Branch State of the Business, Part 5

Where Branchers Grow Roots

There’s a special word for someone who always has your back. Picks up the phone to ask the right questions. Assumes the best in every intention.

We call that person a “Brancher.”

It means “one of us.” The hundreds of people who make buying insurance instant, saving money easy, and handling claims as fair and fast as possible.

That’s because Branch isn’t just focused on changing the way people think about their home or auto insurance. Branch is reinventing the culture of working at an insurance company, too. Basically, take what you think when you hear “works in insurance” — we built Branch to be the opposite of that.

And maybe it’s why not only did Branchers continue to rate Branch a perfect 5.0 on Glassdoor, but Glassdoor itself ranked us as the #13 Best Place to Work.

Not the best places to work in Tech. Not in Insurance in general. The flat-out best places to work in the whole country. Period.

When you build something right, people want to be part of it.

We took the same care creating our culture as we did the actual Branch insurance platform. Putting in the time upfront. Opening up to feedback. And an obsessive-level focus on the end-to-end experience.

So it makes sense that not only was 2021 an explosive year for new Branch policies, but for our employee growth, too.

Back when Branch started, and we were just a small team planting the seeds of what Branch would become, we were driven by the belief that we could restore insurance to its original intent — a force for communal good. We gave language to our calling, “getting back to getting each other’s back.” And we worked to fulfill our mission, to make insurance less expensive, so more people could be covered.

All this — our true foundation — was in place, yet hidden just beneath the soil. But as the roots of our culture started to take hold, we began to grow. And our culture grew with us.

By December of 2020, during one of the most difficult employment years in U.S. history, we were up to 47 Branchers. And a mere 12 months later, as everyone was talking about the Great Resignation?

We stood 216 Branchers strong.

In just one year, our Brancher ranks grew 360%.

That’s 169 new Branchers in total. But it’s more than the number. It’s about what that number does for all of us at Branch. Because the people at Branch are the lifeblood of our company.

For us, that 360% employee growth means we got smarter. More talented. We have 169 more unique experiences to draw from. We’re brought in more diverse perspectives across race, orientation, and background that change the lens through which we can see insurance. Better yet, see the world.

And when we think about how our growing diversity can enhance our creativity. Eliminate our complacency. We didn’t just multiply our skills 3.6x — it’s so much more than that — together, we can take our talents exponentially further, building upon one another, to solve our member’s challenges like never before.

Add it all up and we’re a superteam, spread out from coast to coast. From our headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, our branches now spread to practically anywhere our members are.

BRANCHING OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Though we grow fast, our roots stay strong.

What keeps Branchers so happy and engaged at work? That we’re 100% remote-first? The above-market salaries or non-discriminatory pay transparency? The unlimited YouTime and expense-paid vacations? Okay, yeah, all that can’t hurt.

But if you ask a lot Branchers, it’s our mission and the values that stem from it. The very roots of who we are and why perks like that can exist in the first place…

OUR ROOTS: THE FOUNDATION OF OUR CULTURE

Ask “why?”

It’s how we better learn, understand, and stay on the same page.

Call the play

We don’t let great ideas get caught up in red tape. You’ve got the freedom to go for it.

This is V1

Progress over perfection. Get the first version out there, test it, and make it better.

The top today

Prioritize what’s realistic and can make the most meaningful impact in the time you have.

Automate it

Goodbye, unnecessary tasks. It’s just one way we make both the workday easier and insurance seamless.

Look for the positive intent

Sometimes our keyboards get in our own way. Remember, we all have the same goal.

Pick up the phone

If you’re ever in doubt, a simple conversation can save you stress, time, and hassle.

Celebrate our wins

We don’t just celebrate our wins when they happen. We fly everyone in for a company wide BranchFest each year to celebrate our wins in person (and in style).

Get each other’s back

When it comes down to it, that’s what insurance is — getting someone’s back. We don’t just sell it as a product. We live it daily.

Our roots shape how we treat each other, how we treat our members, how we interact with the people we haven’t met yet. Run into a Brancher anywhere in the country and you’ll see — these aren’t platitudes we say, they’re principles we believe.

So yeah, Branch is a pretty special place.

It’s also the people at Purpose Jobs who say we’re “Best Place to Work” among purpose-driven companies. It’s our Torch Award for Ethics. Our Powderkeg Tech Culture award, you get the point.

But the real reason Branch is so special isn’t that it’s a place people want to work. It’s a place Branchers want to stay.

It’s where you can get as much opportunity as you ask for, with no ceiling but your own performance and drive standing your way. Where your company will invest time and resources in you through training, learning, development, so you can grow as we grow. And where doing what’s right by our people — both members and Branchers — always comes first.

This isn’t the type of place where you have to watch your back. Because at Branch, we know we’ve all got each other’s.