In my tenure, I have had the opportunity to learn many things from some of the best independent agents and brokers in the industry. A recent gathering of Assurex Global Partner firms focused on producer recruitment and development. What I heard reinforced several key principles that are vital to agent and broker success.

Be purposeful. First and foremost, create an environment and culture of which your current employees are pleased and proud to be a part. Use this to build your agency's brand as an employer of choice. Instill a “culture of recruitment” within your firm by involving many people in the recruiting process.

Be diligent. Every interaction offers the opportunity to recruit, even if a job offer is not yet part of the conversation. Successful leaders surround themselves with people more talented than they are. Always be on the lookout for those people and take the long-range view of recruiting, even if you don't have an open position at the time.

Be open. If you are an agency leader who has not embraced the idea of hiring young talent, I urge you to reconsider. Gone are the days when the stance of “let the carriers train them and then we'll hire them” is a sound strategy. Get involved with your local colleges and universities. Engage with Gamma Iota Sigma, which offers a direct pipeline to some of the best and brightest college students who have already demonstrated interest in joining the insurance industry. Consider developing an internship program within your agency.

Because successful recruiting and effective mentoring go hand-in-hand, the same basic principles apply:

Be open. The term “mentoring” can strike fear—or annoyance—into the hearts of many. If this is you, consider changing your frame of reference. Think about it instead as infusing your new hire with your agency's culture and ways of operation. Mentoring is an investment not just in the future of the individual, but also in the future of your firm.

Be diligent. Selecting a mentor can be as crucial as selecting a job candidate—not everyone is a good fit for the position, no matter how well pedigreed.

Be purposeful. Build a framework for mentoring and training, but recognize that it cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach.

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ASK THE EXPERT: What are some ways to build a framework for a mentorship program?

Allwein: One of the best practices I've observed is from an Assurex Global Partner that makes mentor identification part of the hiring process–and they have employees vying to be mentors. After learning more about the candidate, the mentor builds a training/mentoring plan, which is presented to the candidate even before a final job offer is made. The feedback a candidate might give on his or her mentoring plan can tell you a lot about whether that person will be an ideal fit for your firm.

Meg Allwein is senior vice president and chief quality officer at Assurex Global, an exclusive partnership of independent agents and brokers.

Special Reports /

Guiding Principles to Hire, Train the Right People

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