The agent not in a branch situation, but either on his/her own or in a multiple agent
shared operation, will have to determine his/her own staff needs, according to the agent’s
present situation and future direction. Here are some suggestions as to where to find
qualified assistants.
1. Ask other agents you know about any possible trained persons who might be
available. Put the word out that you are looking. Many times, someone looking for work
calls on insurance offices.
2. Put an ad in the local newspaper. Once the decision has been made to create a
new job, a job advertisement may have to be written for the newspaper or for posting
within the company. The human resources department, if one exists in the organization,
is the best source of assistance in writing the ad. However, if it is left to you or your
supervisor, the following considerations should be noted.
a. An advertisement should explain as succinctly as possible what the job is.
b. Job requirements or prerequisites should be stated to screen out unsuitable
applicants.
c. The advertisement should reflect the legal issues in hiring, such as stating that
your organization is an equal employment opportunity employer.
d. Being creative in the advertisement can help attract a higher quality of applicant.
e. The advertisement should not misrepresent the job but rather explain it, indicating
the most important points of the job. Be careful of promising too much.
f. Use a post office box if the company wants to protect its identity.
g. The ad can be placed in trade magazines and newsletters as well as in the
classified section of local newspapers, business newspapers and professional association
publications.
Example:
PERSONNEL ASSISTANT. A self-reliant and intelligent person to help run
insurance agent’s office. Computer skills, pleasant telephone manner and general office
administration experience needed. Excellent growth opportunity. Write Box 000, this
newspaper.
PART-TIME ASSISTANT with life insurance experience. Top salary. Hours
flexible. Please answer Box 000, this newspaper.
3. Personnel office of your head office may be of some assistance.
4. If you already have a staff person who is leaving your office, as long as the
person is leaving on friendly terms, you may ask him or her to replace him/herself. After
all, they already know your requirements and may know someone who would fit into
your operation. They could also be involved in the training of the new person.
5. Employment Agencies or Placement Firms may deal with permanent or
temporary positions, or both, and usually specialize in
specific fields such as accounting, marketing, secretarial, engineering, etc. If an agency
does not specialize in one particular field, it may employ a counselor who does.
A placement firm is useful only when you have a good exact position you are
trying to fill. As a part of their service, agencies usually provide help with interviewing
techniques, resumes and salary negotiations. They also conduct appropriate skill testing.
Placement firms depend on the premise that they can get an employee a better job
than they can get on their own. A fee is charged for this service. In most cases the
company doing the hiring pays the fee. In some cases, however, the employee looking for
the job and the company split the fee or the employee pays the entire fee. The fee varies
and may be a percentage of salary. Sometimes the employee may pay the fee on an
installment basis. Fees usually run the equivalent of between one and three months’
salary.
The following questions may assist you in deciding whether to use placement
firms:
a. In what areas does the firm specialize?
b. Does the office look well-organized?
c. Is the placement firm well-known? Does it have a good reputation? Do you know
of anyone who has used its service?
Phone the personnel departments of major insurers and ask with which agencies
they work and which have a good reputation. Check with the Better Business Bureau to
see whether there have been any complaints against them.
d. How many people work for the firm? How long have they worked there?
e. Does the counselor seem really interested in your background and career goals? Is
the counselor familiar with the job market?
f. Does the firm do career counseling and testing? Does it help with resumes? Does
it help with interviewing skills?
g. Is there a fee involved? If so, who pays? If the employee quits the job after a short
period, will any part of the fee be refunded?
Other types of firms also provide services to job hunters. Headhunters, executive search
firms and consultants are paid to find people to fill positions that may or may not be
open. They usually deal with high-level executive secretaries and executives.
Headhunters typically contact job candidates themselves, although people looking for
jobs also contact headhunters.
6. Resume services
help write and print resumes. For an additional fee, they will
send out resumes to a list of companies they have compiled.
7. Career counselors charge a fee to provide testing and career counseling. They also
give advice on a job search. They do not make job placements, and they charge a fee
whether a job is secured or not. Career counselors can be located in the telephone
directory under “Career and Vocational Counseling.” Free career counseling may be
offered through college and business schools to students and graduates. Some schools
have a lifetime commitment to counsel and/or place clients.
8. Temporary employment agencies. Temporary agencies quickly find jobs for
people on a temporary basis. These jobs may range in length from one day to several
months or even years.
The temporary agency serves as a temporary employer. It interviews and evaluates the
skills and preferences of temporary employees, tests employees’ skills and finds
prospective employers. A company would then use temporary employees for peak work
periods, temporary replacements, one-time projects, specialized work or vacation
replacements.
The skills, capabilities and requirements requested by the company determine the level of
pay. Temporary employees submit timecards each week and receive paychecks from the
temporary agency. The agency bills the company for salary and fees. There are no fees or
deductions from wages other than legally required payroll taxes that all employees must
pay. Usually temporary employees receive no paid vacation or sick leave nor are they
paid at a higher rate for overtime. Some temporary agencies make health benefits
available to their workers.
When deciding on a temporary agency, ask the following questions:
1. In what areas does the temporary agency specialize?
2. Is it well-known?
3. Does it have a good reputation?
4. Do you know of anyone who has been a temporary for this firm?
5. What is the pay period? Who gets paid — staff or agency?
6. Are insurance benefits available or does agent have to supply any?
7. Can you offer a full-time position if you want to keep the temp?
8. Does agency supply workers’ compensation if temp is injured on the job?
9. Do you have to pay extras such as holiday pay?
In the hiring process you should give serious considerations to candidates who:
• Demonstrate ability to do the job
• Show achievement
• Have a definite interest in the job
• Show enthusiasm
• Ask logical questions
• Get to the interview on time
• Dress properly
• Have good manners
Following the initial screening and interview process, the top candidates can be invited
back for further interviews with other members of the staff. If the position requires
certain skills, such as keyboarding or dictation proficiency, tests may be given.
Temporary help is used to fill in for unplanned absences, planned leaves, vacations and
seasonal or short-term workloads. Before you can effectively use temporaries you
should?
1. Identify what positions can be filled by temporaries and specific duties to be
performed.
2. Summarize skills needed for each position, being as specific as
possible.
3. Compile a short outline of company-specific procedures based on job
descriptions. Give copies to the agency for its reference and be sure they are available to
temporaries when the arrive for work.
In selecting a temporary agency, make appointments with several firms. Evaluate
according to:
• Prompt and accurate response. The agency should confirm requests quickly and
provide the names of other qualified agencies should it not be able to accommodate your
request.
• Feedback and quality control. The agency should monitor the temporary the first
day to ensure that the temporary has the proper skills and should be ready to respond if
problems occur.
• Adequate insurance coverage. The agency should provide insurance in several
areas to protect both the employee and your employer. Bonded personnel should be
available if required.
• Solid references. An agency should provide references from both clients and
employees.
The key to working with temporary agencies is to develop a long-term relationship. The
better you know each other, the better the employees you will receive.
9. Office Management Leasing. Engage an employee leasing firm to handle all of
your staffing needs. A good leasing firm will include the following services:
• All payroll requirements, such as Federal and state withholding, quarterly
reports, year-end reports, and W-2’s.
• Finding the right people for your office and assisting with the training of
these staff people.
• Being responsible for all personnel policies, such as sick pay, vacations,
annual reviews, and job evaluations.
• Provides benefits for your staff, such as medical insurance and retirement
plans.
