When Business Insurance published its list of the Best Places to Work in Insurance, readers saw some familiar names. It seems the same companies tend to perpetually find their way onto the list thanks to their employees.

What does it take to be called one of the Best Places to Work in Insurance? Several attributes set apart the companies on the latest list:

• An entrepreneurial culture and plenty of support
• A flexible and fun work environment
• A people-first focus
• Employee ownership
• Charitable support
• Work-from-home options and flexible start times
• Team-building programs that include employees and families

What can your company learn from this list? Plenty, starting with how to attract and retain top talent.

The companies that are considered the best places to work share one key attribute: they understand the value of building a strong workplace culture.

Top companies understand that their people are their greatest asset. While many companies say that, few put that thought into action.

Fortunately, creating a company culture that vastly improves morale and employee retention is not hard. With a few changes to how your company operates, you can deliver a better employee experience.

You should want to, too. A Gallup poll shows that companies with employee engagement programs see a 20% increase in employee engagement, a 41% reduction in absenteeism, a 21% profitability boost, and a 59% reduction in turnover rates.

To see improvements in your employee morale and retention, try these changes:

Put employees in charge. Let your employees take the lead on projects and encourage them to be active participants in meetings and brainstorming. Employees who feel part of the overall success of the company are more engaged and more satisfied.

Make well-being part of the culture. Focusing on well-being – both physical and emotional – means that your employees feel their company cares. It does more than that; putting employee well-being at the core of your business builds stronger relationships, telegraphs that management values employees, and helps employees be their most productive.

Build a flexible, hybrid work culture. You can improve productivity by giving employees the option to work from home – and to do so at times when they know they are most productive. Not every employee can give 100% between the hours of nine and five. Trust your employees to get the work done in a way that best fits their approach and lifestyle.

Create cohesive teams. Even in hybrid cultures, teams can be established and nurtured. We at WAHVE schedule team-building activities within our workday, such as virtual happy hours, virtual celebrations of milestones, games, and shoutouts for a job well done. We also plan an annual retreat so we can relax and build stronger work connections.

Communicate, communicate, communicate. Keep open channels of communication in various forms – video, chat apps, email, and phone, to name a few. Make sure to check in with each employee regularly. Find out what’s new in their lives at work and beyond work. Review accomplishments and roadblocks. Ask if they need further training or assistance with any issues that arise. Be the support, not the authority. Each of these changes takes a shift in focus but all are manageable. Moreover, they are changes that will be well-received by your employees and job seekers. With just a few changes to how you manage your workforce, your employees can experience a better work-life balance th