How brokerages grow DEI at the grassroots

Some P&C insurance brokerages are taking a less procedural approach to establishing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at their firms, say industry sources responding to Canadian Underwriter’s 2025 Brokerage DEI Survey.

They say embracing DEI organically, rather than procedurally, can establish supportive work environments in a more natural way. Plus, the approach can also reduce friction from skeptical staff.

The research, now in its fourth year, garnered responses from 227 Canadian brokers and is supported by Sovereign Insurance.

“We’ve been operating a bit more on a grassroots level,” Lena Perkins, manager of brand and experience at Mitch Insurance tells Canadian Underwriter.

“It’s been a little bit less about policy and procedure, and more about embedding it into our culture. And I think it also comes down to, at this point, trying to get the team engaged and really focusing on the parts that resonate with them.”

Perkins says employees respond well to peer-led training, and she emphasizes the importance of asking staff directly what topics interest them.

Informal sessions like lunch-and-learns encourage participation by creating relaxed and comfortable environments. To choose topics, the DEI committee surveys staff on what interests them most.

“We did an Autism Awareness Month lunch-and-learn, and we got really great qualitative feedback,” she says. “One [comment] was from a team member who just said, ‘This really helps me feel more empowered and equipped to interact with clients and be able to approach client interactions in a more empathetic and understanding way.’ Not only that, but also in their personal life with people they know who have autism.”

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Perkins says the brokerage has also found success hosting sessions about inclusive remote work practices, something many team members may not realize is an inclusive policy. These practices allow people with significant non-work responsibilities, or who have accessibility needs not met by a physical office space, to work in ways that support their situations.

Correlated to that, 9% of CU survey respondents say they’ve left or considered leaving a job that required them to return-to-office.

“Our team has been really interested in mental health and well-being, so we’ve done a lot of mental health lunch-and-learns,” says Perkins. “The team also wanted a bit more opportunity for women in the workplace…so we did an International Women’s Day panel as well.”

Related: Do DEI initiatives leave some P&C employees behind?

More formalized methods of DEI training allow brokers to earn Continuing Education credits. Such programs get brokers thinking about how DEI factors into their ethics, says Melissa Bajwa, vice president of compliance and broker network operations at Prolink.

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“In Ontario, we do require one hour of ethics training every year for our licensing,” she adds. “Some [broker] associations put out DEI training sessions.”

Brokers agree training and resources related to managing healthy conflicts (37%) and diversity, equity and inclusion (36%) are effective ways to sow peace and cooperation, rather than discord, when polarizing topics arise in the workplace.

One broker in the survey candidly says leaders must also set examples and partake in constructive conversations, or else lessons won’t resonate with employees. “If it’s the leaders doing it, training employees won’t help,” says a rural broker responding to the survey.

This article is excerpted from one that appeared in the August September print edition of Canadian Underwriter.

Alyssa DiSabatino

Alyssa Di Sabatino has been a reporter for Canadian Underwriter since 2021, covering industry trends, market developments, and emerging risks.