Pros
Good benefits, decent starting pay ( if fresh out of college), Xmas bonus and Incentive Bonus. Wasn't aware there was a restructuring of the Incentive Bonus until reading other reviews, but it's still a nice perk. Good experience for learning the industry. Free continuing education program - you can get your CPCU ( essentially a master's degree for insurance) for free. The Home Office training schools are nice too. You're treated very well.
Cons
No vacation or sick-time provided when you first start. You accrue this time monthly. After you put some years in though it is nice. Archaic management practices, and they talk out of both sides of their mouth. They'll harp that we need to be very careful, and thorough in our Underwriting, but then are upset when our 'numbers' don't look good. You can't win. The way to have solid underwriting, and good numbers?! More staffing. The way to keep your current employees so the new staff can be trained adequately? Pay in line with other insurance companies. A lot of good, and experienced people quit due to pay. Most companies will pay $10,000-$15,000 more a year if you have Underwriting experience going in. And the raise structure at A-O is a joke. You can work your tail off over a years time, bring in big accounts, etc.etc, have a great yearly review, and still end up with only a 2% raise (as opposed to the 3% maximum). You're left thinking, I worked that hard, and for what? I'm not being paid what I am worth. A raise is better than no raise, but it doesn't keep it from being awful. There is a lot of lip-service from management on potential promotions to a different position, but it never happens. I think this is a management tactic to try and get you to stay with them longer. Un-paid 'extra' time is expected, but when we are already under paid there is no motivation to do it. AO technically only makes you work 37.5 hours a week because we have an hour lunch. Which is nice. And that could be part of their reasoning for paying less. But here is a novel idea: If you want more production out of us require a 40 hour work week. 8am-5pm. 2.5 more hours for each employee. We'd have to be paid more, but it's not like the company can't afford it. If someone in management doesn't like you personally, you're not getting promoted. Regardless of performance. But If a certain boss really likes an employee, they can't be touched, even if they royally suck at their job and have been requested by other employees to be fired. Men have to wear tie everyday. It's more like a noose, and a reminder that you work for 'the man' everyday. Evidently wearing a tie helps you underwrite better, and have good numbers. Who knew? We are paid less than most other industry underwriters, yet are forced to pay for dressing as if we are the highest paid...? Makes total sense!
