Best Agency to Work for South Central: G&G Independent Insurance

The team at G&G Independent Insurance in Fayetteville, Ark., is young, ambitious, motivated, and passionate about providing innovative, exceptional service to their customers. And they love where they work.

G&G Independent Insurance was selected as Insurance Journal’s Gold Best Agency to Work For — South Central based on the energy, drive, and appreciation for their employers and peers that employees conveyed in their responses to Insurance Journal’s 2020 Best Agencies to Work For survey.

“I’m elated, humbled, and appreciative!” G&G CEO Jordan Greer wrote in an email to IJ upon learning his agency was a Best Agency to Work For finalist. “This nomination from the G&G team is an indication that we are heading in the right direction and that we should continue with our efforts to do everything we can to make our agency the best place to work for our team.”

With 18 employees at the time of the survey, G&G Insurance has annual revenues in the $1 million to $10 million range and is anything but static.

“We have a young team with high ambition to be the best. Our management is very smart and always looking to be progressive and think outside the box to position our company to be the best highest producing agency not only locally but statewide and nationwide. We are very ambitious and competitive which is something I enjoy,” wrote one employee in their survey response.

“I feel like the company is forward thinking and trending upwards consistently in growth and technology. I do not feel like most insurance agencies are taking the same approach, which sets us apart,” said another.

One employee described the culture at the agency as “phenomenal” adding: “Leadership does an excellent [job] at picking the right people and ensuring we are treated fairly and given opportunities to grow within our position as well as opportunity to move up the ladder.”

Above all, it’s the people that make G&G a great place to work, according to Greer. “Our team is comprised of energetic, motivated, and customer-centric people that strive to deliver exceptional experiences in every interaction. When you are surrounded by a team that truly comes together to achieve big goals, work is engaging and it’s fun!” he said.

One agency initiative that multiple employees expressed their appreciation for is the Exceptional Experiences Program, designed not only to motivate staff but to recognize their achievements.

“G&G’s purpose is to provide exceptional experiences in every interaction,” Greer said. It’s a philosophy that extends beyond providing excellent customer service.

“We are equally focused on the employee experience. One example is the process by which we identify, praise, and recognize exceptional experiences that members of our team provide to our clients. Not only do we praise and recognize these experiences, but we gamify their efforts complete with a leaderboard that has each employee playing for a unique exceptional experience of their own — a bucket list trip they designed before the year began. The employees at the top of the leaderboard are competing for bucket list trips to Australia, Italy, and Mexico,” he said.

Several team members also highlighted the G&G Foundation — an employee-funded and managed nonprofit dedicated to serving the local communities where the agency does business.

The foundation is run “by a committee of employees so you get to be involved with something very exciting and meaningful to the community,” an employee said.

Other employees praised the agency’s management not only for seeking out employee feedback but listening and acting upon the ideas and suggestions provided by staff.

For Greer, that’s an important part of being “intentional about the employee journey.”

He said it’s important to involve team members in the process of identifying not only what it means to be a best place to work but also where gaps or opportunities exist that can help take the organization to where it wants to be.

“Create anonymous opportunities for your team to give you feedback along the way and, remember, the journey is never over,” Greer said.