Dallas
The insurance sector is hiring even after laying off personnel in an attempt to upgrade its staff, and is doing better than other business segments when it comes to employment opportunities, according to a recruiting expert.
Insurance has been less affected by the economy than some other financial industries–such as banking and real estate, said Robin Bland, a partner with Dallas-based QuestPro, an employment recruiter for all aspects of the insurance industry.
Ms. Bland, interviewed here at the Public Risk Management Association's annual conference, said an unsure economy is the catalyst for worker migration in the insurance industry.
Her remarks came while discussion among many of the attendees at the conference was focused on job layoffs in both the public and private sectors.
She told National Underwriter that contrary to what many believe, insurance organizations are hiring.
One trend she is seeing is that a number of firms are letting employees go and subsequently hiring new ones. The reason is not necessarily to pay lower salaries, but rather to "upgrade" staff skills to produce better results.
These organizations, she said, are looking for employees they think will make them more competitive–at a time when their competition may be perceived as weakened.
For example, Ms. Bland explained that an employee who has been seen as "coasting" in their job for years may be replaced by someone who knows the competition, has contacts and training, and can put the organization ahead in the game.
Ms. Bland also said businesses are taking a much longer time to decide before filling positions. She noted that companies sometimes take months with the process and call the candidate back for several interviews.
Organizations also are offering fewer incentives to lure a candidate, unlike in previous years. For example, they are reluctant to pay a potential employee to relocate, she said, adding that hiring bonuses are pretty much out of the picture.
Relocation presents other problems as well, as potential employees may not be able to sell their homes in the currently depressed housing market and credit crunch.
Meanwhile, some job candidates may be reluctant to move for a variety of reasons–such as the fact that their spouse may hold a job and moving would uproot their entire family. But given the difficulty in finding a new job these days, she said, those who need work may take the position even if a spouse cannot relocate, "live in a tiny apartment and commute home on the weekends."
She added that a number of employees have indicated to her they are angry at the treatment they are receiving from their companies during the recession–peeved by salary cuts and having to fill the duties of several others who were laid off–and say they will leave when the job market turns.
This, she said, could cause a huge problem for employers down the road, if they lose a number of top workers and are faced with re-training and other expenses.
Her advice is that while it's understandable that cuts have to be made in a down economy, employers need to be "humane." They should express appreciation for their employees whenever possible, and offer tokens–such as early Fridays, Fridays off, or even pizza on Fridays–to indicate their gratitude for a job well done.
"This doesn't cost a lot, but employees will notice it and they'll appreciate it," Ms. Bland said. "And they may remember these things when the market changes."
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