasting impact. Everyone has their own special skillset they can bring to the table to make a difference.

In my personal and professional mission to continue driving impact for others, it is an honor to share with you that I was recently selected to participate in The Atlanta Women's Foundation's (AWF) Inspire Atlanta Class of 2022. This foundation is very close to my heart because the AWF’s mission is to empower women and girls in underserved populations and steer them into becoming effective leaders, in their lives, their businesses and their communities. If it weren’t for similar programs I had access to years ago as a low-income mother trying to provide for my family while scaling my own career in the corporate world, I wouldn’t have the privilege of collaborating with this program. I am so grateful for Assurant’s unwavering support for this cause the last several years.

I also want to share that in addition to Inspire, I’ve taken on an executive sponsor role for Women @ Assurant, the first Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Assurant which opened for membership on 2/8 and will officially launch on 3/8, just in time for #InternationalWomensDay. Over 600 team members have already applied for membership to create a space for allyship, networking, idea sharing, and deeper connections across the enterprise. I’d like to particularly thank Khristie PattisonCarol MinerAmanda MenardYadira Rivera-CintronNaz Manji and my co-sponsor Biju Nair for their support and collaboration in helping this take flight.

In preparation for our ERG launch, a few colleagues from Assurant asked me to participate in a brief Q&A about our emerging ERG and my participation with AWF. As I learned with the #ThisLittleGirlIsMe campaign back in October, being vulnerable and sharing my truth resonates in a BIG way with other women, so I’m sharing a snippet of the interview below in the hopes of inspiring others to get involved and pay it forward for women and girls.

 

Q: Hi Deb! Can you walk us through your background and current role with Assurant?  

A: Absolutely! When my early college and career goals right out of high school were derailed by an unplanned pregnancy, I had to get pragmatic and take jobs I thought would enable me to care for my family – I did a lot of receptionist jobs and temporary work, but eventually a friend who worked in the call center at USAA asked if I’d like to apply there – she said the pay was great and the people were nice, so I took my typing test and signed right up!!

I spent about eight years in the contact center while completing my bachelor's degree, then began moving around the organization. One great thing about large financial service organizations like USAA and Assurant is that they provide such a great environment for taking on different roles and finding out what fits your skills and attributes the best. I took roles in UX/UI Development, Product Management, Process Engineering, Organizational Transformation, DEI, Employee Experience, and Customer Experience Ownership.

When a friend told me about this role at Assurant it seemed like the perfect fit for all the work I had done previously, and so I joined Assurant in 2019 and it has been amazing – I absolutely love the people, the culture, our MCOM’s vision and ability to set us all up for success, and the fact that our products and services really help people protect themselves and their families from the unexpected.

I lead the Customer Experience (CX) team for the Enterprise, with team members embedded across most of our lines of business and geographical regions – and what they do on a daily basis varies significantly from area to area, but with a common thread throughout: they help all Assurant employees focus on making all our products and processes be more customer-centric.

As a historically very client-centered B2B organization, this is a journey, but we’ve made so much progress just in the time I’ve been here – we have an amazing team and their business partners have really embraced the drive for CX by actively inviting them to be a part of all the work going on around the Enterprise. 

 

Q: What responsibility do you feel you have to help other women succeed or advance themselves in the workplace?   

A: I was so young and new to the business world when I started my first corporate role, and truly had no idea what it took to build a career. My leaders during those first 5-10 years saw talent in me that I didn’t even know existed, and they pushed and pulled me into positions of greater and greater responsibility. I didn’t even know I HAD a leadership story at that time, much less have the ability to tell it – but the women and the leaders ahead of me paved the way and showed me how to be successful.

They did this first by being good role models, and then by taking an interest, showing they cared, teaching and mentoring me and investing their time and energy into helping me be successful.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for those leaders, and so I am keenly aware of the responsibility I have to continue to give on to those around me.

 

Q: What advice can you offer to young women who strive to follow in your leadership footsteps?

A: I’m firmly convinced that authenticity is the key to success. Whatever you choose to do, you have to do it with your whole heart. I’m a huge fan of vulnerability in the workplace, because I know that it is our connection to each other that enables us to achieve our goals as a team – you can’t be successful by going it alone, you will always need to rely on others, and so it is relationships built on deep trust which will sustain you long term in all your endeavors.

The other practical advice I would offer is that performance in your current role is always table stakes for moving on and up – you have to master and outperform in what you’re doing now before you can be ready to take on the next thing and expand your sphere of influence.

Lastly, being a good leader to those around you, both personally and professionally, is the best place you can invest in to be impactful long term. As a leader, you have to be both incredibly effective AND incredibly inspiring – you need to be able to effectively communicate a vision, get folks aligned to it and see their role and path to success very clearly.

 

Q: How has your journey led to your engagement with the mission of AWF?  

A: On the personal side, I’ve been deeply interested in giving back within my community almost my whole life. As an unwed, low-income young mom, I utilized California’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to gain access to items such as peanut butter, cheese and milk in order to provide healthy foods to my growing baby. It was clear to me even at that time how difficult, complex and inaccessible most of our social services can be, particularly for women of color. 

There is also a huge social stigma associated with utilizing those services. So, from the time that I was first able to afford to give back, I did. I would volunteer at food banks, homeless shelters and boys and girls clubs whenever I could and I would engage my children in family give-back events like holiday gift delivery to underprivileged kids. 

As I have grown in my career, it has become even more important to amplify my individual impact and utilize my unique skills and talents to make a difference on a larger scale. 

In this way, the timing of Inspire is perfect, because Assurant has been a key sponsor of AWF for a long time. AWF’s mission is squarely aligned with Assurant’s core values and commitment to be a catalyst for change in our local communities, and that is what AWF is all about – empowering women and girls to be successful, and to do so in ways that can truly be amplified and have a larger impact.

The grantmaking that AWF does is earmarked specifically for efforts that can spread throughout the community – such as a grant to a woman to start a daycare business, which then both employs others in the area and provides low-cost daycare to other women seeking to return to work. 

To donate to the Atlanta Women's Foundation Inspire campaign to benefit women and girls, click here.

 

 

 

]]>