086: The Intensification of Work – Balance versus Boundaries with Laura Hancock

What constitutes a suitable work/life balance? How much does going the extra mile at work facilitate career progression? How much has the pandemic impacted attitudes to work, productivity and flexibility? In this episode of the Insurance Broker Podcast, we’re very pleased to be speaking with Laura Hancock, Founding Director of Yutree Insurance and Deputy Chair of the BIBA board. In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, she performs a deep dive on a recent BBC article (linked below) which speculates that putting in extra hours and performing additional tasks in order to get ahead in one’s career has transitioned from being the exception to the rule to an employer expectation. Laura argues that there is nothing wrong with putting in additional time and effort at work to get ahead and warns that new attitudes to flexible working facilitated by the pandemic may thwart individuals’ career progression and company competitiveness.   Quote of the Episode “If you want to get on, you often have to do a little bit more. That doesn't mean the business should expect you to do more, just that if you want to get on, [you should] do a bit more learning. Therefore, taking a step up is just a natural course of events as far as I'm concerned.” Laura suggests that, particularly for those early in their careers, that stepping up to do additional work is inevitable. If you won’t do it, someone else will, and they will perhaps be more likely to secure the kind of career progression you might be looking for as a result. There is nothing nefarious with taking up the opportunity to show one’s employer that one is going the extra mile; it demonstrates ambition and a drive to succeed, which is beneficial both on an individual and company level.   Key Takeaways When considering one’s career progression, it is good practice to imagine where you want to be after a certain period of time, then calculate backwards the steps required to get there from the position you are currently in. Invariably, if you want to take lavish holidays, live in a beautiful home, and create a comfortable environment for your future family, that will involve putting in extra time or effort in order to make your achievements visible and recognised at work. The insurance industry is still grappling with the change caused by the pandemic. Our traditionalist sector has not easily adapted to the notion that people can work from home and businesses can still be successful. While this has proven to be false as a general sentiment, Laura suggests that the servicing issues which brokers are experiencing from insurers can be attributed to the fact that hybrid work models aren’t working as well as they might. Employees want flexibility, but giving more, or too much flexibility, can create a slump, whereby people become complacent in their positions. Laura argues that it is becoming increasingly important for a balance to be struck regarding flexible working solutions, whereby the community element of office working and the feeling of being valued and accomplished, and achieving progression in one’s career, is not lost. She suggests that this is particularly crucial with regard to young workers and new graduates, who may be losing a lot by not going into the office on a regular basis. The ability to ask people questions directly as and when is needed is a significant learning opportunity which is squandered by working from home. As such, she argues that there is a duty on behalf of both young new employees and experienced people to be in the office regularly in order to facilitate their learning.   Best Moments/Key Quotes “Insurers are big companies, they take a long time to move. They're like blind juggernauts hurtling into the sun; sometimes it's very difficult to change their direction. And the pandemic has meant we've all had to change direction, we've had to be more nimble. And we've had to change the way we think, to accept flexible working to accept that people