My Aon Journey – When the Perception is much different to the Reality

So here I am, nearly 5 months into my Aon career. It’s been a long journey to get here via 10 years in the insurance market working for legacy companies such as Royal Insurance and Bowring Marsh & McLennan and a further 20 years recruiting back into the insurance marketplace for some household names and more recently proprietor owned boutique firms. You could say I’ve done some “hard yards” and I definitely have a few grey hairs to show for it!

In the hard sales world of Agency Recruitment there’s a common phrase among the industry stalwarts that “In House Recruitment is a graveyard for failed recruiters”. Well, I can honestly say this couldn’t be further from the truth here at Aon. I’ve joined the most welcoming, collaborative, proud and well-led team I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. We’re a diverse bunch, all from a variety of backgrounds, upbringings, cultures and age ranges but together we’re a force for good. 

Normally one to sit back and take in my surroundings before revealing the “true authentic Andy" , here at Aon I’ve brought my whole self to work from day one. With every passing day and week I’ve been given the confidence and audience to bring ideas, influence and strategy both to our TA team and to the wider business which in itself brings me so much more self-worth and reward than getting an extra percentage on the next deal or funding the school fees for the owners children. Yes, I was once told in agency that I needed to produce more income as "the kids’ school fees won’t pay for themselves!"  

Working virtually from the rural idylls of Lincolnshire I’m still pinching myself that I’m employed by one of world’s leading names in Financial Services. I’ll be honest, I’ve admired Aon from afar all my working life. I used to handle claims presented to me by the likes of Bain Clarkson, Bain Hogg, Alexander Stenhouse and Minet and then almost overnight they all became Aon. It was crazy but exciting and really shook up the UK insurance market at the time.  Regrettably in my agency insurance recruitment career I wasn’t lucky enough to undertake much recruitment for Aon and ironically, I spent most of my time trying to persuade candidates not to join the “Globals”. “You’ll just get swallowed up into the ether. You won’t get noticed, appreciated or rewarded. You will just be another cog in the machine”. But ,  I’ll say it again, “the perception is much different to reality” I’ve made the best decision of my life in joining Aon . I’m working for a firm that is in 100% control of its own destiny, that provides me with a blanket of reassuring employee benefits and I’m regularly having conversations and interaction with stakeholders that I’ve only ever read about in the Insurance press…and they’re interested in what I’ve got to say!

In precis, this 51 year old living in the Wolds thought his career ship had sailed but thanks to Aon and its flexible, adaptable ways of working , our all encompassing approach to Inclusion and Diversity and the best work team I’ve had the privilege to be part of, I now truly can’t wait to get up in the morning to see what the day brings. Every day is different with new challenges, scenarios and stakeholders to meet but I know that I'm equipped with all the tools that I need and that as a team and a firm we’re all in this together.

Who knows what the future brings here but I can’t wait to find out.

By Andy Barrett

Recruitment Business Partner