The Trainee program is a process of attracting and developing young talent to bring into the company.
TEXT María Jesús Pérez Fuentes and Andrea Burgui | ILUSTRATIONS Thinkstock
The professionals who make up our team are of decisive value and are those who truly make a difference in a marketplace as competitive as the current one.
With the aim of attracting new talent, the company launched its Trainee project, whose prime objective is to attract, retain and develop employees with global skills and reinforce the profiles most needed at each moment in time. For several years now, this program has been training and integrating new professionals with high potential and international projection.
The programs seek to attract profiles very much in demand in the current insurance market, such as actuaries, mathematicians or engineers.
With this type of initiatives, MAPFRE is ensuring its succession plan for the different generations that coexist in the company. The newcomers bring with them new skills and points of view that complement the knowledge and expertise of the in-house talent. Because, as Antonio Huertas put it in the previous issue of The World of MAPFRE: “If we all pull together, we can improve the whole company.”
MAPFRE Trainees
profile
Age
25-32
Readiness for relocation
Qualifications
Business Administration and Management, Marketing, Law, Engineering, Statistics, Mathematics, Actuarial Sciences or IT
Professional development plan
classroom training, on-the-job training, mentoring, functional mobility, geographical mobility
Adrián participated in the first edition of the Trainee (Cantera) program, designed to fill positions in the Technology area. “The program has enabled me to boost my professional career on all fronts. Moreover, in large companies there are many minute variations that give you an added incentive when it comes to tackling everyday tasks.” Adrián is part of that generation of young employees taking up prominent technological posts, given the digital transformation process currently ongoing in the company. “Being as large as we are, it is essential to be able to count on specialized profiles in each line and that is what helps us remain competitive.”
Our six protagonists were selected according to strict criteria. They have all received transversal training provided by professionals from MAPFRE’s various functional areas, thereby acquiring the necessary knowledge regarding the dimensions of the Group’s activity.
The fact is that, prior to the designation of a specific destination, the trainees participate in a preliminary period of theoretical and practical training in order to gain detailed knowledge of all areas of the company, the interrelationships between the different departments and, in short, the most relevant processes that allow MAPFRE to operate. “Without a doubt, having enjoyed this training period is not just a differentiating feature of this program, but it can also be deemed a huge gesture of confidence in our potential,” declares Elvira.
This global insurance training is followed by on-the-job practical training in a department similar to that where the trainees will finally be assigned. “For me personally, the most important training was that provided by several MAPFRE actuaries, as I had little work experience and was unaware of the theoretical-practical application of the work involved in the actuarial profession. We were given the opportunity to do small projects with different applications and could thus better understand the methodology explained,” comments Sara.
The trainees have a common trait: a great motivation to learn
“My experience as a trainee has been key to understanding the business, getting to know my colleagues who form part of it, and being able to contribute value to MAPFRE in the short space of time since I joined the Major Agreements department.” These are the words of Félix, who participated in the Simbiosis program in 2014. “It was a tremendous opportunity and I’m really grateful for it. It provided me with tools to tackle my professional future with another perspective and security.”
Despite being very different from each other, the trainees all have a common trait: a great motivation to learn and adaptive capacity.
For Mar, the program offered her a unique experience. “Given that mine is a highly specialized niche professional sector, forming part of the MAPFRE GLOBAL RISKS team was clearly an exceptional opportunity for me. In MAPFRE we young professionals can encounter great opportunities for the future in the international sphere and a comprehensive career plan,” she stresses.
The work of the mentors is fundamental throughout this process. These company professionals take the trainees on board and complete their preliminary training process in a real work environment, similar to that for which they are destined. “Each one of us trainees was lucky enough to have an in-house mentor, outstanding professionals in their respective fields, as well as fine colleagues in the departments we joined. They all guided us in the process of integrating into MAPFRE and, in addition, helped to reinforce our training,” explains Mar.
For Jesús, this work was essential during the first phase of the program, “the role of my mentor was almost like that of a teacher, which accelerated my learning process and my development within MAPFRE.”
As for Elvira, she underscores the international adventure the program offered her. “Not only is it enabling me to enjoy a professional experience outside my country, but it is paving the way to being able to develop an international career and keep growing within a great global company.” After her training process, Elvira was posted to Malta, “an incredibly enriching experience in every sense of the word.”
“Moreover, it enables you to get to know yourself better, boost your strong points and bolster your weak points as you find your feet in the local unit and expand your vision of the business,” Elvira states.
Eleonora has also taken full advantage of the international development opportunity offered by the Trainee programs. This Guatemalan was studying in Argentina when she signed up to the program. She received training in Spain, Colombia and the United States, and is currently working in Mexico. “In the United States I began to understand the diversity and versatility of the Assistance products. At that stage, I was working with people who were in Canada, Colombia and Spain. Getting to know people from different places enables you to comprehend what is going on elsewhere.”
For Sara, the program has proved enriching for both her professional career and personal life. “I feel this opportunity they have given us is a true privilege, allowing us to gain a global vision of the company as a whole, as well as learn from the vast experience of senior executives. What’s more, I’d like to stress the level of commitment and approachability demonstrated by all the trainers, which gave us the possibility of posing any queries and doubts we may have had about the subject we were studying at the time.”
“After almost a year working in Malta, I can say that this is just the beginning of a great project full of continuous challenges and opportunities to excel that arise on a daily basis,” Elvira concludes.
For all the trainees, the program represents the beginning of a great adventure. And for MAPFRE, a strong commitment to the professional development of these young people.
PERFILES
Of the extensive training she received in the program, she highlights the opportunity to get to know the structure of MAPFRE, an aspect of great importance when a new worker joins the company.
Currently, Sara is an actuary in MAPFRE RE. Within this area, she fulfills a number of functions, most of which are related to Solvency II.
