Training & Development Programs

Each year Línea Directa's training and development department defines a series of training programmes fully aligned with the needs of the business. In 2023, organizational change meant that all customer-facing staff had to increase their commercial skills and improve their knowledge of the products and services marketed.

Employee Development Programs
 

 

Employee Development Program 1

Employee Development Program 2

Transforming the Business to Become a Multi-Segment Company (Motor and Home) in the Portfolio Area

LDA10X

Name & Description of the program

Being a Customer-Centric company aims to make Línea Directa a reference for customers in covering all their insurance needs, based on trust and satisfaction. This also means that the people attending to customers and potential clients can respond to any need without having to transfer calls to other teams.

In this context, Motor and Home lines were integrated at Línea Directa, forming two main areas in the business: Commercial, oriented towards potential clients, and Portfolio, focused on managing all customers with at least one policy with the company.

Multi-Segment preparation in the Commercial area took place in 2022, and the major training project was carried out in 2023, targeting the Portfolio area. This area has the largest volume of employees in the company and required essential technological changes to implement integrated operations.

The preparation in the Portfolio area was directed at those closest to the operation and in contact with the customer: Managers, Coordinators, Supervisors, Room Advisors, and Managers, involving 487 people in 2023.

The significant milestone occurred in April 2023 with the Interactive Voice Response (IVR)  project going into production, identifying multi-product customers from single-product Car customers. The goal for this date was to have at least 50% of the platform trained and capable of handling both Motor and Home policies. Currently, the entire platform is prepared to manage both Home and Motor services, except for new hires who are gradually integrated by product lines.

The training consisted of in-depth preparation in knowledge, skills, operations, and tools, combining theory and practice, and was carried out based on precise planning coordinated with business needs. Each team prepared for the new functions began operations with special monitoring to ensure the best service to Línea Directa customers in both segments.

The training methodology combined interactive multimedia resources with in-person sessions, delivered by the training team and a network of collaborators, who are managers that balance their work with training collaboration. This ensures that the content is fully adapted to their reality and provides support in the room after training. The training also paid special attention to change management, promoting enthusiasm, motivation, and a challenge towards the company Línea Directa aims to become.

With the aim of supporting and enhancing product innovation at Línea Directa, the LDA10X Innovation Program was launched. This program aims to establish a way of fostering innovation within Línea Directa and to develop new products and services by enhancing creativity, collaboration, and the entrepreneurial spirit within the organization. Our goal is to become the most innovative company in the insurance sector, offering products and services with a unique value proposition for our clients and society. Our value proposition is oriented from both a business and a customer perspective.

To ensure the successful development of the LDA10X program, we established two fundamental pillars:

  • The governance model, that defined the main roles and necessary validations.
  • A innovation methodology with four phases defined: exploration, ideation, validation, and implementation.

For the launch of the first edition of LDA10X, the Marketing Director acted as the project sponsor, maintaining a significant presence throughout the entire edition. The teams were carefully selected, consisting of individuals from various areas of the company with notable innovative profiles. They were supported by a team that provided necessary internal information and advised on specialist topics (legal, financial, tax, etc.), all led by the company’s Product Innovation Manager. Throughout the process, team members received training in innovation methodologies and presented major milestones requiring decisions to the Product Committee. The final product ideas were presented at a session held at IESE Business School in front of our CEO and the Executive Team. The entire program was accompanied by an internal communication plan that promoted a culture of innovation within the company.

In subsequent years, this training will be extended to the rest of the identified target audience, ensuring that more and more employees at Línea Directa can participate in the innovation process and contribute to the development of new products and services. This progressive expansion of the program will help consolidate a culture of continuous innovation and further enhance internal talent, ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of the insurance sector with a differentiated value proposition that adapts to the changing needs of the market.

 

Description of program objective/business benefits

The project’s objective was to ensure Línea Directa's customer-facing teams can handle any issues in Motor and Home insurance with quality.

Specific goals included:

  • Ensuring that customer service personnel for Motor products have the knowledge, skills, and tools to also handle Home products.
  • Ensuring that customer service personnel for Home products have the knowledge, skills, and tools to also handle Motor products.
  • Reducing call transfers between business segments.
  • Increasing customer service capacity through improved operational efficiency and productivity per manager.

Our goal is to achieve growth in demand generation, customer numbers and to differentiate Línea Directa from the competition with our value proposition.

The objectives of the program are:

  • To enhance innovation, identify market needs, and new business opportunities.
  • To establish an innovation methodology that allows us to launch new products and services.
  • To enhance Línea Directa's image as an innovative brand.
  • To develop new capabilities and foster internal talent.

By implementing an innovation methodology within the company, we aim to launch new products in the market.

 

Quantitative impact of business benefits (monetary or non-monetary)

Regarding the business impact:

  • Reduction in call transfers between business segments: in January 2023, approximately 7,300 calls were transferred between the Home and Motor segments, reduced by 63% to 2,600 transfers by the end of the year.
     
