Company name: Admiral Group
Company website: www.admiral.com
Address: Capital Tower, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff CF10 3AZ
Number of employees: 4,500+
Company summary: Admiral Group launched in 1993 and now has over three million customers and more than 4,500 staff. We are proud to be based in South Wales and have offices in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. We sell private car insurance and related ancillary products throughout the UK.
Pay and benefits: We are believers in identifying and rewarding good performance. We offer our staff a competitive salary and generous incentive structure. All staff are shareholders in the company and receive free shares twice a year and dividends, depending on the company's performance. We offer a wide range of staff benefits, including free fruit every day, free gym membership, free head massages, a cycle to work scheme and a general culture of having fun at work.
Promotion and development: We strongly believe in developing the talent we have and promoting from within, and have various schemes to nurture this talent. One is our Buy a Book scheme where if staff find a book they feel will inspire them or help them with their job, the company will pay for it. We have a Talent Development Plan, whereby staff with strong potential are given training to achieve it. And the Admiral Academy provides in-house training for all staff on a wide range of subjects.
Company culture: Admiral Group's key philosophy is that 'people who like what they do, do it better', so the company is structured to encourage employees to do this. We have regular team afternoons out, company parties, and our very own Ministry of Fun hosted by a different department each month, holding different games and competitions for staff across the company. Another of our key philosophies is best represented by a jigsaw piece. Namely, that no single person is more important than any other and, without any single piece, the puzzle is incomplete. Our CEO personally gives a jigsaw piece to every single member of staff upon joining the company.
Diversity, social responsibility: Our Community Chest scheme means that any member of staff affiliated with a charity, sports team or local organisation can apply for money to help their organisation. We also sponsor many events across South Wales, including the Admiral Cardiff Big Weekend, Swansea bay 10K and both open air ice rinks in Cardiff and Swansea.
Environment and sustainability: We run various schemes to limit our impact on the environment. We have recycling bins on every floor. We run a car-share scheme for staff and also have a Bike to Work scheme where the company will subsidise the purchase of new bikes. In 2014 we are due to move our headquarters to a new building in Cardiff. The plans include electricity-generating photo-voltaic panels and rainwater harvesting but, more importantly, the building itself will be built to the BREEAM standard of 'excellent'.
Innovation: Over the years, many insurance products and services were invented by Admiral Group. Through elephant.co.uk we were the first UK company to offer insurance quotes solely via the internet. Our online comparison site, Confused.com, was the UK's first car insurance price comparison site and we were the first car insurance company to offer a true multicar policy.
