Being Progressive means moving forward, promoting change, and constantly improving. We live up to our name, not just by being an innovator, but by embracing our different backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and ways of thinking.
We're driven to always do better—for our customers, agents, and each other—while staying true to who we are.
Our Culture
Culture
We live our values
Our culture is rooted in our Core Values. These values aren’t just words on a poster – they guide our decisions and define how we treat our customers and each other. Read more about our Core Values.
We welcome disagreement
Our unique backgrounds and viewpoints mean we naturally have differing opinions. We see this as a good thing and have created programs to provoke substantive conversations. Our Courage at Our Core and Dare to Disagree workshops demonstrate our commitment to an open environment where we not only encourage, but we expect our people to share their opinions and perspectives. Our Employee Resource Groups also host Courageous Conversations, tackling topics related to bias and micro-inequities in the workplace.
We deepen the conversation
We go beyond simply providing unconscious bias training. We’re focused on intercultural competence and developing the skills to create an environment where employees and customers feel welcomed, valued and respected.
We're recognized for our efforts
Last year, we were honored to receive many awards for being a company that values diversity and inclusion:
Best Workplaces for Diversity – Great Place to Work (2018)
Best Workplaces for Women – Great Place to Work (2019 & 2018)
Military Friendly Company (2019)
50 Out Front: Best Places to Work (Diversity MBA Magazine) (2019)
FORTUNE Best Workplace for Diversity - Ranked 3rd (2019)
Progressive's Employee Resource Groups
Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play a key part in leveraging our differences to support an inclusive culture and provide insight into our customers. ERGs act as a resource for employees, providing personal and professional support, and a resource for our business.
Employees who participate in an ERG are more engaged, more likely to apply for a promotion, and more likely to stay with Progressive.
Asian American Network
Disabilities Awareness Network
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Plus Network
Military Network
Network for Empowering Women
Parent Connection
Progressive African American Network
Progressive Latin American Networking Association
Young Professionals Network
Our Progress
Progress
We reflect the customers we serve
To serve our 20+ million customers, we must understand them. We seek to be diverse in our demographics, our experiences, and our thinking.
Our customer service and claims employees are the face of Progressive and represent the customers we're so proud to serve.
As Progressive people continue to advance their careers at the company, we expect that our entire workforce will reflect the communities, backgrounds, and experiences of our customers.
Opportunities to grow
In 2018, we hired just under 7,500 people and promoted almost 550 new managers. The growth in our business has created tremendous opportunity for advancement and more than one-third of Progressive people moved into a new position last year. Promotion from within isn't new to us, it's part of the fabric of our culture. Last year alone, we filled 82% of our jobs above the entry level by promoting our own talent.
Employee representation by race, ethnicity, and gender
New HiresCurrent employees
Women
61% New hires56% Current employees
Men
39% New hires44% Current employees
Ethnicity
New hires
Current employees
White
48%
66%
Black
27%
17%
Hispanic
14%
10%
Asian
3%
3%
Other
9%
4%
Leadership development
As we continue to develop and promote our own, we'll continue to make progress diversifying our leadership. We recognize this as an opportunity and we're investing in development programs and on-the-job experiences to accelerate our progress.
One very successful example of these efforts is our Multicultural Leadership Development Program. More than 80% of graduates of this 18-month program have been promoted into new positions and are advancing their Progressive careers.
~80% Promotion Rate
Manager representation by race, ethnicity and gender
2018 promotions into and within managementCurrent employees
Ethnicity
2018 promotions into and within management
Current employees
White
77%
81%
Black
9%
7%
Hispanic
8%
7%
Asian
3%
3%
Other
4%
3%
Women
45%
43%
Men
55%
57%
Equal pay
Our commitment to pay equity is straightforward—we demand it of ourselves. We’re proud to report that for Progressive employees with similar performance, experience, and job responsibilities, women earn one dollar for every dollar earned by men, and people of color earn one dollar for every dollar earned by their white coworkers.*
We recognize that our commitment to pay equity requires our constant attention and we take regular steps to ensure that our people’s compensation reflects their performance, experience, and job responsibilities, and nothing else. We’ll report our pay equity measures annually.
*In evaluating pay equity companywide, we use a regression model that considers the following components of compensation: annual salary, cash bonus (Gainsharing), and stock awards. These are point-in-time measures (as of January 2019) that include all Progressive employees other than our CEO and the executives reporting directly to her, whose compensation is approved by the Board’s Compensation Committee. For information on executive compensation, please refer to our proxy statement.
