HUMAN CAPITAL ADVISOR BRIEFING · ISSUE 5 · MAY 2026
A monthly briefing for consultants and transformation advisers on what's happening in your clients' sectors, plus the Human Capital Intelligence to take into the room. Built on Deltabase data covering 5,500+ companies and 11M employee reviews.
Editor's note
Insurance spent May working out what AI means for its workforce. A private equity-backed broker announced thousands of AI-linked job cuts, Aviva reported strong progress on its Direct Line integration, and a new survey found a quarter of insurers think AI is not yet ready. For advisers, each story opens a client conversation, and each conversation goes better with outside-in people data on the table.
Phil Spratt, CEO & Co-Founder, Deltabase
The month in three
1. Acrisure to cut 2,250 roles, citing AI
What happened: On 22 May, Insurance Journal reported that Acrisure, the private equity-backed global broker, told staff about 2,250 workers will leave by the end of 2027, roughly 11% of headcount and mostly in the US. CEO Greg Williams cited technology, AI and digital platforms. Acrisure has about 19,000 team members.
The Deltabase lens: Insurers are already showing strain before AI restructures land. Of eight Insurance Top 100 companies with sufficient review volume, five saw Employee NSS fall in 2025, including Chubb (from −1.2% to −8.1%) and MetLife (from +5.6% to −1.1%).
Client angle: Clients planning AI-led workforce changes will need evidence on which teams are already stretched. Bringing that view to the first meeting sets you apart.
2. Aviva's Direct Line integration gathers pace
What happened: Aviva's Q1 trading update, reported on 14 May, showed general insurance premiums up 19% to £3.4bn, with UK Personal Lines up 62% to £1.53bn, supported by Direct Line. The undiscounted combined ratio improved to 94.1%, and CEO Amanda Blanc said the integration was "firmly on track".
The Deltabase lens: Aviva went into integration with improving sentiment. Its Employee NSS rose from +4.5% in 2024 to +9.7% in 2025, with Career Progression up 21.5 pts to −23.5% and Empowered up 20.0 pts to −37.9%.
Client angle: A pre-deal culture baseline gives integration advisers something to measure progress against. It also helps frame synergy risk for other insurers weighing deals.
3. One in four insurers says AI is not ready
What happened: GlobalData research, reported by Intelligent Insurer on 26 May, found that 23% of insurers say AI is not ready for widespread use in the industry.
The Deltabase lens: The readiness gap shows up inside the workforce too. Employees at both large UK insurers we track rated Tech in Workplace negatively in 2025: −55.6% at Aviva and −50.0% at Legal & General.
Client angle: Any AI-readiness assessment should include how employees feel about the tools they already have. Frustration with today's systems is a leading indicator of adoption risk.
Stat of the month
3 of 8: Insurance Top 100 companies whose Employee NSS improved in 2025. The gap between the highest and lowest scorer widened from 18.0 pts to 33.1 pts.
| Company | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|
| Travelers | +13.1% | +22.4% | +9.3 pts |
| Aviva | +4.5% | +9.7% | +5.2 pts |
| Liberty Mutual | +6.4% | +8.0% | +1.6 pts |
| MetLife | +5.6% | −1.1% | −6.8 pts |
| Chubb | −1.2% | −8.1% | −6.9 pts |
| Admiral Group | −4.9% | −10.7% | −5.8 pts |
Source: Deltabase Culture data, Employee Net Sentiment Score (−100% to +100%), 2024–2025. Peer set: Admiral Group, AIG, Aviva, Chubb, Legal & General, Liberty Mutual, MetLife and Travelers (Insurance Top 100 companies with 100+ reviews in each year).
Spotlight: Aviva vs Legal & General
Aviva's overall score rose from +4.5% to +9.7% in 2025, while Legal & General's fell from −3.7% to −5.9%. Aviva's gains came through Career Progression (up 21.5 pts to −23.5%) and Empowered (up 20.0 pts to −37.9%). Legal & General leads on Work-Life Balance (+28.6% vs +9.3%) and drew level with Aviva on Pay & Rewards at +30.1%, after a 17.8 pt rise. For an adviser, the contrast is useful: two UK insurers with the same pay sentiment, but very different trajectories on growth and autonomy.
For your client work
- Before an AI-led restructure, map which functions already show weak Supportive Leadership or Empowered scores.
- Use pre-deal culture baselines to frame integration plans and put a number on people-related synergy risk.
- Add Tech in Workplace sentiment to AI-readiness assessments so adoption risk is visible from day one.
Walk into every pitch with the people data already in hand. Advisers use Deltabase to benchmark culture, talent and workforce trends for any client or target in minutes. See how it works →
Sources: Insurance Journal (22 May 2026); Insurance Business (14 May 2026); Intelligent Insurer (26 May 2026); Deltabase Culture data.