The success of Vienna Insurance Group is based on the daily dedication of around 23,000 employees with an extensive variety of experience, qualifications and expertise. The diversity of the different Vienna Insurance Group companies is also a reflection of the diversity of its employees. This diversity is part of day-to-day life within Vienna Insurance Group. Respect for different cultures and the cross-border exchange of experience and know-how have played an important role in the sustained success of the Group. As an employer, VIG's goal in this respect is to promote the professional and personal development of its employees and support them in demonstrating and further developing their abilities.
Nikolina Dražeta, Key Account and Corporative Sales Manager, Wiener Osiguranje, Croatia
Birgit Moosmann, Head of People Management, Vienna Insurance Group, Vienna, Austria
What makes VIG your personal number one, Ms Dražeta and Ms Moosmann?
Dražeta: For me, the answer is quite clear. VIG is like a second family to me. After all, you spend most of your time with your fellow employees. And that is why corporate culture, or more precisely how we treat one another, is so important.
It might not be that important to others, but I appreciate the respectful way in which we treat each other. Mutual appreciation is such a huge motivator.
In sales in particular, we naturally work in competition with each other. We nevertheless feel drawn together like a family during our work. We share in both the successes and misfortunes of others. The intensity of this exchange gives me the energy I need to meet new targets. Clearly, everyone in employment has to continuously improve his or her skills and work on self-development. But achieving company targets in a truly effective manner requires functioning teamwork. That is the key to success. And that is precisely what works for us.
“Insurance is not just a job. Insurance is a lifestyle.”
Our work also defines who we are. My work has taught me a great deal about myself, my strengths and my weaknesses. You know, insurance is not just a job. Insurance is a lifestyle. It truly is “survival of the fittest”. If you can’t handle an intense, demanding and fast-paced job, the insurance industry is not the place for you. But that is exactly what I love about my job. It’s interesting. It’s dynamic. And it’s fun.
Moosmann: That’s easy to answer: the huge selection of training opportunities and career paths. Insurance companies don’t come across as very attractive employers to many people. However, anyone who starts working here with a preconception like that will generally be pleasantly surprised to find this image misleading. Hardly any other company offers so broad a range of tasks and responsibilities. There is a positive feeling every day that people and their needs are the central focus here, and this has to do with our historical roots. The bottom line is that our business model is built on the idea of solidarity.
“The bottom line is that our business model is built on the idea of solidarity.”
On that note, it is interesting to recall that my first job after graduation was with a trade union. When I heard in 1989 that Wiener Städtische was looking for employees, the immaculate reputation that the company had gained with us trade unionists as an employer and its renown as a leading insurance company were the key factors that led me to apply. My feeling was that if trade unionists were saying the company was a good employer, then this was something I could trust. To this day, I have never regretted my decision.
When I applied for a job here, the Group was still called “Wiener Städtische Versicherung” and we worked exclusively in Austria. Today, 25 years later, we have grown to be a European insurance company, a large successful family of more than 23,000 employees operating in 24 countries.