Building Insurance’s Next-Generation Workforce

Building Insurance’s Next-Generation Workforce
March 12, 2026 13 mins

Building Insurance’s Next-Generation Workforce

Building Insurance’s Next-Generation Workforce

As automation, climate risk, and shifting workforce expectations reshape insurance, building a future-fit talent strategy is now the industry’s defining challenge.

Key Takeaways
  1. Insurers must prioritize digital and AI fluency, adaptability and diverse thinking to meet rapidly evolving industry demands.
  2. Building the workforce of the future demands a blend of new and existing talent and requires pockets of transferable skills to be optimized, creating industry futurists or change orchestrators in addition to industry practitioners.
  3. With 43% of today’s tasks set to be automated by 2030, organizations now require talent models that can anticipate change, accelerate capability building and support long-term resilience.

Today, profitable growth in insurance is driven by more than just market share — it requires building adaptable, high-performing teams that can respond to changing risks, regulations, and client needs. Insurers that outperform are those who align talent strategies with business goals, investing in technical, digital and AI fluency, and leadership capability while fostering a culture of agility and continuous learning to sustain performance throughout the market cycle.

With 97% of insurers accelerating automation  — one of the highest rates across any sector — technology is now one of the biggest disruptors in insurance, redefining what it means to compete for talent. Insurance leaders are accelerating capability building to keep pace with digital disruption, but recruitment alone cannot close the gap. The industry is in urgent need of individuals who possess a blend of behavioral and technical abilities to better underwrite and provide relevant cover to customers. While there are some exceptions, it’s clear that the insurance industry, compared to sectors like banking, tech and life sciences, needs to step up its readiness and investment game.

Quote icon

Change is happening faster than ever. Strong leadership remains one of the most powerful levers for driving culture change, signalling the behaviours and mindset needed for transformation.

Rupert Moore
CEO Reinsurance, APAC

The evolution of insurance roles is unmistakable. While technical skills remain foundational, the sector is experiencing a shift: practitioners are now expected to combine their expertise with behavioral strengths such as adaptability, curiosity, and a growth mindset. This transition is not just about new skills, but about new ways of working — where technical and behavioral capabilities are equally valued. The most successful insurers are those who recognize that hybrid profiles are the future. However, the journey to this ideal is ongoing, and for now, three distinct roles are critical in facilitating this transition: reimagined practitioners, industry futurists, and change orchestrators.

Talent is the New Battleground

In the past, capital and technology dominated boardroom agendas. Talent is now the industry’s most pressing concern – yet insurers remain underprepared for the pace of change. At the same time, competition for digital, data, and specialist risk talent is intensifying, not just from within insurance but also from technology, consulting, and financial services. The stakes are high: Aon’s research found that an unattractive employee value proposition (EVP) and culture led to 65% of candidates discontinuing the hiring process, underscoring the critical importance of employer branding and culture in today’s market — a stark warning for the industry. Aon’s 2026 Human Capital Outlook also highlights that pay transparency is becoming a board‑level workforce risk, raising expectations for fairness and clarity in how organizations attract and retain talent.

  • 43%

    of today’s tasks globally will be automated by 2030

  • 97%

    of insurers are accelerating automation – amongst the highest across sectors

  • 59%

    of the global workforce will need reskilling given talent shortages

  • 91%

    of insurers are planning to invest in new learning and development initiatives

    Sources: World Economic Forum, Aon

The Three Emerging Skillsets Reshaping Insurance

As the insurance sector evolves, the ultimate goal is to build hybrid talent profiles. New ways of working demand not only deep expertise but also behavioural strengths such as adaptability, curiosity and collaboration. While hybrid profiles are the ultimate goal, achieving them will require sustained investment, targeted capability building and deliberate changes in how teams operate.

Today, the insurance workforce is best understood through a skills-based lens, with three emerging clusters: reimagined practitioners, industry futurists, and change orchestrators. Each plays a distinct role in the sector’s transformation, and together, they illustrate how technical and behavioural skills are converging to facilitate change.

    Description and Key Trends Example Roles
Insurance Gurus Technical experts, now expected to be digitally fluent, adaptable, open to AI and data-driven work. Hybrid profiles (e.g. underwriters with ESG or climate expertise) are in demand. Underwriter, Claims Professional, Actuary, Data Scientist 
Industry Futurists Forward-thinkers who translate emerging risks (climate, cyber, geopolitical, mobility) into business action. Often come from hybrid or cross-sector backgrounds. Climate Risk Analyst, ESG Manager, Cyber Risk Lead
Change Orchestrators Transformation leaders who drive digital adoption, foster collaboration, and enable talent mobility/upskilling. Transformation Lead, HR Strategist, Business Readiness Lead

  • 1. Insurance Gurus Reimagined

    Practitioners have long been the technical backbone of the industry: underwriters, claims professionals, actuaries, and brokers with deep expertise in risk and regulation. Today, their roles are evolving in response to digitization and emerging risks. Increasingly, they must complement deep technical expertise with digital fluency and the ability to work in integrated, cross‑functional environments. 

