To provide the best service to your clients, your insurance agency needs to have a solid team with the right employees. The process of finding the right people for your insurance agency’s team starts with your job posting. Job descriptions are an especially important part of this.
Learn how to write job descriptions that will help you attract the right candidates to your insurance agency.
Why the Description Matters
The job description is among the first steps to finding the right candidates. Don’t just copy and paste a description of a similar role from a competitor – you want the personality of your agency to come through loud and clear. Also, every insurance agency is different and has slightly different needs. If you don’t craft your own description, you won’t find candidates that are right for your agency.
With that in mind, consider the following tips for writing job descriptions.
Think of Current Needs But Include Room for Growth
You likely have grand plans for the future of your insurance agency. Look for candidates that can fit your current needs but also have what it takes to grow with your insurance agency.
You could look for someone with a bit of experience in areas you hope to expand into. Or you can expect them to learn as they go and your business grows. In this case, you want to look for a passion for learning and improving themselves.
So, think about the specific needs your company will have in the immediate future. If you can work them naturally into the role you are looking to fill, great. If not, decide if you will be willing to dedicate resources to training your new team member to handle that larger role.
Be Upfront About Required Qualifications and Certifications
As you craft your job description, pay attention to the language you use. You want to use neutral language and avoid words that can seem limiting.
Part of avoiding limiting language means being honest about the requirements. If you are hiring another insurance agent for your agency, list the designations you want them to have and the ones you would appreciate.
If you are hiring a receptionist or another role that has minimal or no experience requirements, be honest. Doing otherwise will limit your choice of candidates.
Highlight the Importance of the Work
People want to do work that provides meaning in addition to a paycheck. People are more likely to apply for a job at your insurance agency if you make it clear that the job is important.
For example, instead of using vague words, use concrete examples. So, if you need an insurance agent, don’t just say you want experience with a range of policy types. List concrete figures or say that your past year’s sales were from a combination of auto, health, and home insurance policies. Show candidates what their work would contribute to.
Set Clear Expectations
You want your job description to clearly outline your expectations, both from candidates during the application process and in the future at your agency. We already touched on some of this when talking about limiting language. If you need someone with specific insurance designations, mention it.
But you also want to outline your expectations for the role. What specific responsibilities will they have? Will they be expected to meet specific sales targets or cross-selling targets?
Use clear language with tangible examples instead of vague language. For example, if you use Jenesis as your insurance agency management system, you could say you prefer candidates with experience with Jenesis. But you should also specify that this isn’t a requirement.
Don’t forget to set expectations regarding salaries, commissions, and other compensation as well.
By setting clear expectations, you will only attract candidates who are a good fit for your agency. This saves both of you the time spent interviewing. It also reduces the need to train them and can eliminate the expensive and time-consuming process of replacing the new employee.
Prioritize Roles and Responsibilities
While you want to be clear about expectations, be reasonable. Instead of listing all of your requirements and all of the responsibilities, prioritize them. Think about what traits or responsibilities you absolutely need and mention those in the job description. Then, keep the others in the back of your mind during the interview process as a way to choose one candidate over another.
Conclusion
With accurate job descriptions, you will find yourself attracting candidates who are a better fit for your insurance agency. This should help with productivity as well as your company culture.