Why does the Army hire people with no experience? Could it be that they want to train them the right way at the start? Could it be that they can't afford to hire experienced soldiers for every new spot? Could it be that they have the right idea when they send their recruits through an intensive training program commonly known as boot camp?
We are often disappointed when we hire experienced people from other insurance operations. Along with their experience comes a predisposition of doing things one way or another. The match might not be as good as you would like. Also, experience costs money! In today's leaner employment environment, every cent of your human-resources budget must be spent wisely.
Boot camp might be the way to obtain employees who will perform their work your way and within your budget. It brings a totally inexperienced person up to speed in the shortest possible time. Everything from core values to following instructions to developing key skills are addressed in a few short weeks. The program is planned, structured, and goal oriented. Very little is left to chance. Specific people are assigned to mold and train the recruits, and each trainer is held personally responsible for meeting the goals.
The Costs of Training
Can you afford to train a new person? Look at the time involved: Can you wait while the new person gets up to speed? Put this question in perspective by considering whether you could survive if one of your key persons took several weeks off for a medical emergency.
Weigh the expenses of training an inexperienced worker against the costs of hiring an experienced worker. Can you afford the experienced worker? To hire one, you will pay a headhunter fee, higher base salaries and the continuing escalating costs of keeping him or her satisfied in your agency.
Hiring an inexperienced worker might save you $10,000 to $15,000 per year, with the highest savings in the first year.
Finding the Right Worker
Your commitment as an owner or manager makes the difference between the success or failure of a full-scale training program. Before investing in a boot camp program for your agency, make sure you find the right recruits.
Where do you start? To recruit the right way, look for persons who exhibit excellent service and/or sales skills. They are everywhere: banks, restaurants, real estate offices, dentist offices. These and other businesses have much more in common with insurance agencies than you would think.
In recruiting, test all candidates before committing to an investment. Abstract reasoning skills and a moderate to strong ego are crucial to some positions. Your best candidates show the potential to grow within your organization. For example, a customer service representative (CSR) recruit should have some sales savvy, and both CSRs and producers in training should show leadership potential. Remember that you are providing a career to inexperienced individuals. Because they will be trained specifically for your agency, their loyalty factor should be superior to that of a person who moves from job to job.
Involving Your Staff in Implementing the Boot Camp
Your next challenge involves the present staff. This project means more work for them but only in the short run. In the broader picture, boot camp benefits everyone: More capital will be available, your staff will complain less about the idiosyncrasies identified with a person trained elsewhere. They will appreciate the wonderful opportunity to mold a co-worker to serve the special needs of the agency. Both you and your current workers will suffer fewer disruptions because a person who has had a positive training experience and orientation will be less likely to leave, resulting in less turnover.
Once your staff is on board, you must involve them at all stages of the program. They must support the concept, methodology, and commitment posed by the boot camp. Hold a one-hour brainstorming session with the participating department and perhaps a representative from each of the other departments. For example, if you're planning on training a producer, invite all the other producers, one or two CSRs, the automation person, and the accountant.
At the brainstorming meeting, have the group take 15 minutes to list the key areas that should be addressed in the training program. Provide index cards to allow participants to write down one answer on each card. Collect the cards and then discuss each recommendation as a group. Tape the approved recommendations on the wall, and instruct the group to review them during the following week. They should be instructed to organize the cards in chronological order. Also, make sure they note anything that was overlooked. This exercise will reinforce your commitment to the project and provide you with a well-balanced, comprehensive training plan. At your next meeting, finalize the list, including time frames and so forth. The list should then be neatly typed for formal discussions.
Next, select an appropriate trainer who will be totally responsible for the administration of the plan and will conduct much of the training. Seniority or technical expertise are not the primary attributes of the ideal trainer; enthusiasm, patience, commitment, and strong communication skills are far more important. Add to these qualities a good working knowledge of operations, procedures, and products, and you have your trainer. If you discover several persons who qualify as trainers, offer those persons an opportunity to volunteer. A volunteer is more likely to favor the project. Just keep in mind that any trainer must be given three things: authority, time, and incentives! These necessities will help guarantee the success of the program.
Boot Camp Essentials
Scheduling is another important part of the planning process. Provide quiet time for the trainer and trainee-but set realistic time frames. Once time is allotted, organize the schedule with a list of goals, such as 'at the conclusion of six weeks, the trainee should be able to comparison-rate Homeowners and Auto coverages on the system.' Obviously, the goals must be specific and measurable. Benchmarks must be established for review by the trainer and the manager. The trainer and trainee should meet every Friday to discuss the activities of the past week. The manager should meet with the trainee every two weeks to assess the quality of the training program.
Provide the trainee with a training manual, which might be as simple as a loose-leaf notebook with tabs for each of the subjects. For a producer, the manual could be broken out by company. A CSR's manual could be divided by coverages and/or procedures. The front of the training manual should have a list of boot camp objectives and the training
plan. The trainee and trainer will be required to sign off and date the list after each objective is completed. Also provide the trainee with a spiral notebook (with loose-leaf holes in the pages) for taking notes. Staff members should withhold any training to a trainee who isn't carrying a spiral notebook. This rule also encompasses answering questions and checking work. Encourage your staff to tell the trainee, 'Write this down!'
Let the Training Begin!
Kick-off is essential. Hold a breakfast meeting with the entire agency (a continental breakfast will suffice) to give the program credibility and a proper send-off. The recruit must be convinced that the training program is an important part of the entire agency, and it is. (Too much effort has already been expended on the project, and much time
and hard work still lie ahead.) After the initial introductions, place the new hire in the conference room with the other co-workers. Each should make a three-minute presentation introducing the training program, how it was developed, what they expect from the trainee, and how they will contribute to its success.
Now comes the hardest part: staying on track. Given the ups and downs in agencies, it's so easy to place training on the back burner the moment a small crisis erupts. Keep in mind that if you had another person properly trained and working, the crisis might have been avoided. All the more incentive to get the proper training done right away.
Give your trainer and trainee continued support and encouragement. Send thank-you notes to those who took the time to contribute to the training process. Hold an office graduation party when the recruit successfully completes the program. Everyone in the agency can then take credit for a job well done. It will probably be one of the most rewarding investments you'll ever make. Sit back and collect your dividends!