    The rise of artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and automation is transforming underwriting and claims from siloed, manual processes into collaborative, integrated disciplines. Aon’s 2026 analysis shows that organizations are redesigning jobs around tasks rather than traditional roles, driving the need for continuous reskilling and hybrid technical‑digital capabilities. The ability to work alongside technology, leverage data for better decisions, and continuously upskill is now as important as technical insurance knowledge.

    Practitioners must embrace behaviors such as curiosity, a growth mindset, and openness to innovation, reflecting the sector’s need to adapt to new ways of working – not just responding to rapid change but also understanding the driving forces.

    Hybrid profiles – that blend technical expertise with sector practices and behaviour skills – are increasingly sought after, such as underwriters with ESG credentials, actuaries with climate modeling expertise, or claims professionals versed in cyber risk. These new practitioner profiles reflect insurers’ growing need for talent that can bridge traditional expertise with emerging areas of risk.

  • 2. Industry Futurists: Translators of Emerging Risk

    Insurers need industry futurists who track the evolving risk landscape — climate change, cyber threats, geopolitical risks, mobility shifts — and challenge the status quo. The demand for hybrid, cross-functional talent is rising, with climate scientists, ESG analysts, data scientists, and sustainability consultants with insurance backgrounds becoming increasingly valuable.

    Crucially, industry futurists work closely with insurance gurus, combining their forward-looking insights with the deep technical expertise and practical experience of practitioners. This collaboration ensures that innovative strategies are grounded in real-world understanding, enabling organizations to respond effectively to both current and future challenges. And while the industry is rapidly moving towards this model, in the meantime we are seeing examples of creative resourcing in the form of partnerships, panels, or committees.

    Futurists often come from diverse backgrounds, blending behavioural skills with insurance experience, and skills in sustainability, technology, or data science. Their value lies in their ability to bridge disciplines, anticipate emerging risks and translate global trends into actionable business strategies. As the industry faces novel risks and regulatory expectations, futurists are essential for product innovation, scenario planning, and guiding leadership through uncertainty.

  • 3. Change Orchestrators: Enablers of Transformation

    The ability to facilitate change has become mission critical. Change orchestrators — transformation leaders, business readiness leads, and HR strategists — enable business transformation at scale by breaking down silos, fostering collaboration, and accelerating adoption of new technologies and ways of working. They build digital and AI literacy across both leadership and practitioners, supporting confident and consistent culture change.

    They also lead business readiness and communications, ensuring employees are informed, engaged, and prepared for change. Effective, clear communications help organizations navigate transitions smoothly and embed new ways of working across teams.

    They define the interventions, facilitate sessions with practitioners and futurists, and role-model the behaviours needed for new ways of working. Their efforts embed behavioural change and business readiness across the organization.

    Enterprise-wide upskilling and rotational programs are becoming the norm, reflecting the sector’s recognition that future skills — particularly in climate, cyber, and digital domains — cannot be confined to a single team or function. Project-based work is now the standard, with teams supporting both internal initiatives and external client projects.

    Change orchestrators are often at the forefront of talent mobility, upskilling, and culture change, helping practitioners and futurists realize their full potential and ensuring that the organization remains agile and resilient.

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We need to embrace different types of skills and people who haven’t been in the market before.

Louisa Blain
Head of Insurance for Human Capital

Climate and ESG Talent Requirements are Growing

 

Climate and ESG illustrate why talent models must evolve. As climate risks rise and regulation tightens, insurers are expanding their climate and ESG capability but still face significant gaps – increasing the demand for structured training, hybrid hiring and enterprise‑wide capability uplift.

With $260 Billion in global economic losses and a 51% global protection gap, climate literacy has become a priority. Insurers are rolling out training, workshops and board-level education to embed climate and ESG across all relevant roles. Demand is growing for hybrid profiles that blend insurance expertise with climate risk modeling, ESG reporting, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement.

Combining Human and AI Insights 

AI, automation, and advanced analytics are reshaping insurance – creating new roles and intensifying competition for digital, cyber and data talent. With 43% of tasks set to be automated by 2030, insurers are increasingly looking beyond the sector to attract new skills and perspectives. 

Insurance gurus must now pair technical expertise with digital fluency, working confidently with data-driven AI tools that enhance decision making. Success depends on their ability to interpret and apply machine-generated insights, not just traditional judgement.

