Ten Youth About Business Interns Joined EPIC
On July 19, 2023, Ten bright, driven young men and women from the Youth About Business Intern Program presented their collective findings and feedback on their experience with EPIC. Present at the meeting were members of the EPIC executive team, the department leaders, and other team members the interns supported. The goal of the presentation was to share their overall experience and provide feedback on how to improve said experience. In addition, they provided some recommendations on how the business could improve in general.
As program founder Sam Kirk kicked off the meeting, a question was posed to Steve Denton asking how vital is the intern program and providing a platform for young people and he responded, “It is vital, absolutely critical, to have new blood come into the organization and provide a platform to share their ideas.”
The intern participants defined EPIC in the following way:
- Empowerment – Strategy to enhance the internship experience and attract talent
- Performance – A suite of improvements aimed at boosting company performance and optimizing workflow
- Image – a subtle revamp to brand identity to stand out in today’s competitive landscape
- Cohesion – Aligning company-wide strategies, practices, and goals with the company’s core vision.
The request for enhanced experience by the interns is that they would be allowed to interview for Internship placement, compensated in-person internships allowing for increased learning, optional personal development projects and a full-time offer would make obtaining this a primary goal.
It is well known in the insurance industry that the average age is high and the development and hiring of the next generation is critical. They proposed a PEP strategy to grow the talent pool of young up-and-coming professionals. This strategy would involve the procurement of college pipelines and the implementation of creative marketing to attract talent. Once the hires have been made, it is essential that they feel empowered as they join the firm. Once the talent has been onboard for a period of time, preserving the talent through coaching, mentoring and growth opportunities is important for the overall success of the employee and the company long-term.
The intern team presented performance insights after interviewing 45 employees across EPIC to identify areas where there are growth opportunities identified as inefficiencies, brand image, and culture. They recommend increased attention to these areas through existing tools that bring about greater efficiencies and minimize administrative burden. Added communication across subsidiaries and departments was seen as an opportunity for additional collaboration and strength.
Branding, consistency, one company, one brand, one image. They were looking to gain a greater understanding of the brand and recognition of it. A want for uniformity by the interns was suggested. Steve Denton explained that the brands within the Galway family of companies are intended to provide specialized offerings through Jencap, MAI, and EPIC, and these brands must function as they are due to the nature of their business and relationships with their clients.
These bright young minds presented some compelling thoughts about their experiences and how EPIC can create a better experience for interns and look at ways to increase the talent pool of future leaders in the industry. They also provided outside perspectives on some of the areas for growth, including improvement of inefficiencies, greater brand recognition and visibility, and continued culture development.
We thank all of our interns for their insights and for bringing a fresh perspective to the organization. We will look to the future and to having some of you join the EPIC organization and continue the legacy that has been started with a bright future ahead.
Here’s to a fantastic EPIC Summer with the Youth About Business Interns!
