Bridging the gap in today’s actuarial workforce
Candace Woods, Amanda Hug and Johnathon Dellapenta


Imagine this: a workplace devoid of the internet, email, iPhones or texting. For some actuaries, it doesn’t take much imagining, because we lived it! For others, it is difficult to picture, because it is either a faint memory or a workplace we’ve never experienced.

Why does this matter? The digital transformation of the past 30 years is symbolic of a shift in workplace culture across generations. Think about it this way—how are you most likely to talk to your coworker? By phone, email or text? How you answer this question may reveal your generation.

Today’s workplace is a generational mashup, where coworkers must come together to bridge the gap. First there are the baby boomers, who have deep institutional knowledge and are familiar with “the way we’ve always done it.” Then there are recent college graduates, the millennials, and those who will soon follow, Generation Z, with youthful enthusiasm and the ability to boil ideas down to 280 characters. And, of course, smack dab in the middle of it all are the Gen-Xers. This generational mashup presents a challenge for actuarial leaders, who must consider how to best utilize and develop talent along all aspects of the generational spectrum.

As three actuaries with experience in the industry ranging from three months to eight years to more than three decades, we, the writers of this article, offer our insights and identify challenges for both leaders and new actuaries. We advise on how to not only navigate but also appreciate the ever-evolving landscape of generational attitudes, expectations and desires. We structure our reflections and recommendations around three key stages in every actuary’s career trajectory: onboarding, growth and advancement.