Is your insurance business ready for the next talent wave?

Recruitment Unfiltered | By Michele Katz

The insurance industry is standing at an interesting crossroads. We’re watching retirements accelerate, new roles emerge and a generation of talent with completely different expectations step into the market.

The question is no longer: “Can we find good people?” It’s quickly becoming: “Are we the kind of business good people actually want to work for?”

Because ready or not, a new talent wave is coming. The businesses that prepare will attract it. The ones that don’t will compete for scraps in an already tight market.

Let’s unpack what this “next wave” really looks like.

A generational shift

Globally and in South Africa, a significant portion of experienced insurance talent is edging toward retirement. That’s not a crisis; it’s a cycle.

But what replaces that experience will look very different:

• Early-career talent entering insurance on purpose, not by accident
• People transitioning from customer-facing industries
• Tech-literate profiles with new expectations around tools and workflow
• Young professionals who value flexibility, clarity and fast progression

The businesses who win will be those that understand: You aren’t hiring the workforce of 2010 anymore.

The talent is there…

Every week I speak to strong candidates – in claims, underwriting, broking – who want to grow, learn, and contribute. They’re not hard to find. They’re just picky. And honestly, they should be.

This next wave of candidates want:

• Leaders who actually coach
• Workload that doesn’t require burnout as a personality trait
• Clear progression pathways
• Hybrid working that’s trust-based, not control-based
• Companies with a purpose beyond premium targets

The new insurance professional is more hybrid than ever

The strongest talent now blends:

• Technical knowledge
• Customer empathy
• Tech comfort
• Problem-solving over process-following

They want autonomy, interesting work and a culture where good ideas don’t need a senior manager’s signature before they’re allowed to exist.

If your business still rewards time-in-seat over performance, or hierarchy over initiative, you’re going to miss them.

Internal development

The next wave of insurance talent will require businesses to build more than they buy.

But even with strong internal pathways, companies still need external partners for moments such as:

• implementing succession plans
• filling critical roles quickly
• finding niche or specialised technical talent
• refreshing team capability without burnout
• accessing candidates who aren’t actively applying

A healthy talent strategy isn’t internal vs external. It’s internal development + external expertise when it matters most.

Culture = competitive advantage

Not cappuccino-on-tap culture.
Not “we’re like a family” culture.
Not “pizza Fridays when workloads peak” culture.

Although, who doesn’t love cappuccinos, pizza and family, but, I mean real culture:

• Psychological safety
• Respect
• Fairness
• Room to ask questions
• Healthy workloads
• Leaders who know how to manage people, not just portfolios

The future workforce won’t tolerate leadership by fear, silence, or ego. And honestly… this is a great thing.

Are you ready?

Here’s a quick, honest test:

✔ Do people in your business know exactly how to grow?

✔ Are junior employees being meaningfully developed?

✔ Are you willing to hire for potential, not perfection?

✔ Are your leaders trained to lead humans, not spreadsheets?

✔ Does your culture attract or quietly repel?

If not, there’s no need to panic. But the shift needs to start now because the next talent wave isn’t a threat – it’s an opportunity. A big one!

At the end of the day, finding talent isn’t the challenge. Being ready for it is.