PART 2:

Sourcing, Recruiting and Hiring

This section offers resources and best practices to help you find, screen, interview and evaluate candidates in ways that will help you reduce your time to fill key positions, build your talent pipeline and meet long-term recruiting goals.

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SOURCING & RECRUITING

Finding the right job candidate can be like finding a needle in a haystack. According to recruiting software company Lever, 52 percent of people who apply to a job are under-qualified, and 47 percent of companies report few or no qualified applications for the positions they are trying to fill. While job posting boards are a great first step, you should use a variety of approaches to attract the attention of not only those actively searching, but currently employed prospects who might be ready for a change.

Innovative approaches to attracting candidates:

  • Utilize your team. Your current employees are a great link to potential job recruits. They already have a network of people that could make perfect additions to your agency. Sites like JobShakers can help you manage your employee referral program and even make recommending a candidate fun!
  • Promote on social media. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can help you get the word out about an open position. Consider boosting the post. This allows you to not only amplify the message but put the post in front of an audience who would have the most interest – such as those with a passion for insurance.
  • Host an open house. Open your agency up to the community and encourage those searching for a job or who just want to learn more about your business to attend. This gives them a chance to get to know you, and your culture. Even if the people you meet are not actively searching, you can start building relationships.
  • Advertise at community events. Independent agencies are active in their communities and you often take part in local events. Use these gatherings as opportunities to let those in your area know you have positions available.
  • Don’t forget about diversity. For some agencies, especially in smaller towns, finding diverse hires can be difficult. Job boards such as Diversity Working and Recruit Disability allow you to specifically target a diverse demographic. In your job description and website, also be sure to highlight your commitment to diverse candidates.
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Gone are the days when job candidates circled help wanted ads in the newspaper to find their next position. Today, most job searches begin and end online – especially for younger candidates. While some agents have told us they have not found online job boards to be effective, it’s a channel that no insurance agency can afford to ignore.

Check out these statistics –

  • Pew Research: 54 percent of U.S. adults have gone online to look for job information, 45 percent have applied for a job online, and job-seeking Americans are just as likely to have turned to the Internet during their most recent employment search as to their personal and professional networks.
  • LinkedIn: More than 75 percent of people who recently changed jobs used LinkedIn to inform their career decisions.
  • Glassdoor: 83 percent of job seekers are likely to research company reviews and ratings when deciding on where to apply for a job.

Online recruiting gives you access to a larger talent pool you might otherwise not engage – but it does pose a challenge: how do you make your post stand out from others to attract the right candidates? With a compelling company profile that gives the recruit a glimpse into your agency culture and a job description that highlights the unique benefits working for your agency, your job post can make its mark on prospects.

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3 STEPS FOR WINNING ONLINE

  1. Make job posts specific to target applicants
  2. Align all communications with your employer brand strategy
  3. Communicate your culture and values

JOB POSTING EXAMPLES:

Tips for attracting talent to your online job posts:

  • Don’t skip the profile. Many sites allow your agency to create an online profile. Use it to highlight your employer brand and promote the reasons why people should want to join your agency.
  • Add photos. There is no better way to illustrate your agency’s culture and office life than through photos.
  • Include a salary range. 98 percent of job seekers and employees say it is helpful to see salary ranges in job listings.
  • Describe the qualities you’re looking for in a candidate. Include 3—5 characteristics that are vital to the position.
  • Highlight the benefits. It’s not all about the money – especially for younger recruits. These can include the most common items like health insurance and paid-time off, but they can also include perks that might be unique to your agency like casual dress, an office pet, or community outreach.
  • Put keywords in your title. What would you type into a search engine to find this job?

TOP ONLINE JOB POSTING SITES

These sites enable more candidates to see your job openings, yet there is also increased competition as many companies use these resources to attract talent. A detailed company profile and a descriptive job post that reflects your agency’s brand can make you stand out.

College students are part of the future of the industry. Most institutions share opportunities on their websites and have career centers and job boards where employers can post positions. Schools also use Handshake, an online job board specifically geared towards students.

