- Sales people naturally want to sell, and when they are the ones doing the hiring, it’s not unusual for them tend to turn a candidate-evaluation decision into a sales pitch to see if they can “sell” the candidate instead.
- Owners tend to want a magic solution when hiring new producers: Simply bring people on who already know what to do and who have a network of people to talk to, and the revenue starts flowing. No further effort required.
- First, don’t limit recruiting to existing insurance producers. They already have habits established and will bring those with them, good or bad. Look outside the industry for curious people who like a good consultative discussion. And look inside the industry for people who have been in other roles, but may have the interest and aptitude to grow into a consultative role.
- When you start interviewing, be sure you have a defined hiring process that involves more than the owner and sales leader. Open it up to a wider review of the candidate from within the organization.
- And finally, when the producer is selected, have a defined onboarding program to set the producer up for success. Plan to spend time — the owner’s/sales leader’s time — introducing the new producer to the agency’s way of working. Invest in any additional training that is necessary.
