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Chris Potter
You walked into your salary review confident, prepared, and armed with evidence of your contributions. But instead of the well-earned pay rise you were expecting, you got a disappointing "not this time." It’s frustrating, demotivating, and—if you’re honest—probably a bit of a confidence hit.
But let’s take a step back. In a market where top talent is in high demand, not getting a pay rise isn’t necessarily a reflection of your worth. It’s a signal—one that tells you it’s time to reassess, strategise, and take control of your career path. Here’s how you turn a rejection into an opportunity.
1. Reality Check: Have You Truly Earned it?
It’s easy to assume that tenure equals entitlement to a salary bump, but in reality, pay rises are about impact, not just time served. Before pushing back, ask yourself the hard questions:
- Have you consistently exceeded targets and expectations?
- Can you point to specific contributions that have improved revenue, efficiency, or client satisfaction?
- Have you taken on additional responsibilities that justify an increase?
If the answer is a clear "yes," then you have every reason to challenge the decision. If you’re not sure, this is a chance to refocus, refine your goals, and set yourself up for a stronger case in the next review.
2. Build a Bulletproof Case
Most employers won’t hand out pay rises simply because you ask. You need undeniable proof of your value.
- Industry benchmarks – Research salaries for your role within the insurance sector. If you’re being underpaid, have the numbers to back it up.
- Quantifiable achievements – Have you grown a book of business, streamlined processes, or enhanced client retention? Make it measurable.
- Revenue impact – If your work directly contributes to financial growth, spell it out. Numbers are hard to argue with.
Once you’ve built your case, request a follow-up meeting with your manager. Present your evidence clearly and position yourself as an asset the business can’t afford to undervalue.
3. Look Beyond Salary – What Else Can You Negotiate?
Sometimes, a company genuinely doesn’t have the budget for pay rises. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your overall package.
Consider negotiating:
- Accomplishments: Flexible working (remote days, compressed hours)
- Additional leave (extra holiday allowance)
- Professional development (funding for qualifications, training, or industry events)
- Performance bonuses (a results-based financial incentive)
These perks can sometimes have more value than a salary increase, so think strategically about what benefits would enhance your role and work-life balance.
4. Stay Professional, But Stay Hungry
A "no" today doesn’t mean "no" forever. Your response to rejection defines your career progression. Instead of letting it demotivate you, turn it into fuel.
- Ask for constructive feedback – Understand what you need to improve to secure a future increase
- Agree on measurable targets – Set clear goals with your manager so there’s no ambiguity in your next review
- Continue delivering value – The best way to earn leverage is to make yourself indispensable.
5. Know When It’s Time to Move On
If you’re consistently overlooked, underpaid, and see no path for progression, it might be time to evaluate your options.
The insurance industry is currently experiencing a talent shortage, and skilled professionals—particularly those in broking, underwriting, and claims—are in high demand. If your current employer isn’t recognising your worth, others will.
Where Do You Go From Here?
If you’re feeling stuck and want a clearer picture of your market value and career opportunities, let’s talk. As specialists in insurance recruitment, we have access to exclusive roles, salary insights, and market trends that can help you take control of your career.
Get in touch today to explore your options.
Your performance review and salary review may feel like they go hand in hand, but they are often separate conversations. While a performance review evaluates your contributions and growth, a salary review determines your compensation based on business and market conditions. Understanding the distinction between the two and preparing strategically can significantly impact your career progression and earning potential.
What is a Performance Review?
A performance review is an opportunity for you and your manager to discuss your achievements, areas for improvement, and professional goals. It provides a structured setting to evaluate how well you are meeting your objectives and where you can develop further.
In the Insurance sector, performance reviews may focus on:
- Meeting sales or retention targets in broker/client facing roles.
- Successfully managing claims or risk assessments.
- Building strong client relationships and increasing customer satisfaction.
- Demonstrating compliance with industry regulations and internal processes.
Use your performance review to highlight your key contributions, such as exceeding renewal targets, securing high-value policies, or improving operational efficiencies.
What is a Salary Review?
A salary review assesses whether your current pay reflects your experience, responsibilities, and contributions. This is influenced by factors like industry salary benchmarks, company performance, and your ability to demonstrate exceptional value.
Your employer may consider:
- Your revenue generation (for brokers, underwriters, and sales professionals).
