Hello Insurance land! This week’s travels brought me to Springfield Illinois. I had never been before and not only was it a great convention and tradeshow but it was really cool to walk around some of Abraham Lincoln’s old stomping grounds. Nobody I spoke to could verify with certainty that he was a vampire hunter like that awful movie had suggested so I guess for now that will be up in the air.
One of the topics that I presented on at the convention was the topic of hiring. We had great attendance and, all though it was the last presentation of the day, everyone was thoroughly interested in what I had to say.
I have found that one of the biggest problems plaguing the independent agency is the act of finding the right people for their agency. With that being said I wanted to take some time to focus on when it’s time to start looking. The short answer is that you should always be looking in some capacity. Finding talent can be a challenge and most of the time we wait until we are in desperate situations to start looking which can lead to us hiring either the wrong person or keeping an underperformer.
On that note I am getting to my point which is don’t ever tell someone you are desperate for a new employee. The reason being is that when you typically speak with your carrier reps, your colleagues, family members and other potential talent resources they will want to help you out. However, desperation will cause them to sometimes refer the wrong person. If it’s a family member, you may end up having to hire that weird cousin who has had every trade imaginable. If it’s another agency owner, they may refer someone who they like personally but did not work out professionally. The bottom line is that you are setting yourself up for disaster.
Try this the next time you are in a bit of a pinch for talent. Suggest to the above mentioned that you are looking for someone to fill an opportunity. Tell your reps and colleagues that you are looking for the ideal candidate who is opportunistic and eager to start producing. Tell your staff, family members and friends that you are looking for someone that they would personally stake their reputation on. Most importantly, don’t say that you are desperate. If you still find yourself in a bind the great news is that hiring and recruiting is something Agency Performance Partners does. Give us a call today and learn how!
