Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

The insurance industry has a coolness problem. Today’s Millennials express absolutely no interest in working as adjusters and appraisers, according to new research from the Hartford Group, which incidentally is an insurance company with a vested interest in making itself attractive to the future workforce.

Although money does matter, the top reason Millennials are turning their nose up at the insurance industry is boredom. Women are more likely than men to say that insurance is just too boring (78% vs. 68%), says Hartford.

Still, even if insurance was exciting, young workers remain disinterested in this field citing that insurance agents only care about making money (51%), there’s a lack of career options (39%), and it’s just not a progressive industry (30%).

“This quiet crisis revealed by this new survey can be addressed by both employers and their young employees,” says The Hartford’s Millennial “workplace expert” Lindsey Pollak. “It’s a shared responsibility. Companies have the opportunity to address any misconceptions and update policies, such as benefits and flexible work schedules. Millennials can widen their career searches and explore jobs, salaries and benefits before writing off whole sectors of the U.S. job market and missing out on potential leadership roles.”

The cool careers are in obvious industries. Millennials are most likely to seek work in arts and entertainment (40%), education (36%), technology (36%), healthcare (31%), and non-profits (23%). Joining insurance at the bottom of their wish list are utilities (3%) and wholesale trade (3%).

“It’s not surprising that Millennials, who have been called digital natives, are interested in technology,” says Pollak, adding that tech is number two on their work wish list, though technology moves up to become the number one most desirable industry for men (53%), compared to only 18% of women. “And that high interest will most likely continue with the next generation who are have also been called digital natives. However, the popularity of industries is always changing. Companies in those industries with low interest now have a real opportunity to turn around perceptions.”

There are ways for employers to make themselves cool to Millennials. For one, 50% of Millennials say companies should show how they help people or an industry that gives back to the community. That means employers have the opportunity to emphasize how their company or industry helps people, either through their products and services or through support of a community.

Second, 46% want diverse opportunities. “The key is making it known that there are a lot of options in so-called conventional industries,” says Pollak. “For example, every insurance company has a creative digital department. That’s an opportunity Millennials might not realize.”

Third, flexibility is hugely important – 43% of Millennials said that’s what a company should emphasize if they want to attract Millennials. If industries can find a way to be more flexible in general, that will be huge. One gender divide: Flexibility in work hours is more important to women than it is to men (72% vs. 62%).

Lastly, it may not be super flashy, but it’s important for a company to have solid benefits. In The Hartford’s research, 40% of Millennials said they want a competitive benefits package. “One thing to note is how important traditional benefits still are. Millennials love perks, such as ping-pong tables and modern office architecture, but they are also concerned about having benefits, especially as they get older,” says Pollak. “Year over year, our research shows that the right benefits play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining employees. Benefits help Millennials feel secure by protecting their paycheck and helping them stay on track with their professional and personal goals.”

Still, there is a disconnect about what training Millennials say they want and what employers think they need, says Pollak. “When asked, 60% of Millennials in the survey said they want leadership training. And only 28% said they needed more communications training. My employer clients, which hail from a range of industries and size, often say communication is the area where Millennials could use development. The opportunity here is for both employers and Millennials to meet each other halfway – employers offering leadership and communication training, while Millennials can take steps to improve their communication skills.”

Millennials also have strongly positive feelings about the idea of entrepreneurship, yet the amount that actually pursue entrepreneurship is dramatically lower, according to the 2015 Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report. Millennials are the most likely age group to see the fear to fail as an obstacle to becoming self-employed (70%), compared to 61% of 35-49 year olds or 57% of 50+ year olds, says Amway. When asked which aspects contribute most to this fear of failing, both men (35%) and women (38%) fear financial burdens the most.

Meanwhile, independence from an employer (53%) and self-fulfillment (77%) are the most important factors with Millennials doing their own thing compared to their older counterparts. In fact, this year the importance of independence from an employer, or being their own boss, grew by double digits (+11%) among Millennials.