- Your ability to mitigate risk and reduce claims costs (for claims and risk professionals).
- Industry demand for your expertise, especially in specialist insurance areas.
- Any new qualifications, experience or training you've completed (e.g., CII certifications).
Even if your salary review is tied to your performance review, a positive review does not always guarantee a raise. Employers typically reward those who go above and beyond, not just those meeting expectations.
How to prepare for success
Ahead of your performance and salary review, prepare evidence that showcases your impact:
- Accomplishments: Demonstrate how you’ve exceeded KPIs, grown client accounts, or streamlined processes.
- New Skills & Qualifications: Highlight recent CII exams, compliance training, or technical courses.
- Salary Benchmarking Data: Research what professionals in similar roles and locations earn.
- Client & Manager Feedback: Use testimonials or performance metrics that reflect your value.
What if you don't get a raise?
If a salary increase isn’t possible, consider negotiating for other benefits such as:
- CII exam sponsorship and professional development funding.
- Performance-based bonuses or commission structure reviews.
- Flexible working arrangements or additional leave allowances.
If your salary isn’t aligned with the market, it may be worth exploring new opportunities.
The insurance industry is experiencing a talent shortage, and skilled professionals—especially those with strong broking, underwriting, or claims expertise—are in high demand.
If you're considering your options, connecting with a specialist recruitment consultant can provide insight into available roles that match your career aspirations and salary expectations.
Looking for more advice?
Speak to our team today for tailored career insights and market salary trends in the insurance industry.
The attributes of the best sales people
In the last few weeks we asked hundreds of UK sales leaders to list the rank 10 attributes of top performing sales people in order of importance.
The additional feedback they offered said that different qualities are required if you are selling something new compared to something that is well established. For example, think about how hard it might have been to sell the first ever robotic lawnmower compared to selling Mars bars to newsagents.
The overall balance of answers provided the list below and its not surprise that being great at listening is the most important quality of a top performing sales person.
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1. Active Listening – truly hearing and understanding customer needs (20%)
2. Emotional Intelligence – reading emotions, spotting non-verbal signals, adapting (15%)
3. Communication skills – clearly articulating the offering and adapting to the audience (13%)
4. Relationship building – developing trust and long term partnerships (10%)
5. Work ethic and drive – consistently pushing to achieve targets (10%)
6. Confidence and persuasion – demonstrating belief in the products and influencing decisions (10%)
7. Adaptability – adjusting to different customers, industries and markets (8%)
8. Resilience – handling rejection and bouncing back (8%)
9. Product and Industry knowledge – understanding the competitive landscape (3%)
10. Problem solving ability – identifying challenges and providing tailored solutions (2%)
We hope you found this interesting. Maybe you have these qualities and you are looking for a new role or you are a sales leader and need to recruit sales people with the qualities that you need.
Please contact us for more information.
A strong employer brand remains one of the most impactful tools for attracting and retaining talent in 2025. LinkedIn reports that 75% of job seekers research a company's reputation before applying, emphasizing the power of a positive and transparent employer brand.
Why Employer Branding Matters:
- Winning Over Passive Talent: A robust employer reputation can convert passive candidates into active job seekers.
- Boosting Candidate Quality: Strong employer brands attract better-aligned and motivated applicants.
- Retention and Morale: Engaged employees are more likely to stay, reducing costly turnover rates.
Building Your Employer Brand
Immediate Actionable Points:
- Audit Your Online Presence: Regularly update your website, LinkedIn, and other platforms to reflect your values, work culture, and opportunities.
- Promote Employee Advocacy: Encourage team members to share authentic content, such as achievements, culture highlights, and workplace wins.
- Proactively Manage Reviews: Monitor and respond thoughtfully to employee feedback on Glassdoor, Indeed, and social platforms.
Long-Term Strategic Moves:
- Define and Promote Your EVP: Develop a clear Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that communicates the "why" behind working for your organization.
- Publish Thought Leadership: Share valuable insights about insurance careers, growth opportunities, and employee development to showcase industry leadership.
- Track and Measure Brand Impact: Use analytics to gauge employer brand performance, monitor engagement, and refine strategies for continuous improvement.
Final Action Points Summary:
To build a compelling employer brand, focus on refining your online presence, empowering employees to advocate for your workplace, and managing your reputation through thoughtful engagement. Over the long term, define a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP), publish industry-leading thought leadership, and monitor progress using analytics. By doing so, you’ll attract top talent, improve retention, and position your organization as an employer of choice in the insurance broking sector.
