Survey shows insurance workers are proudest

Insurance professionals are the proudest workers in the UK, according to research from recruitment firm Randstad Financial & Professional.

The research revealed that 90% of people working in the insurance industry were proud of their profession, compared with the national average of 58% (see graph below).

Insurance workers were closely followed by those working in the property sector (83%) and media workers (81%), while accountants and rail workers ranked lowest.

Research also found that insurance workers worked much longer hours than the national average and were the second hardest workers of all the sectors analysed.

Longer working hours

Insurance professionals worked an average of 39 hours and 15 minutes a week, compared with a national average of just 37 hours and 24 minutes. The sector with the longest working week was wholesalers, who worked 39 hours and 43 minutes a week on average.

Randstad managing director Tara Ricks said: “In order to attract and retain a talented, dedicated workforce, employers need to make their staff feel proud of what they do.

“No one wants to go to work each day without a sense of pride in their careers – and the research proves that employees who fall into this category often spend less time each week at work.

“Professional pride isn’t just good for employees – it’s good for business.”

Salary levels

However, while professional pride may impact positively on business performance, it was not always reflected in salary levels.

While insurance workers were found to have an average weekly salary of £639.50, compared with a national average of £505.90, property workers had weekly earnings of just £479.40 despite being the second proudest of their profession.

Accountants, who came second bottom in the rankings, received an average salary of £639.50 a week, the same as insurance professionals.

Ricks said: “There are clearly a variety of factors at play here.  We know that professional pride among employees isn’t just about pay. It relates to an intrinsic sense of what working in that profession means to them. 

“Many of those working in insurance, financial services and accountancy receive generous salaries – but this doesn’t always instil pride in the workplace.”