Training Tips

How to meet the challenges — and opportunities — of training a new employee.

During your career as a CSR, you’ll be asked (probably more than once) to train someone who’s new to the insurance industry, new to the agency, or both. Doing an effective job of training this person, while keeping up with the demands of your own job, can be challenging, to say the least. Here are some suggestions to help:

Get the basics straight: Make sure that the new person understands the rules and regulations they will be required to follow. If a manager has already covered these items with the worker, skip to the next section. If not, you’re in charge. This orientation should include:

• Working hours with attendance and tardiness policies; break/lunch schedules; smoking regulations; personal phone calls; care of equipment; dress and appearance; illness/accident procedures; and office supply needs.
• If the agency has an up-to-date procedures or office manual, use it as a guide. Ask new workers to read it and sign a verification that they understand and agree to the rules and procedures.

Next, prepare trainees for “people contact.” Introduce them to everyone in the office and explain related job functions. Then talk about customers. If a trainee’s job will involve telephone work, explain procedures for answering, transferring, and screening incoming calls. Ensure that the new associate understands the importance of telephone messages and how to record them correctly and completely. If trainees will be expected to greet customers and visitors, explain how this plays a key role in the overall impression the agency makes. Smiling, eye contact, and a desire to help are crucial items for discussion and training.

Once the trainee has mastered these basics, you’re ready to move to procedures training. Select one job or skill at a time and follow this format:

• Explain why the job is important.
• Explain why it has to be done.
• Explain why it has to be correct.
• Demonstrate how it is done and separate the various skills involved.

Let trainees demonstrate what they have learned and make corrections and/or suggestions as needed.

Dividing jobs into small, less complex steps is vital to understanding and learning. For example, if renewing a Homeowners policy involves the five steps of surveying the risk, applying forms and coverage, interpreting accounts, contacting the client, and processing renewals, the training plan should include (but not be limited to) these skills.

Surveying the risk requires knowledge of:

• Companies and renewal procedures
• Minimum and maximum limits and coverage each company allows
• Companies that require supporting business
• Company volume capacity available and underwriting guidelines

Applying forms and coverage requires knowledge of:

• What coverage is needed
• Whether coverage is to be added
• Options offered and accepted by the customer
• File documentation procedures
• The importance of declination forms

Account interpretation requires the CSR to:

• Analyze the account
• Determine if further development is possible
• Determine if supporting business is necessary
• Apply risk-management techniques

Client contact skills require knowledge of:

• Telephone communications
• Written renewal request procedures
• Pending and suspense procedures
• Confirmation procedures

Renewal processing requires knowledge of:

• Computer and manual rating processes
• How to verify a policy’s accuracy
• Ordering methods from company or agency issue procedures
• Invoicing
• Construction of policy with appropriate forms, signatures, and cover transmittals

As experienced CSRs will attest, each of these steps is important, and each requires different skills. Concentrate on one skill at a time. Be sure that the new associate understands the “why” behind the “how.” Focus on having them master one skill or task before moving on to the next.

TRAINING GUIDELINES:

From day one, have trainees keep a notebook in which to write everything they learn, as well as any questions about the training. This puts the burden of learning on the learner — not on the trainer.

Furnish trainees with samples of letters, invoices, reports, and so on to establish a standard that is neat, well-done, and error-free.

Let them know whom to go to for help and answers to questions. Be considerate when addressing their questions and concerns — don’t make them feel as though your work has been interrupted.

Make your new associate aware of who will be evaluating their skills, performance, and attitude and how management will be kept informed of these evaluations.

There will be opportunities to give both praise and criticism. When praising, do so enthusiastically and genuinely and in the presence of others. When criticism is needed, follow these guidelines:

• Criticize in private. Never degrade or embarrass.
• Be timely. Criticize as soon as possible after the error is discovered.
• Don’t stockpile. Don’t save up and “dump” several criticisms on a trainee all at once.
• Be specific. Document what, when, and how the problem occurred.
• Be understanding, but expect improvement. Your responsibility is to train a competent worker, not an errors and omission loss waiting to happen.
• Link errors to specific ways to improve.
• Give encouragement and empathy.
• Outline steps. Let the trainee know how you will follow up.
• Maintain communication. Separate the person from the error; offer to help.
• Follow up in the promised manner and time frame. When the problem is corrected, praise generously and genuinely.
• When evaluating the trainee with your manager, be specific. Comment on attitude, skills, talents, efforts, and progress. Be objective: Document with examples and information. You are essentially functioning as a supervisor with responsibilities to the worker and management.

CONCLUSION:

Training a new CSR provides challenges — and opportunities. The more effectively you do the job, the better you’ll be able to do your job.