To discuss strategies on how best to achieve the above, please reach out to your Cavendish Maine consultant, who would be delighted to talk through the various ways these can be achieved.
Today's workforce spans five generations, each with distinct values and work styles. In insurance broking, a multigenerational team can drive innovation, but only if managed effectively. According to Deloitte's 2024 Global Millennial and Gen Z Survey, 53% of younger workers cite purpose-driven work and flexibility as top career motivators, while experienced Baby Boomers value stability and knowledge-sharing opportunities.
Key Challenges:
- Diverse Motivational Drivers: Career expectations and engagement priorities vary greatly across generations.
- Communication Barriers: Misalignment in communication styles between generations can create workplace friction.
- Skills and Knowledge Transfer: Ensuring the seamless exchange of expertise between senior staff and younger hires is critical for continuity.
Strategies for Success:
Immediate Actionable Points:
- Offer Customised Benefits: Address generational needs with tailored offerings such as phased retirement, career coaching, or flexible schedules.
- Implement Cross-Generational Mentoring: Foster an environment where knowledge is exchanged through structured mentorship programs.
- Encourage Dialogue: Launch feedback loops (surveys, focus groups) to identify generational challenges and improve cohesion.
Long-Term Strategic Moves:
- Personalised Development Plans: Build generational-specific learning pathways that cater to career ambitions across age groups.
- Promote Diverse Teams: Develop cross-functional, multigenerational teams to solve complex problems and leverage unique strengths.
- Upskill Leaders: Train managers to bridge generational gaps effectively by understanding varied expectations and work styles.
Summary of Advice:
To effectively bridge generational gaps in insurance recruitment, prioritise tailored approaches that address the needs of each age group. Implement customised benefits, mentorship programs, and communication channels to improve cohesion and knowledge transfer. In the long term, focus on personalised development plans, promoting diverse teams, and training leaders to manage multigenerational dynamics successfully. By fostering collaboration and understanding, you can create a more innovative and cohesive workplace.
To discuss strategies on how best to achieve the above, please reach out to your Cavendish Maine consultant, who would be delighted to talk through the various ways these can be achieved.
In the realm of interpersonal dynamics, the concept of "Drains and Radiators" highlights two types of energy influencers: those who uplift and energise others (radiators) and those who deplete and discourage (drains). For field sales professionals, cultivating the traits of a radiator can be transformative. Here's a concise guide to embodying radiator qualities and avoiding drain-like behaviours, tailored for those in sales.
What is a Radiator?
A radiator positively impacts others by radiating warmth, presence, and encouragement. They inspire confidence, foster strong relationships, and bring out the best in others. These qualities are especially vital in sales, where building trust and maintaining enthusiasm are key to success.
Core Qualities of a Radiator
1. Show Warmth
- Radiators are approachable and create a welcoming atmosphere.
- For salespeople, this means greeting prospects with genuine interest and making them feel valued.
- Eye contact, a sincere smile, and a tone of voice that conveys understanding are powerful tools.
2. Be Present and Listen Well
- Effective sales depend on active listening. Radiators focus fully on the person in front of them, asking meaningful questions and showing they value what is being said.
- Being present also means avoiding distractions and tailoring your pitch to the client's specific needs.
3. Regulate Emotions
- Radiators maintain emotional stability, even under stress. For sales professionals, this means staying calm when faced with rejection or difficult clients.
- Emotional regulation fosters resilience and ensures that negative feelings don’t spill into client interactions.
4. Notice the Good
- Radiators emphasize the positive and avoid dwelling on setbacks. They look for strengths in others and highlight opportunities.
- Salespeople can adopt this mindset by celebrating small wins and staying optimistic about future prospects.
5. Bring Out the Best In People
- Successful radiators make others feel confident and supported. In sales, this translates to empowering clients by addressing their concerns and reinforcing how your product or service can enhance their lives.
- Share positive feedback, advocate for the client’s best interests, and act as a trusted advisor.
How to Avoid Being a Drain
A "drain" depletes energy and creates a negative atmosphere. Avoid behaviours like:
- Focusing excessively on problems without proposing solutions.
- Being overly self-centred in conversations.
- Reacting emotionally in ways that burden others.
