Recruiting, Hiring, and Onboarding
Now that you've defined your purpose and what makes your agency special, telling the agency's story and sharing why people would want to work there will be much easier. Let's get started!
Open the position internally—first.
Email all employees announcing the position, including a job description and deadline to apply. This shows commitment to career advancement within the agency.
Promoting from within can save time and money.
Career advancement can help with employee retention and motivation.
It's great for morale when employees see opportunities to grow within the agency.
There's less risk of turnover because you know if they fit into your company's culture.
If you don't have an internal candidate, offer a referral bonus to your staff. If an employee refers a new hire and the new hire successfully completes their probationary period, the employee who made the referral gets paid a referral bonus ($250-$500). Some of the best people are referred by current employees!
Open the position externally.
Reach out to Leavitt Recruiting. Talent Search if hiring a producer or Dale Matthews if hiring for other staff, such as account managers.
Share on social media pages and encourage employees to share personally. Be creative!
Work with local universities or internship programs.
Depending on your location and the open position, you might try career placement companies, local newspaper/radio ads, and insurance association websites.
Here are some top interview questions to cover in a call with a candidate:
Can you tell us about any skills or experience you have that might be helpful in this job?
What motivates you to do a great job at work, other than the paycheck?
Tell us about a time when you found it difficult to work with someone and how you handled the situation.
What would others say about what it is like to work with you?
Why are you interested in this position and making a change at this time?
*When interviewing, do not ask personal questions of the candidate or gather any information about their history. You can ask what their salary requirement is for their next position.