Our People
People
We live up to our name
What being Progressive means to us, is not just being an innovator, but embracing our different backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and ways of thinking. We encourage our employees to bring their whole selves to work, and through this idea our company flourishes.
When it comes to diversity and inclusion, Progressive already has an infrastructure in place and I’m honored to contribute to it.
Jamie
JamieLeadership development consultant, 3 years at Progressive
Both in and out of work, you could consider Jamie an experienced coach. In her personal life, she's currently training for her first half-ironman after tackling many shorter-distance races. At Progressive, she puts her coaching skills to work by using her diverse perspectives to help others get comfortable with their unique viewpoints and identities. What does that mean?
When Jamie started her first job after college with another employer, she quickly noticed that she was often the only non-white person in meetings.
“It wasn't just my identity; my ideas were sometimes the only in a room. Over time, I became comfortable with this. I found myself leaning in and learning from different perspectives.”
Jamie now shares her learnings with leaders at Progressive, and serves as a resource for our ERGs. Jamie recently participated as a panelist at the Tri-State Women's Forum sharing advice and guidance to over 100 aspiring Progressive women.
“When it comes to diversity and inclusion, Progressive already has an infrastructure in place and I'm honored to contribute to it.”
Tracey
TraceySenior manager of Salvage, 16 years at Progressive
When Tracey started her career as a high-achieving young graduate, she never expected she'd be told in her first job interview with another company, “We don't hire people like you.” That's when she realized she wanted to work for a company that shared her values of diversity and inclusion—a workplace that not only made her feel safe, but made her feel welcomed.
“I sought out Progressive because they offered same-sex domestic partner benefits and promoted an inclusive culture.”
A Progressive employee for over 16 years, Tracey has made LGBT equality part of her life's work. With our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Plus Network (LGBT+), she was able to connect with employees across the country who shared her passion. For her, it's about understanding where people are coming from—that's how change happens. At Progressive, Tracey says she brings her whole self to work—mother, wife, social justice advocate—and that's a benefit she can't put a price on.
“I am successful at work because I get to be me.”
Kalisha
KalishaSite manager for CRM, 20 years at Progressive
If you ask Kalisha about her passions, she'll tell you it's always been about helping people. A 20-year Progressive employee, Kalisha led our Progressive African American Network and helped encourage dialogue around differences:
“We developed a program called Courageous Conversations, which provides an opportunity to openly talk about biases and how they impact us and our work.”
Kalisha also helped develop our successful Multicultural Leadership Development Program. “We sought to provide minority employees skills, knowledge, and exposure to help them move forward in their careers.” The opportunity to grow and learn—from culture to technology to operations—that's what Progressive means to Kalisha.
“I always tell people, Progressive is not what you'd expect in a corporate environment.”
Trevan
TrevanHR consultant, 19 years at Progressive
Trevan doesn't have many strict rules in his home. But, there is one: “You have to backpack the Grand Canyon before you're 10,” says the HR consultant who's been with the company for 19 years. With four kids—Cayden, Chase, Cassady, and Kayla—Trevan and his wife Mandy have become a whole crew of explorers.
Five years ago, Trevan and Mandy traveled to China to adopt their youngest daughter Kayla. It was life-changing for the family who sought to raise another adventure seeker. It was also the reason he joined with fellow employees to start a parenting resource group at Progressive.
“Progressive offers amazing benefits for adoption, and we wanted to create a group for parents to share stories and advice,” he said. This group has since expanded and blossomed into a network for Progressive parents, which also helps us understand the needs of our employees who are balancing work and family.
“I always tell people, Progressive is not what you'd expect in a corporate environment.”
Hilda
HildaManager for CRM, 22 years at Progressive
One thing is certain: Hilda doesn't sit still or settle. At a young age, she watched as family members ran their own businesses in her home country of Guatemala. That entrepreneurial spirit was instilled in her and is one reason she is constantly looking to grow, learn, and share with others.
Before she started at Progressive 22 years ago, she craved a company culture that shared her personal values. She found that the culture and core values here were a pretty great fit with her own, especially when it comes to integrity.
Hilda was first hired as a bilingual consultant working with both Spanish- and English-speaking customers. She's never looked back and has continued to expand and share her skills and talents. “I grow to give back, both at work and in the community. I know I can't help others if I don't develop myself first.”
She also led Progressive's Latin American Networking Association (PLANETA). She and other PLANETA board members have worked to help Progressive people better understand and communicate with our Latino customer base, candidates, and employees, as well as provide development opportunities for employees. Outside of work, she volunteers at her church and is a big advocate of young people and teachers.