Why This Matters in Sales
Sales is fundamentally about relationships. Radiators build trust, encourage collaboration, and leave a lasting positive impression, making clients more likely to engage and buy. In contrast, drains repel clients, diminish motivation, and harm long-term success.
By embracing the radiator mindset, field sales professionals can not only enhance their own effectiveness but also inspire and energize those around them. Being a radiator isn’t about changing your personality; it’s about adopting behaviours that align with authenticity and create positive connections.
If you are in a role where you are surrounded by too many drains and want to meet more radiators, we can help you! Please visit www.cavendishmaine.com to find out more.
Many of our clients operate in low margin environments where increasing labour costs are a real threat to profits and, therefore, survival. Some clients have talked to us about how they are using new salary sacrifice schemes to provide improved benefits AND lower employer/employee NI costs which will help to neutralise these cost increases from April 2025.
Qualifying schemes include:
- Payments into pension schemes
- Pensions advice provided by an employer
- Workplace nurseries
- Childcare vouchers
- Cycle to work
- Electric car leasing
‘Maji’ is a provider of advice in this area and while they have no connection to Cavendish Maine, we liked their article that explains the process that employers can follow to take advantage of this opportunity.
The insurance broking industry continues to navigate an increasingly competitive talent market, demanding innovative approaches to attract and retain the right candidates. A 2024 survey by PwC revealed that 80% of CEOs in the financial services sector view talent shortages as a primary barrier to achieving their growth objectives. As we enter 2025, the urgency to implement sustainable and impactful talent strategies has never been greater.
Trends and Challenges:
- Evolving Candidate Expectations: Modern candidates prioritize competitive compensation, hybrid work models, personalized career development, and a focus on well-being.
- Technological Evolution: Insurtech innovations demand professionals with blended expertise in insurance, technology, and data analytics.
- Retention in a Fluid Market: Top performers are increasingly lured away by flexible competitors, both within and outside the sector.
Solutions to Stay Competitive:
Immediate Actionable Points:- Revisit Compensation and Benefits: Conduct a comprehensive compensation review, aligning with market standards and integrating non-monetary perks, such as flexible work options and wellness programs.
- Refine Value-Centric Job Descriptions: Highlight growth opportunities, impactful work, skill-building potential, and a healthy work-life balance to engage the right candidates.
- Enhance Candidate Experience: Streamline your recruitment process with clear communication, personalized follow-ups, and user-friendly application platforms to reduce drop-off rates and improve candidate satisfaction.
Long-Term Strategic Moves:
- Create a Talent Development Pipeline: Forge partnerships with educational institutions, apprenticeships, and professional associations to nurture the next generation of insurance talent.
- Double Down on Employer Branding: Develop a proactive strategy to showcase company values, successful hires, and ongoing opportunities across social media, professional networks, and recruitment platforms.
- Leverage Predictive Analytics: Utilize AI-driven recruitment tools to analyse hiring patterns, forecast talent needs, and refine your recruitment processes for better ROI.
By embracing data-driven decision-making and cultivating an attractive, future-focused workplace culture, insurance brokers can solidify their position in the ongoing war for talent in 2025 and beyond.
To discuss strategies on how best to achieve the above, please reach out to your Cavendish Maine consultant, who would be delighted to talk through the various ways these can be achieved.
Are job seekers turning you down?
Recruiter Insider recently surveyed active job seekers and reported that candidates who rated the interview process as 90%+ accepted the resulting job offer over 80% of the time. However, those candidates who gave a rating under 45% accepted the job offer only 10% of the time.
The difference between the approach of the best employer and the worst didn’t cost any more but it displayed a level of respect, consideration, empathy and warmth that secured the right candidates eight times more successfully. We have explained good hiring processes in a previous Insight.
In today’s competitive job market, the interview process is often a candidate's first in-depth interaction with a company, and their perception of the organisation is shaped by this experience.
A positive experience reflects well on the company’s culture and values, enhancing its employer brand. Candidates who feel respected, engaged, and well-informed throughout the process are more likely to view the organisation as a desirable place to work. This experience includes clear communication, timely feedback, and a smooth, organised interview process that respects the candidate’s time.
