Finding Employees For Insurance Industry Jobs

Finding the right employee for any job opening can be a challenge to say the least, and this is no truer than in the insurance industry. With considerations ranging from experience and education to their personal skills, the decisions faced by recruiters and employers can be of critical importance.

When hiring employees for insurance industry jobs it is important to take many factors into account. Summarized, these factors include:

1. Education & Certification
2. Experience
3. Personal Skills

Education & Certification
Obviously one of the first criteria you will be looking for in a candidate will be their education. Whether the employee is applying for a one of your insurance sales jobs, customer service, risk management or some other position you will want to make sure that their education matches the criteria of the job. With this in mind an employer will often find him/herself in a position when multiple candidates are well educated and/or certified. While it may take additional time, looking into the schools themselves may yield significant differences.

A certificate from the "University of Phoenix Online" is worth significantly less than the same certificate from an accredited educational institution but unless you look into the credentials you may be tempted to consider them all equal.

While education cannot be considered the end-all-be-all of hiring any qualified candidate, a solid education from an accredited institution reflects more than a knowledge of the industry ? it also reflects the job applicant's ability to write and present ideas clearly and also to stick with something they have started.

And isn't that a key feature in a candidate, whether the education is necessary in their job function or not?

Experience
This is perhaps the most important factor in filling jobs in the insurance industry (or any industry for that matter). What you should be reading into their experience is not simply the number of years they have worked in the same or similar roles however. While experience in a specific field lends itself to a strong understanding of the ins-and-outs of it can also have its downside that must be taken into account.

The value of experience in the insurance industry comes primarily from the reduced training that will be necessary to get the employee functioning. Knowing how to perform a specific function, especially a complex function such as risk management or loss control, can save a company countless dollars in training.

The downside in experience that must be considered is that an employee may not fully understand the processes and procedures unique to your insurance company. No two companies perform all their tasks the same way and an employee who has performed a specific role for one company may assume (incorrectly) that you do or should do it the same way. This can lead to bottlenecks and sometimes even conflict.

An additional drawback to experience that must be addressed when filling insurance jobs is the knowledge that the prospective employee has worked in insurance industry jobs and has chosen to leave an employer. The last thing you want is to fill one of your vacant jobs with an employee who has a history of leaving related positions.

Both of these drawbacks can be addressed with a few simple questions of the employee and to past employers.

Personal Skills
Personal skills are arguably one of the most important criteria when filling insurance industry jobs. While the importance of personal skill is obvious when hiring for insurance agent jobs, these skills are equally important when considering employees for administration and more technical positions as well. While these people may not necessary be dealing with the public on a regular basis they will play a key roll in developing a productive work environment.

Although the primary objective in any businesses is to insure profitability, developing an enjoyable work environment in which the various parties can communicate leads to new ideas, higher productivity due to a willingness of all employees to work together, and perhaps most importantly ? a lower employee turnover rate.

For some insurance jobs, personal skills are more important than others however for every position they should be considered. You may even want to consider having the current staff who will be working closely with the new employee meet during the interview process and provide feedback. If your staff work well together their productivity will naturally increase.

Conclusion
While every company and position within that company is different, as long as the above three areas are considered when hiring for any of the various insurance industry jobs available, you as the employer are far more likely to foster a positive, productive and in the end, more profitable company. You will end up with a staff that is properly educated, has good experience if applicable, and works well together. Like any well-oiled machine ? this is the recipe for success when filling insurance related jobs.

Credits InsuranceWorkForce.com is an established, nationally recognized insurance and financial services 'You-Post-It' job site. If you're looking to fill insurance jobs or are seeking employment in the insurance industry visit InsuranceWorkForce.com. A virtual one stop employment site, linking employers and recruiters with qualified job seekers having the experience, skills and specialized training necessary to get the job done! Employers and recruiters, submit your insurance jobs here.

---

Career Change: Success Tips

Successful career change is based on first making an honest... Read More

I Just Lost My Job: How Am I Going To Tell My Kids?

One of the responsibilities of a human resources professional is... Read More

Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?

Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to... Read More

Occupational Health and Safety - Stress and Workaholism at Work

There has been a lot of hullabaloo recently about the... Read More

Taking a Survival Type Job Is Good For You.

Ugh! Arg! How can a survivor type job be good... Read More

Look in the Mirror

Take a moment to step outside yourself. Now, be honest... Read More

What Can I Do To Improve My Job-Interviewing Skills?

Whether you're a student job seeker or a polished and... Read More

Do You Need A Mentor? And How Do You Find One?

Whether you're self-employed or you work for someone else, you're... Read More

Getting Started: 5 Things You Need to Decide When You Get Started with a Job Search

There are few things more frustrating for a headhunter than... Read More

When Bad Interviews Happen to Good Candidates

Going through the motions of a bad interview is like... Read More

Recovering From a Career Crisis

If you have ever experienced any of the following, you... Read More

The Global Work Marketplace - The Revolution Of How Work Gets Done

Will cubicles be a distant memory for today's workforce? Will... Read More

You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression

There is no easy way to define exactly what editors,... Read More

Outsmart Other Job Seekers by Showing These 5 Key Strengths

Getting an appointment for an interview these days is an... Read More

Job Interviews -- What Your Pre-Interview Research Should Cover

When you go in for a job interview, you're not... Read More

The Top 10 Ways to Manage Your Career

Many people in the last decade have experienced either a... Read More

Continuing Professional Development

Continuing professional development (CPD) is promoted by the CIPD to... Read More

Build Your Career Decision By Decision

Do you dislike making decisions and avoid the challenge whenever... Read More

Top Ten Networking Strategies To Get A Job, A Promotion, Or Make A Sale

Whether you are networking to find a new job opportunity,... Read More

Your Resume Format - What Is The First Thing You Need To Do?

The first thing you need to do before you write... Read More

Ten Things To Do If You Really, Really Hate Your Job

1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how... Read More

What You Cant Ask a Job Candidate is as Important as What You Can Ask

As a human resources professional or business owner, you face... Read More

Stop Whining and Ask For What You Want!

When you want something, the best way to get it... Read More

Top 10 Skills for New World of Work

There are many changes coming in the world of work,... Read More

Sample Resume Objectives: Good, But Summaries Are Smokin!

Since college I've been told that a resume ought to... Read More

Switching Careers - 7 Key Steps

Are you thinking about switching careers? If you are, you're... Read More

Stacking The Deck In Your Favor

Many people do not bother to look at their own... Read More

Resume Tips To Take You From SAHM to WAHM

When looking for a telecommuting position, it is very important... Read More

What Everybody Ought To Know About How To Change Their Career or Profession and Still Survive...

Dr. Denis Waitley, trainer of leaders, including Super Bowl and... Read More

It May Be Time to Walk in an Employers Shoes

If you are in a job search and aren't receiving... Read More

Your Attitude Is Screaming

There is more attitude around than the 'traditional 'positive /... Read More

Analysing Adverts for the Creative Response

The fundamental rule is: if you are going to apply... Read More

The Role of a Medical Assistant in a Modern Medical Practice

Many physicians are unsure of what tasks are appropriate to... Read More