What do politicians, car mechanics, and lawyers have in common? They all play necessary roles in our lives, yet many feature highly in lists of most hated professions. Also occasionally appearing on that list are insurance jobs, though not quite as highly as the first three.
Erin Brisco, is here to set the record straight – at least when it comes to working for Aflac. As vice president of Claims Businesses, she says Aflac is breaking the mold and is a great place for people who find enrichment by helping others.
What happens in PLADS?
Erin, who grew up in California and is now currently based in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband and two cats, heads up the Claims Operations department at Aflac’s PLADS division.
She tells us that PLADS stands for Premier Life, Absence and Disability Solutions.
It means she is front and center when people who are just beginning to come to terms with a devastating life experience and are calling on her and Aflac for insurance assistance, financial advice, and old-fashioned human kindness.
“My department handles absence, disability, and life claims for customers,” she explains.
“We help customers each and every day during some of the most difficult times in their lives and help provide them with financial security.
“It is very meaningful and interesting work. My role involves supporting our employees so that we can meet our customer commitments and help provide both exceptional service and risk management. I am responsible for bringing about ongoing improvements for our customers and our employees and for maintaining a culture for our employees to help make Aflac a great place to work.”
Erin says she’s been able to learn so much in this role, with one prominent lesson being that a great company culture is the key to success.
“It’s so personally satisfying to work for a company that truly cares about employees.”
How to know if Aflac is the company for you
Erin recalls hearing Aflac’s Chairman and CEO Dan Amos speak at a function and felt, there and then, this was the company for her.
“Mr. Amos is so genuine and truly cares about employees and our diverse workforce. The spirit of care for employees and customers is evident in every aspect of Aflac.”
Having the ability to engage with people is key, says Erin, which was something high on her priority list for her career goals. That’s how she knew immediately that Aflac was where she could do her best work, by engaging with both clients in the PLADS division, and with fellow employees.
She suggests potential employees looking for similar opportunities to connect and interact — especially in helping clients with their needs — should take a serious look at Aflac.
“Successful employees in this business area are great communicators, have good analytical skills, are creative problem solvers and enjoy helping people and customers.
“Having some experience with medical knowledge is not required but is a plus. Being able to manage multiple priorities and good time management is key in our area as well.”
Does this sound like you?
The employee benefits for working at Aflac
The rewards are many, shares Erin. As the business keeps growing and finding new ways to innovate in customer service, the opportunities are only set to increase.
But our conversation with Erin quickly came back to one key point: this business is about people.
Your career aspirations are catered for, she says. But there’s more to it than that.
“Sure, our team gets to be part of a growing business, which creates a lot of opportunities for everyone to go forward. But, our biggest impact is being able to truly help people during some very difficult times in their lives and knowing that the work we do makes a real difference for people.”
To attract the best people, allow them to do their best work, and to ensure they want to stay, Aflac has believed in prioritizing work-life balance.
“Our Aflac culture is totally centered around employees and around having a great work environment. I love that Aflac is very committed to employees having a work-life balance. We have flexible work arrangements with remote work and a ton of jobs that can be done remotely from anywhere in the U.S.”
An insight to an inclusive culture
While the clients that Erin comes into contact with are clearly hugely important for her, colleagues at work are just as vital a component for that precious sense of job satisfaction.
“I love how committed our company is to diversity and inclusion as this is so important to me personally.
“The company is extremely supportive of employees who need help with personal issues. We have great benefits as well as wellness programs for mental and physical health and financial protection.”
Aflac and Erin have recognized what should be pretty obvious but is too often missed in workplaces all over the world: every business, every market, every economy, ultimately, is about people.
Forgetting the human link is not only poor for business, but it’s also problematic for everyone involved.
Aflac appears to have helped crack the code to ensure the human factor is always central. And it works.
As Erin says, “The thing that sets Aflac apart from other employers for whom I have worked is the people here. I’m continually amazed at how many people I meet at Aflac who have been here for 20-plus years.”
That doesn’t happen by accident.