Susan
SusanProcess consultant, 22 years at Progressive
Progressive was supposed to be just a job for Susan. She has a background in rehabilitation psychology, but decided to give Progressive a try while searching for a job in her field.
That was 15 years ago. Susan fell in love with the company and the culture. She eventually earned her MBA while working full-time with the support and flexibility of her managers.
Susan has served as the chair of Progressive's Disabilities Awareness Network (DAWN). “It's critical to create awareness, offer support, and empower employees who have disabilities—ones you can see and ones you can't see.”
Susan and DAWN also recently partnered with our facilities team to help create understanding of how to enhance the accessibility of Progressive's campuses.
“Progressive isn't afraid of change and will do what it takes if it's in the best interest of our employees or our customers.”
Hamilton
HamiltonAssociate manager, Training, 14 years at Progressive
Ham loves to share his favorite phrase: “If you're not intentionally including, you could be unintentionally excluding.” He applies this adage to his work and his personal life.
As a volunteer basketball coach, he developed a successful team with the philosophy that you can't coach everyone the same; you must adapt to the player. Ham serves as a role model for the kids he coaches, teaching them to be themselves and be their best. He often tells his players that he excels at his job because he can bring his whole self to work at Progressive.
As an active member of our African American Network, Ham's also invested in growing our understanding of inclusion, often initiating conversations that challenge assumptions and help people explore different perspectives.
Lance
LanceDiversity & Inclusion/ERG Specialist, 16 years at Progressive
When Lance thinks back on what he learned growing up, one phrase sticks out: “It’s always about doing the right things for the right reasons.” It’s a phrase Lance carries into everything he does, whether that’s making an impact as a Diversity & Inclusion/ERG specialist or adopting his new puppy, Buddy, who was rescued from a Florida hurricane.
Lance started working at Progressive 16 years ago, after serving in Iraq. He wanted a new start where his military work would be recognized. “I was treated with the upmost respect,” he said, recalling how his Progressive interview compared to other experiences. “They really welcomed me in.”
Now, he inspires others by supporting Progressive’s Military Network (MILNET). “I educate Progressive employees through speaking engagements and events like Military Appreciation Month,” Lance said. But that’s not all he does. Lance is also actively involved with Keys to Progress®, a Progressive event that donates cars to military veterans. “Anything I can do to reach back and give someone else a great experience, I’m more than happy to do it.”
“It’s always about doing the right thing for the right reasons.”
Charan
CharanIT apps programmer lead, 14 years at Progressive
Charan will never forget the day he moved to Cleveland to start a new life in Ohio and a new job at Progressive. “It was December 2004,” he said. “When we left Dallas, it was sunny and 65 degrees. And then, two and a half hours later … I haven’t seen that much snow, ever.”
It wasn’t just the weather that made the move to Ohio a tough choice for the India-born Charan. He was leaving behind a good programming job, not to mention strong friendships he and his family built over those four years in Texas.
But, he quickly adjusted, and his family started making new friends. Some of the new friendships were so strong that, when the time came to move out of their apartment complex, four of the families decided to build homes in the very same community. “We all look after each other, and we’re all best friends,” he said.
It’s that community-minded mentality that motivated Charan to join the Asian American network at Progressive. “It gives employees an opportunity to learn about different Asian perspectives and from one another,” he said highlighting the annual Chinese New Year, Diwali (Festival of Light), and Holi (Festival of Color) celebrations.
“I always tell my friends that Progressive is a great place to work. If someone is looking for freedom, flexibility, and life balance, Progressive is the place to work.”
Maureen
MaureenIT control business leader, 13 years at Progressive
We all have passions we’d like to pursue outside of work, but busy schedules often get in the way. For Maureen, a founding board member of Progressive’s Network of Empowered Women (NEW), she couldn’t find time for her love of art. So, she brought art to the office.
For an executive women’s group at Progressive, Maureen had the women paint one word as a New Year’s “theme” on a rock. When put all together, the rocks symbolized “individual goals are important and we’re stronger as a whole.”
This art exercise illustrates the way Maureen approaches life and work. When deciding if she’s focusing on the right goals or in the right role, Maureen considers her whole self and focuses on four quadrants: emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual. At Progressive, she’s found it easy to fulfill her goals and bring her different perspective based on these quadrants.
Integrity, talented co-workers, striving for excellence, and humble leadership keep Maureen at Progressive. Years ago, she spilled a bottle of water in a busy hallway. Before she had a chance to clean it up, the then CEO of Progressive was already taking care of it.
“Such a simple act of kindness. That's what Progressive is.”
