FINDING NEW TALENT STARTS WITH SMART HIRING PRACTICES
by Mark Shlien
Although the recession has resulted in layoffs, many insurance agencies are still hiring. However, changing job requirements has complicated their search for good people. Producers must be strong salespeople who can bring in new business, not just the good account management skills of years gone by. Customer service people must have the right combination of insurance knowledge, computer skills, and personality to work efficiently and retain clients. When searching for candidates, agency competitors know they must pay a competitive wage, and that employees are also looking for such perks as casual dress, flexible starting times, summer hours, and working at home arrangements. Agency employees value training programs, recognition their efforts by producers, working in an upbeat environment, and having a comfortable workstation with the necessary equipment.
Attract Talent
Because it’s so difficult to find the right people, especially candidates who might just be entering the workforce, agencies often use recruiters. However, there’s a difference between a search firm that will look for qualified candidates and a recruiter who merely provides resumes. Search firms generally cost more, but they will screen and interview candidates and work with you to prepare a job profile of skills and capabilities. To supplement the efforts of recruiters, some firms have implemented employee referral programs. These programs work best when there’s a formal process to identify candidates and keep the pipeline full. Agency employees should develop a list of the things they like about the agency and know the story they can tell about the benefits, working environment, perks, or advancement opportunities the agency offers. They also should receive input from management about the skills and qualities the job candidate should have, as well as a description of the job opening.
Select Talent
Once the agency has identified candidates, interview and screen them to make sure they’re a good fit for the job. Employees who the agency should never have hired will cost not just salary and benefits, but the time of other employees who are involved with them. Behavioral interviewing can help managers make better hiring decisions because the interviewer focuses the questions on the experience of the candidate. Questions should ask candidates to describe a situation or give an example of something they accomplished. Creating a standard list of questions for all the agency interviewers to use will help ensure effective interviews and allow the interviewing team t0compare notes.
Pre-employment assessment tools also can avoid costly hiring mistakes. Insurance tests can identify a candidate’s level of insurance knowledge; however, you also can test proficiency with math and critical thinking, as well as knowledge of automation systems and commonly used software commonly used. Psychological testing can help assess sales or customer service capability and aptitude for the position. However, you should use these tests to provide additional information about the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses – not to make the hiring decision.
Even with good screening, employees will turn down offers. They might have unrealistic compensation expectations or just be testing the marketplace. However, in other cases, the candidate rejects the offer because the agency made a poor impression. Interviews might not be prepared, delay the process unnecessarily, or fail the present the agency in a positive light. The best recruiting agencies treat applicants like their customers, provide them with feedback in a timely manner, and communicate their hiring decision in a professional manner. Throughout the process, they make an effort to maintain an upbeat, positive relationship with all applicants.
Cultivate Talent
Top performers want to know what the agency expects of them in their jobs and how they’re doing. They look forward to performance reviews because these discussions provide feedback about how they’re doing. However, they also provide an opportunity to talk about goals for the coming year and the training opportunities they should pursue to develop their skills and knowledge. Communication in general is important to modern employees. They want to know how their work fits into the big picture of the agency’s vision and mission. They appreciate monthly meetings that provide updates on plans and new developments and where they can ask questions. They also seek public and personal recognition. Finally, they respect organizations that ask for feedback on management and on the agency overall.
Conclusion
Attracting and retaining employees is as much a marketing issue as it is a management issue. Developing and promoting a positive organization and reminding employees of the value of being part of it is critical to getting those referrals and keeping the talent that you have. The best agencies always are recruiting (selling), both during the job interview and on the job.
Mark Schlien is the principal of iPeople, LLC, an executive search and recruitment firm for the insurance industry. You can reach him at iPeople, LLC, 611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 311,Washington, DC 20003; (202) 544-7675: (202) 544-0550 (fax); (202) 415-1599 (cell); e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.theipeople.com.