‘Anon, please’ @insurancewomen shaping conversations on insurance pay, culture and careers

What began as a reaction to gender pay gap discussion in insurance has become something much larger for the anonymous industry figure behind @insurancewomen.

Speaking to GR, the Instagrammer said the account was created in response to being struck by “the difference between the men and women’s pay”.

That was after seeing a pay study published by another anonymous insurance Instagrammer, @thehardmarket, also previously interviewed by GR.

“I created it on the whim, through a couple of silly memes, and I didn’t think much of it,” @insurancewomen said.

A more serious project emerged from this.

“My goal was to eventually create a parental leave study. That was one of the main reasons I created the page,” they said.

“I wanted a place where I could eventually get parental leave info for everybody,” they said.

That aim towards transparency and answering sometimes uncomfortable questions, remains central to the account.

“I feel like that’s something that should be available to everyone, to know what parental leave is available for companies, and it’s hidden behind closed doors, especially in the US, for so many companies,” they said.

The next step is for a new survey on fertility benefits, “one of my most requested topics in my DMs [direct messages]”.

They added: “It’s going to be around which companies will cover IVF, surrogacy, adoption, how much they will pay towards it, who’s going to cover it, who won’t.”

While the memes are what many followers first notice, the account owner said the balance has shifted steadily towards practical information and discussion.

“My page is a lot less about memes and more about discussion topics,” they said.

These typically begin with questions posed to followers, private responses in the DMs, many of which are then shared – anonymously – through Instagram stories.

Interaction is sometimes at company level, with a “wait list for company feedback” alongside a much larger queue of discussion topics sent in by followers.

“It’s usually companies that people are interviewing with or interested in working at,” they said.

Appetite is relentless from followers wanting their own firms to be the next focus.

“Anytime I post a company, I usually get several requests for new companies to look at,” they said.

That information is organised into highlights, creating a growing resource for followers researching employers, workplace issues and day-to-day questions around office culture.

“Over time, it’s taken on a life of its own. So many people have started using it as a resource,” they said.

“I know of quite a few people who have made important career connections and gotten jobs as a direct result of the page,” @insurancewomen continued.

One positive example involved a woman being rebuffed trying to return to work in the insurance industry after years as a stay-at-home mother.

“I posted about this and got a DM from someone at a large carrier, saying, ‘Hey, I run an aviation team, and I’d love to talk to her.’”

That contact ultimately led to a job offer.

“It was awesome to see that go full circle just from a post to changing someone’s life,” they said.

The account’s most serious role has been in revealing workplace harassment.

One post prompted by previous media revelations about sexual harassment generated a further flood of responses to the place – beyond anything @insurancewomen expected.

“I was absolutely bombarded for days by hundreds, thousands of messages,” they said.

What followed changed how they viewed the page.

“That’s when I thought, ‘This is more than a meme page to these people,’” they said.

“This is an outlet. It’s something that can drive real change.”

The experience has been at turns difficult and revealing.

“For every message out there, I got so many more saying, ‘I just need to get this off my chest,’” they said.

The seriousness of those submissions forced a rethink, although they also acknowledged the limits and risks of handling anonymous allegations on social media.

They said they try to be clear that material posted is user submitted.

Despite some fears, the overwhelming response from followers has not been negative, but supportive.

The page has also asked for positive experiences, sharing industry role models.

“I asked people to tell me about mentors or someone who’s been there for you.”

The response was even stronger.

“When I asked for mentors, bam, bam, bam, bam, my inbox was flooded,” they said.

“It was not just women. I was flooded with women naming male sponsors, male allies, who were there for them,” they added.

They are keen to push back on the idea that the page is only for women, despite the name.

“It’s not just for women,” they said.

“I think sometimes people hear Insurance Women and think it’s a feminism page. It’s actually very little about that,” they continued.

Instead, they described it as a place for “feedback on companies, discussion topics around workplace issues” and a grass-roots community trying to help each other navigate insurance careers.

The anonymous structure remains essential to that role.

“The reason the anonymity is so important is it’s twofold,” they said.

“One, so that I can continue to post some of the things that are on the edge.

“And two, to protect my followers who also want to remain anonymous.”

They added: “I also take my followers’ anonymity very, very seriously.”

That commitment appears to be central to why the page has gained such traction.

The most repeated phrase in their inbox is expected to remain: “anon, please.”