Progressive Proves Happy Employees Fuel Billion-Dollar Growth

Progressive’s employee-first approach has been a key driver of its record business growth, with the company reporting significant financial and operational milestones in 2024. Over the past five years, Progressive has nearly doubled its revenue, reaching $75 billion in 2024 compared to $39 billion in 2019 [2]. Bill Clawson, Progressive’s chief human resources officer, attributes much of the company’s success to its strong employee engagement and retention strategies. He notes that the company continues to outperform previous growth levels by increasing policies, customers, and premium growth [2].

The company’s focus on creating a positive workplace culture has paid off. Progressive recently climbed to No. 6 on the 2025 Fortune Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance™ list for large companies, jumping four spots from the previous year [2]. Clawson emphasizes that the company’s culture, engagement, and retention efforts are directly linked to its business outcomes, as satisfied and committed employees drive long-term performance [2].

According to Great Place To Work’s analysis of 1.3 million employee surveys, meaningful work is the top retention driver. At Progressive, 82% of employees feel their work has meaning, significantly higher than the 56% average in the financial and insurance sectors [2]. The company’s high retention rate—90% of employees plan to stay long-term—is a testament to its strong employee value proposition [2]. Clawson highlights that developing careers rather than just filling roles is a core part of Progressive’s strategy, with 90% of employees receiving professional development opportunities, far exceeding the industry average [2].

Progressive is also expanding its talent pool by offering roles that do not require a college degree. The company receives 800,000 job applications annually, and 89% of its current job descriptions provide alternative qualifications based on experience [2]. Clawson states that the company values skills and potential over formal education, aiming to grow employees from within [2]. A key initiative to support career growth is the “Destination Progress” employer brand campaign, launched in the 2025 recruiting cycle, which aims to showcase the company as a place where job seekers can build long-term careers [2].

The onboarding process at Progressive has also been reimagined to ensure new hires feel welcomed and supported from the start. The company provides a dedicated pre-hiring website for new employees to engage with setup materials and connect with mentors [2]. CEO Tricia Griffith personally greets every new hire class, reinforcing a culture of accessibility and appreciation [2]. Clawson emphasizes that this approach has led to 97% of employees feeling welcomed when joining the company [2]. He adds that Progressive’s leadership team prioritizes employee communication, with an informal rule that employees’ emails are answered before those of leadership [2].

Progressive continues to monitor and refine its employee experience using data from Great Place To Work and Gallup, ensuring that its people-centric strategies remain aligned with employee expectations [2]. Clawson advises other companies to listen to their employees and act accordingly, as trust and respect are foundational to long-term success [2].

Source: [1] Nasdaq (https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/pgr) [2] Fortune (https://fortune.com/2025/09/09/progressive-employee-first-approach-drives-record-business-growth-best-workplaces-industry/)