Help with hiring a CSR

[steve32]

I've narrowed it down to two CSR's for a position in the agency and wondering who you would choose from your experience. I own an independent agency and right now we are mainly focusing on personal lines. Both have about 2 years licensed experience in personal lines.

CSR #1: Comes from an independent agency background and helps with customer service for the entire personal lines department for the office. This person has a bit more agency experience. This person also takes care of all of the quoting and processing for multiple insurance producers. This CSR has experience already with a couple of the carriers that we represent.

CSR #2: Comes from a captive agency and does mainly CSR work, but also helps with sales, and marketing. This CSR says that they focus a lot on sales too.

What one do you think would be better help for my agency?

[Big Dog]

You've just pointed out one of the major drawbacks of the captive agency system. Limited exposure/experience to just one company and one underwriting philosophy. I'm not saying that someone from the captive system can't quickly learn the independent agency side, but they're "handicapped" out of the box. I'd go with the first.

[scott]

The acid test...

Your best client calls. Which one (if either) do you want to take the call?

[pita3333]

Have you done a profile on your candidates to see who they really are? I am a huge fan of profiles, some are basic like Omnia and others are more comprehensive. All include ability to talk to the analyst to ask specific questions.

Some even include aptitude profiles that go a bit further.

The cost is pretty reasonable when you consider the costs involved in training a person only to find out that they do not have the real skills you need...skills you might not even realize that you need
.

[Brenda H]

Having been the "hiree" in the above scenario, and having been both #1 and #2 people on one occassion, my thoughts would be to go with the first canidate. I also do not feel that the "personality profiles" and such give you a good clue as to who people are. I have taken the tests at some interviews, and was not hired and I know it was based on the profiles. I think you need to get to know someone besides what the present on paper. I believe that those tests can be skewed to what someone is looking for.

I also agree with the post regarding which one you would want to take your best client calls. Speak to them in a "phone type" interview and see how they conduct themselves on the phone.

[steve32]

One downside to CSR # 1 that I didn't mention is that this person would be also working at another independent agency part-time also.

Is this okay you think?

Thank you for all of your help so far - I really appreciate.

[pita3333]

Regarding the comment on "phone type" interview. When I was hiring (about a year ago) I always started with a phone interview. I used this as a screening technique to see how they came across on phone and also to qualify the candidate so that I did not commit to a time consuming face to face when I came across issues.

Back to the profiles...profiles should never be the only method of selection, but part of your tool box of candidate selection. It is also helpful to have profiles of your key team members to see how they match up. You can have a great candidate with a great profile, but if their behaviors do not match those of other team members they will work closely with .... you very well could have a disaster! Some profiles also give you some sample questions to ask in an interview to help you uncover truths. We used to have our candidates take the profile before we would commit to even having a conversation with them. This was we got as "unskewed" a profile as we could hope for. We used a service that would allow us to only process (and pay) for those profiles we actually wanted reviewed.

Regarding Brenda's comment on profiles...you have to have an open mind and be very honest when viewing your own profile. I have seen several different profiles of me over the years. Most say the very same thing regardless of which one was taken and when it was taken. I remember seeing the first one all them years ago and saying "Well...I agree with that...not so sure about that...but on the whole, ya that is me". They just do not lie.

You have to always factor in issues like how a person reacts to written tests (skills, coverage etc), time of the day (I preferred to interview my candidates at different times of the day - phone in morning, first face to face in afternoon etc - this way I could see how the candidates energy changed)

[Brenda Lawhorn]

Steve, have you tried giving each of the candidates a client scenario and see what coverages they would recommend? Are you looking to hire a full-time CSR? Would candidate #2 work for you exclusively? Sharing candidate #1 with another independent agent would make me a little nervous. Call me paranoid, but I'd be afraid of clients possibly moving to the other agency.

I agree that out of the two with the information you've provided, candidate #1 would be my choice. The suggestion to offer the position to the one you would give your best client to if they called is a good one.

While profiles can be useful, what does your gut say? I find mine is usually right.

[steve32]

Thanks for all of your help so far. It's a part time position.

Yes, candidate #2 would work exclusively.

Do you think the sales skills for candidate #2 are important?

[ED3771316]

Why would you consider hiring someone that works for a direct competitor while they would be working for you?
Seems like a conflict of interest. Even an honest mistake (punching in the wrong user id by force of habit) could cost you.

Have you considered going to a local college and inquiring about an internship program? I have one (intern) working for me now that knew nothing about insurance when I hired him. His production 24 commercial accounts in under 12 months. After subtracting payroll expense, a $12K profit. He is going to stick full time upon graduation as he is making more money then any of his college buddies.

Interns want to lean and will work cheap to do so.

[steve32]

Thanks for your help. So, you think it's too much of a risk for having a CSR working at the same time for another agency?

Why would you consider hiring someone that works for a direct competitor while they would be working for you?
Seems like a conflict of interest. Even an honest mistake (punching in the wrong user id by force of habit) could cost you.

Have you considered going to a local college and inquiring about an internship program? I have one (intern) working for me now that knew nothing about insurance when I hired him. His production 24 commercial accounts in under 12 months. After subtracting payroll expense, a $12K profit. He is going to stick full time upon graduation as he is making more money then any of his college buddies.

Interns want to lean and will work cheap to do so.

[ED3771316]

Yes, I do. I also have them sign a no compete clause.

I am a big fan of the Interns. Over the years, they continue to be the most productive. When they get done with school, they go back to where they came from so I do not need to worry about them taking business with them. After they graduate and leave, then renewals are all mine.

However, I do have one working for me now that lives locally. He has been extremly productive and has expressed a desire to jump in full time upon graduation. With the roll he has been on, I'll keep him forever.

good luck.