Additionally, a good candidate experience can differentiate a company in industries where top talent is in high demand. Candidates, especially highly skilled professionals, often have multiple job offers. An excellent interview experience can create a lasting impression, tipping the balance in favour of accepting one offer over another. The candidate experience includes the presentation of the job offer which you can think of as the proposal after a courtship and it crucial to get it right.
Ultimately, providing a strong candidate experience not only improves the chances of securing top talent but also reinforces the company’s reputation and helps it stand out in a competitive job market.
If you are failing to land the candidates you want and feel that your recruitment process could be more candidate friendly, please contact us for some positive advice.
Do you have the best hiring process?
Over 30 years of experience have told us that:
1. Most companies do not have a reliable process and make up a new one every time they have a vacancy.
2. The best employers Recruit for attitude and Train for experience but most employers limit their search to only those ‘with the right CV’.
3. Simple recruitment processes work best. Using a recruiter means fewer touch points.
4. Too little attention is paid to creating a job description and candidate profile.
5. Employers need to understand their employee proposition and sell themselves at every stage.
6. Psychometric testing is no more reliable than good interview skills and intuition.
We work with some employers who are fantastic at this. They use processes that work, really understand what they have to offer, create compelling job descriptions and move quickly in order not to lose the interest of the best candidates. Our experience of the best and worst of this might help you to develop a best-in-class recruitment process:
Before you even start you should define your recruitment needs and goals.
Where will you need more/less people in the next 12 months? Who can you train now to meet those needs? Can you build a talent pool from people you have already interviewed, trade contacts or internal recommendations? Which recruiters work in your space?
1. Job description and candidate profile.
This document serves three purposes. Prospective candidates are going to read it so it needs to sell the idea of working for you. The essential/desirable skills required will be used to assess each candidate so they need to be accurate and realistic. You might use it in annual appraisals to assess skills in key areas so it needs to be up to date.
Every recruitment process should start with this in order to be clear on the desired outcome.
2. Candidate Attraction
There are only 3 ways to attract candidates – contact people you already know; advertise to attract new candidates, approach people who seem to have the right experience. If you have an abundance of time you might choose to do this yourself. If your time is precious you might appoint a recruiter to take care of the candidate attraction for you. Either way, a multi-channel approach is essential if you are going to maximise your chances of success. In every channel, make sure you showcase your compelling Employee Proposition.
3. Candidate Screening
Establish clear and consistent criteria for evaluating applications based on your job description. You should be able to screen against the essential hard skills that must be on the CV (eg. qualifications, location, product knowledge, market experience, previous job titles). The soft skills (personality, style etc) can be considered at the interview.
4. Assessment and Selection
Our article on how to stand out as an interview will help you to understand how to ask questions and score answers at an interview that will be consistent across all candidates and help to reveal a shortlist. Most employers use a video call at the first stage and invite candidates to the office for a second and final stage.
Never lose the personal touch. Be welcoming, sell the opportunity, offer refreshments, show them around – it will help you stand out to candidates who are interviewing elsewhere.
5. Candidate Experience
Great employers start every interview by confirming what stage you are at, what stages will follow and when the outcome will be communicated to the candidate. It is best practice to offer every candidate feedback on their interview performance and your recruiter can help with this.
6. Decision Making
Involve multiple stakeholders in the decision-making process to ensure diverse perspectives.
Trust your scoring system if you have used one and allow the line manager to make the final decision. Communicate that decision immediately with a phone call. The candidate will value the personal touch, have an opportunity to ask questions and the employer/recruiter will be better able to assess the likelihood of acceptance.
7. Preboarding / Onboarding
As an employer, you are vulnerable from the time you make a job offer to the moment your candidate starts. Counter-offers and competitive offers are frequent and you need to be proactive to ensure that you do not lose the candidate you want.
Some tips are:
• Invite the candidate to a ‘meet the team’ session as this creates emotional connections.
• Include them in (non-confidential) internal emails and newsletters. Send them training and product information.
• Call them every week to check in or to provide some information.
On the day they start, ensure you have a thorough induction process and that the right people are briefed and ready. Too many people start a new job and feel unwelcome on their first day because of a poor induction.
8. Review
As part of the induction, ask your new candidate for honest feedback on the recruitment process. Do the same with the stakeholders involved in the decision. Make improvements now and seek to continuously get better in this area.
Cavendish Maine can help you every aspect of this including recruitment advertisements, job descriptions, candidate profiles, interview questions and job offer letters. Please contact us for more information.