How do you know the Account Exec or Broker assistant you’re about to employ is as good as you hope they are?
Do they really have the insurance knowledge you expect? Holding a Tier 1 or 2 certificate is not a guarantee.
Can they do the core basics of the job? You probably want to find out what they mean by having ‘worked on commercial’. Can they ask the right questions to quote a business pack or have they only processed renewals?
Will they get along with the team? They seem ok at interview but are they just on their best behaviour?
How will they treat your clients when 30 June is approaching, everyone is pushed for time and they haven’t had a break since the last round of storms?
Are they going to commit to the travel between their home and your office? Some people will happily commute for an hour each way, every week of the year indefinitely. Others won’t last.
You will likely have some other important questions you need answered. We know you can never make a 100% prediction about a human being’s behaviour, but there are some things you can do to get some increased confidence in your decision.
1. Think about what attitudes and values will fit with your office, assuming you’re happy with the current culture. If things need a shake-up, what type of person would be a positive influence? (Be prepared to be honest with that person and your team, then actively support them.
2. Define the position. Ask us for a Position Description template if you don’t have one.
3. Plan your interviews and ask direct questions based on the core competencies of the job.
4. Reference check thoroughly. There is an art to getting the crucial information you need.
5. Consider skills testing and/ or psychometric testing. Current testing available can be quite sophisticated, making it difficult to ‘cheat the system’.
6. Listen to your gut feel. Sometimes a niggle means you need more information, other times you’ll decide to move on.
Feel free to talk to us about how we might help next time you need to recruit. We specialise in general insurance recruitment and can talk to you about any of the above issues or would be happy to talk you through the process of working with us.