  • Operational efficiency impacting quality, attention, and effective customer management:

1. Improvement in Average Handling Time (AHT):

  • This indicator decreased by 13% in 2023, from 583 seconds in January to 504 seconds by year-end, even when attending to customers with 2 or more Home and Motor policies. This increases service levels, allowing more calls to be handled and reducing abandonment.

2. Improvement in calls per hour (total calls answered by manager per hour):

  • The number of calls answered per hour by a Multi-Product Manager increased by 15%, with managers improving their learning curve and reducing handling time. They went from handling 4.8 calls per hour to 5.54. Similarly, with AHT, we gain greater Call Center service capacity.

Regarding the data of the training:

  • Training completion rate: 99.18% of the defined group
  • Training hours: 9,961 hours, averaging 20.45 hours per person

The evaluation of the training was carried out at different levels, including satisfaction, knowledge and application to the job.

  • Satisfaction: 4.17 (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest)
  • Knowledge: 78% (knowledge test at the end of training)
  • Job application: 4.61 (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest)

 

- 81% of employees who responded to the Employee Experience survey consider innovation to be a key pillar at Línea Directa.

- From the 278 identified potential candidates in the company, 20 people received training, which accounts for 7.19% of the target audience. They received a total of 5 hours per person.

- The CEO and Product Committee have approved the three proposals presented in 2023, and work is already underway on one of them.

- Additionally, out of the trained group, 18 individuals formed the working groups, supported by a team of 9 middle managers (including 2 who also received this training).
 

% of FTEs participating in the program

99.18%

7.19%

 

Training strategic needs 

In a key year for the company like 2023, marked by a new internal organisation, training programmes to develop employees’ skills and knowledge are particularly important. The main projects, aimed at improving customer experience and responding to the company’s strategic needs, included:

  • Multi-segment oriented training
  • Comprehensive processing
  • Customer experience programme in the Smile Community (call centre supervisors)
  • Customer orientation programme for the Home claims area
  • Self-Learning Model and Learner Awards
  • Global Regulatory and Sustainability Plan

In this context of pressing training needs, Línea Directa has dedicated 20% more hours to the training of its employees (from 68,826 to 82,579 hours trained). Both the training hours and the cost per FTE trained are distributed as follows:

Type of training

% hours trained

% cost per FTE

Business

71%

Soft skills

8%

Leadership

6%

Technology

8%

Compliance and Risks

5%

Health&Safety

2%

Languages

1%

 

Risks training

At the company level, a training plan called the Sustainability and Regulations Plan 2023-2024 has been prepared, the objectives of which are to organize in a structured and scheduled manner all actions related to Sustainability and Regulations to comply with the requirements regarding training of all teams involved as indicated in their policies. Obtain the commitment of Management, and create a culture in Regulatory matters, holding each person in the company responsible for their rights and obligations. The actions carried out are detailed below:

1. Risks on the Securities Market – Carried out in the month of June 2023. 

Internal regulations of conduct in the LDA securities market. Training given to a total of summoned employees: 74 employees. Number of employees who have passed with 70% correctness: 59 employees, 78% of employees.

2. Data Protection Risks – Carried out in the month of June 2023. 

New regulations on data protection GDPR. Training given to a total of summoned employees: 1939 employees. Number of employees who have passed with 70% correctness: 1553 employees, 80% of employees.


3. Occupational Risk Prevention – carried out in two stages in the months of June and November 2023.

  • Training given in the June 2023 stage to a total of summoned employees: 2,214 employees. Number of employees who have passed with 70% correctness: 1628 employees, 74% of employees.
  • Training given in the November 2023 stage to a total of summoned employees: 1936 employees. Number of employees who have passed with 70% correctness: 1588 employees, 82% of employees.

4. Sustainability – Carried out in June 2023.

Training given to a total of summoned employees: 2,632 employees. Number of employees who have passed with 70% correctness: 1851 employees, 70% of employees.

On the other hand a specific internal training on Risks was given to specific groups, which consisted of:


1. Calculation of statistical provision (Actuarial function) -At the subscription level, specific training has been provided to the Non Executive Director of the Audit and Compliance Committee (Elena Otero) who has requested said training within the framework of the regular training plan for the direct line non-executive directors on the calculation of the statistical provision, carried out in the month of December 2023.


2. Penalty Regulations (regulatory compliance) – At a regulatory level, training has been given for the Centro Avanzado de Reparaciones (CAR) company in the CAR workshops in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​it is a specific training session on criminal regulations for those responsible and coordinators of Línea Directa, carried out in the month of December 2023. 

Finally, several professionals in the Corporate Risk area have received specific training in the following aspects.

1. Actuarial Function Department - IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts Training through the College of Actuaries, carried out by an employee of the department. 

2. Regulatory Compliance Department – ​​Compliance Specialist Course through Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles (IEB) and Compliance Certification through CESCOM, both carried out by two employees of the department.