There are dozens of colleges and universities that offer degrees in Insurance. Targeting colleges with an insurance program can give you access to graduates who are already interested in a career in insurance.

Tips for recruiting college students:

  • Demonstrate how their degrees can translate into a career at your agency. Illustrate how the skills they acquired in their course work could help them be a successful producer or account manager.
  • Keep them informed. New graduates may not understand the hiring process. Be transparent and let them know what to expect from the beginning.
  • Use social media. This is a main communication outlet for many college students. Post job openings on online platforms. Allow students to respond using these platforms–even if it is just to express initial interest.
  • Create mobile engagement. Students live on their phones. Consider enabling them to text information or questions post-interview. If you are using an online job form, make sure it is mobile-responsive.
  • Personalize your messages. Student have become accustomed to generic job offering emails and easily dismiss them as spam. Targeted, personalized messages can get their attention.
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More than 250,000 service men and women transition out of the military each year. They are a prime pool of potential candidates for your agency. Many are educated, disciplined, self-starters who have a strong work ethic.

Tips for recruiting military veterans:

  • Show your patriotism. Military veterans love their country and want to work for organizations that share that passion. Do you have any veterans currently working in your agency? Do you participate in any organizations that support the troops? Highlighting connections to the armed services can make your agency more appealing to veterans.
  • Focus on your mission. Service members are very purpose driven. Talk about why and how your agency helps customers. Be sure to promote the value the agency brings to the community.
  • Connect the dots. Translate how their military experience can transfer into an insurance career. Discuss the skills – such as ability to handle pressure and work as a team – that will enable them to excel in an agency career.
  • Spark their intellectual curiosity and desire for a career. Talk about training. Insurance is a complex industry, and some might overlook opportunities because they don’t know much about the field. If you are open to teaching new hires the nuances of insurance, make it clear in your recruiting messages.
  • Consider hybrid solutions, especially when it comes to benefits. Those active in the National Guard can be great candidates for agencies for all the reasons cited, and many don’t require health benefits as they are covered under government programs.
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Sites dedicated to hiring veterans:

Google has a tool to help veterans find jobs with simple search queries — when veterans search for jobs for veterans along with military job codes such as MOS, AFSC and NEC, Google search results display relevant job openings. Employers can also build this feature into their own job boards through Google’s Cloud Talent Solution API.

  1. Recruit 365 days a year. Don’t wait until a position is open to start searching – it’s too late.
  2. Talk to your carrier marketing reps; they can often make recommendations or referral for new hires.
  3. Consider working with temporary agencies, especially for CSR, account and administrative positions. This can be a great way to get a sense of the new employee before making an offer.
  4. Start an employee referral program to find great candidates.
  5. Create opportunities for candidates to speak to current employees informally as part of the interview process.
  6. Work with your carriers and look to sponsor internship programs.
  7. Take advantage of Omnia assessments to hire the best candidates for the job.
  8. Leverage digital job boards and social media to reach and target more candidates.
  9. Consider hiring people to work virtually as a way to expand your access to more talent.
  10. Broaden your reach for new candidates by reaching new sources, including teachers, hospitality workers, new college graduates and military veterans.

Whether you’re meeting with candidates in your office, participating in a career fair or meeting with your banker, waitress or financial consultant who may make a good candidate, be prepared to sell the benefits of a career in an insurance agency. We’ve developed both a handout and a verbal elevator pitch you can use.

Some of the areas you can highlight in your pitch:

  • Importance of the work, impact on peoples’ lives
  • Diversity of the work, ability to work on many different things
  • Opportunity to learn about insurance – an important financial service that every person and company needs
  • Complexity of the business – offers new challenges and the opportunity to solve problems every day.
  • Data, analytics and the ability to use new technologies to market, sell to and service clients.
  • The ability to be in service to clients.
  • It’s a relationship-based business – provides a great career for people who like working with people.
  • For producers, a career at an insurance agency offers great income opportunities and flexibility.