As technology accelerates, the human edge matters more: collaboration, creativity, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building — the so-called “soft skills” —  underpin how teams operate. Underwriting and claims are becoming team sports, combining human judgment and machine intelligence. Recruitment is shifting toward core attributes, potential, and diversity of thought. Success stories abound of talent from non-traditional backgrounds — data scientists, engineers, climate scientists, and professionals from the arts — making a significant impact in insurance.

91%

of insurers are planning to invest in new learning and development initiatives — outpacing 82% of organizations beyond the sector — as they respond to the increasing need for future-ready skills.

Source: Aon analysis

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As automation transforms the industry, 14% of roles and 23% of total headcount are at risk of severe disruption from AI and automation, according to Aon’s analysis.

Louisa Blain
Head of Insurance for Human Capital

The Need for a Compelling Employee Value Proposition

To attract and retain the right talent, insurers must offer more than competitive pay. Purpose, inclusion, wellbeing, and flexibility now sit at the core of a compelling EVP. Communicating insurance’s societal impact – alongside opportunities for growth, learning, and innovation – is increasingly important, especially as cross-sector competition rises.

Hybrid working, wellbeing initiatives, and a culture of continuous development are now baseline expectations. Inclusion is equally critical, enabling insurers to unlock the full spectrum of ideas and perspectives that drive innovation. 

Aon’s research shows the stakes: 65% of candidates withdrew from hiring process due to an unattractive EVP and culture. “Failure to Attract or Retain Top Talent” remains one of the sector’s top risks in Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey 2025, underscoring the need for organizations to continually refresh and modernize their employee offering.

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The accelerated pace of mergers and acquisitions, as well as insights from Aon’s Global Risk Management Survey highlight the need for agility and future-readiness in workforce planning.

Emma Crookes
Global Insurance Vertical Leader

Insurers Are Beginning to Adapt Their Workforces 

Although small in scale, new hiring patterns show encouraging signals: insurers are increasingly seeking data talent, change practitioners and transformation‑focused profiles. These early shifts reflect a growing recognition of the capabilities needed to support long‑term change. Forward-thinking organizations are responding to macro trends: 97% of insurers are accelerating automation, and 91% are investing in new learning and development initiatives, often with a strong emphasis on technology, signaling a sector-wide commitment to rapid transformation.

Insurance leaders are also acutely aware of the talent challenge they face. After engaging with the CEOs of 25 leading insurers, it became clear that they recognized the need to adapt to shifting skill requirements. They are actively seeking new approaches to recruitment and career development paths. Talent acquisition and management are now seen as vital yet demanding aspects of leaders’ roles, particularly when it comes to understanding future skills and attracting talent from outside the industry, at scale. These leaders are committed to ensuring their businesses can successfully navigate transformative trends, while also staying relevant in a shifting risk environment.

Leading organizations in other sectors are addressing this challenge by taking a data-driven approach to answering three key questions:

  • Are we aligned?
  • Are we future ready?
  • Are we securing strategic talent?

Forging a Path to a Dynamic Workforce – Next Steps

  1. Start with business strategy to drive alignment
    Insurers must start with a clear business strategy. By harnessing diverse perspectives — from insurance gurus, futurists, and change orchestrators — they can pinpoint the skills needed to sustain performance and drive growth in emerging markets. Strategic alignment between leadership and teams is crucial for engagement and retention.
  2. Cultivate a future-ready workforce
    A data-driven approach to skills — both technical and behavioral — helps define workforce plans and career pathways. Insurers should encourage innovation and continuous learning across all functions. With 59% of the global workforce needing reskilling and 14% of roles at risk from automation, regular skills assessments and psychometric tools are essential for uncovering hidden strengths and supporting targeted development, ensuring the workforce adapts quickly to change.
  3. Securing strategic talent is critical to futureproof business strategy
    To shed its “old-fashioned” image, the industry must revamp how it attracts and develops talent. Focus on potential and diversity, invest in upskilling for climate, cyber, and digital skills, and refresh the EVP to highlight purpose, impact, and career growth. Tailored messaging and data-driven insights will help attract the next generation of talent.

The insurance sector’s future will be shaped by those who can orchestrate talent as deliberately as they manage capital or technology. By blending technical expertise, forward-thinking vision, and transformation leadership, insurers can build adaptable, high-performing teams ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

The opportunity is clear: those who invest in future-fit talent today will be best positioned to capture new growth, drive innovation, and deliver on their purpose in an increasingly complex world.

Aon’s Thought Leaders
  • Louisa Blain
    Head of Insurance for Human Capital

General Disclaimer

This document is not intended to address any specific situation or to provide legal, regulatory, financial, or other advice. While care has been taken in the production of this document, Aon does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the document or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. Any recipient shall be responsible for the use to which it puts this document. This document has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication and is subject to any qualifications made in the document.

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