New resource helps insurance agencies find talented staff

If you’re looking for talented employees to add to your company, you are not alone. According to the newest Agency Universe Study, a collaboration between the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big “I”) and independent insurance agencies, 44% of independent insurance agency owners have identified their top challenge as finding qualified new employees.

To help agencies address this issue, the Big “I” has partnered with IdealTraits, an insurance agency-specific recruiting portal, to create Big ‘I’ Hires, a comprehensive resource that assists insurance agencies in identifying, hiring, assessing and training top-performing producers and customer service representatives.

“As I travel the country, the thing I hear most often from agents is how difficult it is to find talent,” says Jon Jensen, CEO of Correll Insurance Group and the Big “I” chairman-elect. “Hiring employees is difficult and expensive — and I was feeling the pain firsthand in my own agency. Big ‘I’ Hires is designed to help agencies stand out as top-notch employers and find high-quality recruits.”

Among the resources offered are:

• Recruiting with IdealTraits: Agents will be able to post jobs through the portal, which will appear on multiple recruiting sites such as Zip Recruiter and Indeed; receive resumes from job applicants; and utilize assessment tools to help identify the best candidate for a position.

• Hiring toolkits: Do-it-yourself toolkits will assist agents in providing a more tailored approach to find leading candidates through items such as sample job descriptions, interview questions and offer letters.

• Professional development resources: Finding the right person goes beyond simple recruiting. Tools such as skills assessments, specific courses to help employees hone their skills, and access to thousands of educational articles can help expand their knowledge on personal, commercial and other lines of insurance, while highlighting critical coverage issues.

Kevin Mlynarek, CEO of IdealTraits adds, “With our knowledge and expertise in insurance agency recruiting, Big ‘I’ members will now have access to proven, industry-specific recruiting tools and services to hire top-performing sales and service staff.”

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Talent search tops corporate concerns

This effort mirrors the findings of other industry-related studies. A benchmarking study from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. found that low unemployment numbers are forcing companies and organizations to rethink their benefit packages in order to attract top talent. In that study, 60% of the employers indicated that finding and retaining talent was their leading operational priority.

With this focus, employers are creating new benefits more in line with the lifestyles of prospective employees and readjusting existing offerings to increase their value for target audiences. Some more forward-thinking employers are taking a holistic view of health and wellness by offering benefits such as telemedicine, access to financial planning advisers and educating employees on how they can more effectively manage their spending and saving for long-term financial health.

“We know the future of the independent agency system depends on finding the best and brightest to join our ranks,” explains Big “I” President and CEO Bob Rusbuldt. “Big ‘I’ Hires will be a one-stop resource agencies can use to build their dream team.”