There are over 2.5 million people employed in the trillion-dollar insurance industry in the United States. Read that again…2.5 million people…trillion dollar industry. As an independent agency, that means there is A TON of competition out there when you are looking to hire. It also means that there is an opportunity to make a lot of money. Hiring a top producer for your agency can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in increased revenue. Hiring someone that you need to replace in six months costs you much more than just their salary.
As an agency owner, you may often feel overwhelmed when you need to hire a new team member. “It’s expensive”,”I don’t have time”, and “there are no good candidates” are things we often hear. While hiring is not easy, like any job, you need the right tools to do it efficiently and effectively. After all, you wouldn’t hire a carpenter to build a house without a hammer and a saw, would you?
Ask the Right Questions
Asking the right screening questions on the front-end will set you up for success when it comes to finding the right hire. While questions relating to communication, listening skills, and their cultural fit are more appropriate for an in-person interview, there certainly are insights you can gain during the application process by asking tailored screening questions when an applicant first applies.
For example, if you are hiring for a Producer position, you would want to know more details about a candidate’s experience and education. Questions like “Are you currently licensed? Do you have experience selling P&C insurance? How many years of experience do you have?” can be asked at the beginning of the hiring process using prescreen functionality offered within CareerPlug. Receiving this information upfront is beneficial to you in more ways than one. In an industry teeming with opportunity, a truly qualified applicant has plenty of options for employment. Applying to several positions is now the norm and great applicants have the power to choose employment based on fit, rather than necessity. As a hiring manager, this means following up with qualified applicants right away is critical, lest they get swept up in another opportunity.
Put Top Candidates on the Fast Track
CareerPlug helps agencies follow up with quality applicants promptly and make better hiring decisions with our Fast Track program. Using Fast Track gives you the ability to identify your top candidates, in real time. For example, applicants that are already licensed and have experience selling P&C insurance can automatically be put on the Fast Track.
Contacting your quality applicants faster and starting the hiring process sooner could prevent you losing them to a competitor and ensure your agency continues to win. This also helps to reduce the time that you are spending with the wrong candidates, helping you to get your positions filled faster and ultimately increasing the money you are making.
Agency Hiring Made Easy with CareerPlug
CareerPlug helps thousands of insurance agencies and franchise systems institute and leverage effective hiring practices to provide drastic returns on investment. We think about it this way – a great customer can provide repeat revenue to an agency, but a strong team will deliver exponentially greater long-term value to the business. To learn more about how CareerPlug can help you turn your agency into a talent magnet, request a demo today!