EXAMPLE OF AN ELEVATOR SPEECH: WHY I WORK AT AN INSURANCE AGENCY

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Every day is different filled with new challenges. Most importantly, working at an independent agency, means making a difference in peoples’ lives. We offer protection and security. And even though horrible things like car crashes or house fires can happen, we ensure that people have the resources to begin the rebuilding process.

An independent agency is a team. As a small operation, everyone’s role is important to serving clients and helping the agency succeed – from the principal on through the administrative assistants. But we also value family, and while you work hard while on the clock, there is plenty of time for a life outside the office.

And with the industry continuing to change to incorporate digital tools and find new ways to attract younger customers, there are numerous opportunities for me to grow my career and have an impact.

HIRING

It’s critical to have the right people in the right seats. One of the ways to assess candidates for key positions is to use a resource such as Omnia – the leader in behavioral analysis for the workplace – which provides discounts and special offers for PIA members. Omnia assessments can help you compare candidates, determine whether or not producer candidates can sell, learn if CSRs will work well with your teams and more.

For more information about Omnia behavioral and cognitive assessments and the special offers for PIA members, click here.

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AGENCY PERSPECTIVES

“Omnia is always right – even if we don't see it in the interviews, whatever the Omnia profile says eventually shows up.”

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AGENCY PERSPECTIVES

“We profile against three different positions always – even if we bring a candidate in for a specific role.”

Another option for agencies is a tool to guide them through the sourcing, recruiting and hiring processes. IdealTraits is an all-in-one, insurance-specific hiring platform that guides employers seamlessly through the process of finding and hiring ideal candidates. With IdealTraits employers can post jobs and screen candidates with industry focused assessments to help them find the perfect fit for their agency.

PIA has a relationship with IdealTraits which allows PIA members and agents appointed by PIA Partnership carriers to receive special discounts on IdealTraits services which include:

  • Building and posting job advertisements, including combinations of templates to start from
  • Post jobs to sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, Google for Jobs and more
  • Job sharing on social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Applicant tracking so you can view candidate resumes, comment, rate, organize, and move your candidates through hiring stages
  • Unlimited, mobile-friendly, pre-hire assessments enable you to pre-screen candidates to predict job performance
  • Send digital offer letters and receive electronic signatures from your new hires
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For more information about the IdealTraits Hiring Platform, click here.

Once you have your core values developed, they can be a guide to developing interview questions that will help you assess how candidates will work within your culture.

Here are some sample questions agencies have shared with us:

1.

Tell me about a time you had difficulty communicating with a customer or co-worker. What did you do to address the situation? What was the result?

2.

Describe a situation where you had to confront someone. How did you approach the individual? What was the outcome?

3.

Tell me about a time when you were faced with a nearly impossible deadline and it looked like you wouldn’t make it.

4.

Can you share an example of a time when your schedule was suddenly interrupted and how you handled it?

5.

How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Can you provide examples?

6.

Describe an accomplishment that has given you significant satisfaction.

7.

Talk about a project or idea that was implemented primarily because of your efforts. What was your role? What was the outcome?

8.

Describe the most creative work project you’ve completed.

9.

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict at work.

10.

Can you talk about a time when you had to bend the rules to get the results you needed?

11.

Give me an example of a time you made an error – how did you handle it?

12.

Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision and there wasn’t enough time to gather all the information you needed.

13.

Give me examples of what you have done in the past to nurture teamwork.

14.

What motivates you?

15.

What do you do to manage stress?

16.

Talk about a time when you had to help a co-worker understand a task. How did you assist? What was the result?

17.

Share an example of when you took the lead on something even when you weren’t the designated leader?

18.

Do you ever get bogged down in the details? What tactics do you use to get your work done?

19.

Can you share an example of when you had to work with a team to accomplish an important goal? What was your role?

20.

Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult person or situation at work.

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Compensation and benefits models for producers, CSRs and selling CSRs are based on many things including: candidate experience, agency location, line of business and size.

Winning@Talent was not designed to provide detailed information on compensation and benefits, however Glassdoor, LinkedIn and the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide resources you may find useful in determining the right models for planning.