Expenses associated with a bad hire can be two to three times that producer's salary. If two-thirds of new producers drop out of the insurance industry by their second year (according to the IIABA), there is sound financial reason to select the best possible candidate for the position.

My experience evaluating more than a thousand new producer candidates lends credence to behavioral testing and interviewing as pre-development tools. This article will focus on interviewing, and assume that the candidate has already been tested with acceptable results.

Interview Methodology

The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. In other words, if your candidate is presented with a similar situation to one encountered in the past, he is likely to react in a similar fashion—his behavior is predictable. Your objective as interviewer is to examine the candidate's previous behavior to those he's likely to encounter in the job. The goal is to predict the candidate's ability—and willingness—to do the job.  

Analyze the Job

Your first task is to identify the skills, personality characteristics and past experiences the candidate needs to do the job well so you can interview each candidate to those key criteria. Some criteria can be determined from the application, references, test scores, etc. Other criteria can only be determined during the interview. You won't want to waste interview time asking about information you can learn from other sources. 

The Interview

  1. Do your homework. Carefully review the application and resume. Look for gaps in employment and frequent or unexplained job changes. Make notes as reminders to get clarification during the interview. Plan for which major life areas you're going to discuss during the interview and write some questions. Review the behavioral test profiles. Consider sharing the results with the candidate. His reaction could give you additional insight. 
  2. Select the location for the interview. The environment should be private, quiet and free of interruptions. Turn off your cell phone, close the door and give the candidate nothing less than your full attention. Place note pads for yourself and the candidate in plain sight so they're not a surprise to the candidate. Sitting at a round table is best, or at a 90-degree angle to a rectangular table or desk if a round table isn't available. Avoid having the candidate sit across from you at a desk if possible; it will not encourage the candidate to be open and forthcoming. Don't be tempted to interview in a busy restaurant where it's difficult to hear and distractions are everywhere.
  3. Establish the rules of the interview. Explain that you will be taking notes and that the candidate is welcome to do the same. Preview the interview agenda: 

    • Ask questions regarding specific job criteria as they relate to the candidate's major life areas.

• Take notes and encourage the interviewee to do so as well.

• Force the candidate to defer any questions until the end of the interview.  He will be given plenty of opportunity to do so at that time. 

  • Interview for "can do" and "will do."  Questions regarding relevant past experience and how the job was performed can help you to determine if the candidate is able to do the job. Here is an example of a "can-do" question: "What type of experiences did you have in your previous job when it was important to plan and execute your daily activities without close supervision?" 

    • "Will do" questions help you determine if the candidate is willing to repeat the behavior. Here is an example of a "will-do" question: "What did you particularly like/dislike about your previous job?" The less the candidate knows about your job, the more valuable the response.

    A Power Question

    "If I were to ask your supervisor, how do you think he would describe your strengths and weaknesses?" 

    This question is effective because the candidate thinks you may actually contact the supervisor; therefore, he's more likely to give a straightforward answer. He may even "defend" himself against the supervisor's unfair criticism.

    Some caveats:

    • Don't sell the job too soon. The more the candidate knows about the job, the more he can spin his answers to what he thinks you want to hear and the more difficult it becomes to get valid information. Of course, you will want to give the candidate a complete description of what will be expected later in the process.
    • Don't preview job criteria during the question. Instead of saying, "This job requires you to be very organized," ask instead, "Can you tell me how you went about balancing school work, your part-time job and your involvement in the college fraternity and still graduate in 4 years with a 3.8 GPA?" Listen for the thought process he used and consider how it might be applied to the new job.
    • Don't back off when the candidate gives an incomplete answer or seems evasive. Keep questioning until you get the information you need. The candidate may have misunderstood or is trying to hide something he thinks is detrimental.
    • Avoid "trick" or clever questions designed to put the candidate on the spot, such as, "Sell me this pencil." These questions may tell you something about his quick wittedness or ability to think on his feet, but may not relate to job criteria (unless he's going to be selling pencils).  

    Related: Read Kenneth L. Fields' article "7 Time-Management Tip and Tricks for Agents."

    At the end of the interview, give the candidate the opportunity to ask questions. Explain what will happen next and ask him to let you know right away if there's any change in his situation.

    The interview can give you real insight into a candidate's ability and willingness to do the job if you've done your homework, and are prepared with questions based on established criteria.

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