Improving Revenue per Employee in Insurance Brokerage
Increasing revenue per employee is one of the clearest indicators of sustainable growth for insurance brokers. When consultants are overextended with administrative work, revenue growth slows—not because of weak demand, but because time and talent are misaligned. For employee benefits (EB) practices in particular, creating space for higher-value advisory work is essential to improving both productivity and profitability.
When Administrative Work Limits Revenue Potential
This challenge emerged within the Employee Benefits division of one of the world’s largest insurance brokers operating in the New England region. Division leadership set a clear objective: increase revenue per employee. Achieving that goal required more than asking consultants to sell harder—it required fundamentally changing how work was structured so consultants could focus on revenue-generating activities, strategic client relationships, and service leadership rather than day-to-day administrative execution.
At the time, consultants were managing a high volume of administrative tasks without standardized processes. In the absence of defined workflows, each employee completed work differently. Best practices existed but were applied inconsistently, leading to inefficiency, rework, and wasted effort. This variability not only limited productivity but also made it difficult for consultants to operate at their full potential.
Recognizing the Need for Operational Standardization
Leadership quickly recognized that increasing revenue per employee would require removing friction from the operating model. Administrative work was consuming valuable consultant capacity—time that should have been spent deepening client relationships, identifying growth opportunities, and delivering strategic guidance.
To address these challenges, the EB division partnered with ReSource Pro to standardize and optimize operations. The objective was straightforward: redesign how work flowed through the division so low-value, execution-heavy activities could be delegated to specialized teams, while internal consultants focused on high-impact advisory work.
Redesigning Workflows Around Best Practices
ReSource Pro worked closely with EB leadership to document, refine, and standardize core operational processes using proven insurance industry best practices. These workflows were designed with three goals in mind: efficiency, consistency, and scalability. By eliminating unnecessary variation, the division could deliver more predictable service outcomes while reducing time spent navigating internal inefficiencies.
Once the standardized processes were finalized, they were transitioned seamlessly to ReSource Pro’s service delivery teams. Importantly, these were the same teams that had collaborated in developing the workflows, ensuring continuity, accuracy, and operational confidence from day one.
Immediate Impact on Consultant Capacity
The effect on consultant capacity was immediate. With administrative tasks removed from their daily workload, consultants gained meaningful time back in their schedules. This newly available capacity was redirected toward strengthening service relationships, engaging more deeply with existing accounts, and focusing on revenue-generating activities such as renewals strategy, cross-selling, and new business development.
As EB leadership noted, this shift allowed high-value work to “go straight to the bottom line.” By redesigning operations to support how consultants add the most value, the division reinforced the direct connection between operational structure and financial performance.
Broader Benefits of Standardization
Standardization delivered benefits beyond individual productivity. Streamlined procedures reduced variation across the division, resulting in more consistent service delivery and an improved customer experience. Consultants spent less time troubleshooting internal issues and more time delivering insight-driven guidance to clients.
Leadership also gained greater visibility into operations. With standardized workflows in place, it became easier to understand capacity, identify bottlenecks, and ensure resources were aligned with strategic priorities. Confidence grew that operations were actively supporting growth rather than constraining it.
Fast Adoption and Measurable ROI
High levels of engagement across the EB division enabled rapid adoption of the new operating model. Consultants embraced the changes because they directly improved day-to-day work and allowed them to focus on activities that aligned with their expertise and career goals. As a result, the initiative delivered measurable return on investment almost immediately.
Encouraged by early success, the broker expanded its partnership with ReSource Pro to optimize additional processes and further enhance performance. What began as a targeted effort to improve revenue per employee evolved into a broader operational improvement strategy.
Cultural and Organizational Impact
Beyond financial results, the initiative delivered important cultural benefits. Consultants felt empowered to contribute at their full potential, focusing on advisory and relationship-driven work rather than administrative execution. The division became more resilient and scalable, better equipped to absorb growth without increasing operational strain.
By aligning work design with value creation, leadership reinforced a culture centered on impact rather than effort alone.
Designing Operations to Unlock Growth
This case study demonstrates that increasing revenue per employee is not achieved by asking people to work harder—it is achieved by designing operations that allow talent to focus on the right work. Through process standardization and thoughtful delegation of low-value activities, insurance brokers can unlock capacity, improve service quality, and drive sustainable growth.
For insurance brokerages—particularly employee benefits practices—seeking to improve productivity and profitability, revenue per employee provides a powerful lens for operational improvement. With the right structure, discipline, and support, brokers can translate operational clarity into measurable financial results while empowering consultants to do their best work.
