Buffalo, NY, Aug. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Buffalo Business First names GEICO’s Buffalo regional office finalist for healthiest worksite among extra-large employers in Western New York.
Last year, Buffalo associate and native Mark Bishop won the Wellness Coordinator of the Year Award. For Bishop, the award is a culmination of his 14-year career at GEICO – one that has spanned customer service, recruiting and benefits.
In fact, like many associates, Bishop wasn’t going to school for insurance, but he needed a job while completing his Philosophy degree and growing his family. He knew GEICO was hiring and they had great benefits and stable hours, so he applied.
He expected GEICO to be a regular 9 to 5 – “you show up, do the work, and head home. However, after you’re in the building, you find this amazing internal community in our office that has a true Buffalo feel,” said Bishop.
This culture applies to the multiple pathways to a successful career. “While you might start in customer service or sales or claims, once you’re in the door, you can move to IT or maintenance or HR—pretty much any career you want, GEICO has it,” said Bishop.
Bishop was happy to go with the flow and let opportunities come to him. While on service, he took on special projects and learned different aspects of the business. From there, he quickly moved up to recruiting and helped people in college become lifelong GEICO associates.
Then, the HR benefits/wellness position opened up and Bishop, with his love of helping people, promoting healthy habits and general enthusiasm, jumped at it.
“Each position at GEICO was great, but I really wanted to make my mark, to help the business branch out and do well. This position allowed me to interact with so many different associates and think through the benefits we provide to ensure we’re taking care of our associates physically, mentally and financially,” said Bishop.
With this in mind, Bishop has built weight-loss programs, promoted flu-shots and made dental checkups more accessible, among other initiatives.
“The typical benefits of medical and dental are important – and GEICO has some of the best benefits around – but, it’s just as important to take care of the entire person, including nutrition, wellbeing, mental health, etc.,” said Bishop.
Bishop’s desire to help his fellow associates is shared by many of his Buffalo colleagues, according to Regional Vice President and Buffalo native Mindy Seibold. “In Buffalo, community is big—we’re invested in helping our associates advance their careers alongside their personal lives. As a promote-from-within company that values work-life wellbeing, we’re always looking to move associates forward and open up new opportunities for Buffalonians like Mark Bishop,” said Seibold.
A member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, GEICO is a stable company that was founded more than 80 years ago. The company’s Total Rewards benefits package includes health, dental and vision coverage, paid vacation and holidays, parental leave, and continuing education and tuition reimbursement. In addition, Buffalo has numerous Employee Resource Groups, a Mental Health Committee, and will be instituting a new work from home policy this fall.
When asked what he tells people about Buffalo being up for the award, Bishop answered: “GEICO has some of the best benefits and competitive pay around. But, in Buffalo, we go beyond those typical offerings by building communities through ERGs that focus on Diversity and Inclusion. You can truly make this job go wherever you want as long as you work hard. At the same time, you can build lifelong friendships and work on your mental and physical health along the way.”
GEICO’s Buffalo regional office is currently hiring—applications are being accepted now at GEICO.jobs/Buffalo.
###
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 28 million vehicles in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, GEICO employs more than 43,000 associates countrywide. GEICO constantly strives to make lives better by protecting people against unexpected events while saving them money and providing an outstanding customer experience. Along with personal auto insurance, commercial auto and personal umbrella coverages are also available. Homeowners, renters, condo, flood, identity theft, term life, and more coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Visit geico.com for a quote or to learn more.