As the older generation of insurance professionals looks to retirement, it is critical to have a plan in place for attracting, training and retaining new employees to assist clients with their insurance needs. As many who are struggling with hiring now may know, finding new employees with relevant insurance experience is not easy. One way to combat a limited job pool is through hiring smart, dedicated people from other industries like business or finance and providing training sessions to help them learn the industry.
Tanya Salyers, CISR, assistant client manager at Overmyer Hall Associates, is an expert at helping new associates adapt to the business of insurance. Managing client services means ensuring that everyone involved in servicing is properly and efficiently trained so as to create a positive client experience at every touchpoint. She points out that there are a number of ways to help those without related experience excel in a career in insurance services. Many companies provide career paths that build in milestones marking professional development goals and progress. For new and unexperienced employees, having a set schedule and deadline to complete professional initiatives creates clarity and direction as they grow in a new role. State licensing, designations and teaching the various functions in account management are also great ways to build knowledge and confidence.
Salyers offered five great tips for insurance service providers new to their role:
1. Learn from those around you
Salyers stresses that the other employees at your firm can be a great resource for helping train employees on the industry. “Many of the people in your agency who have been in insurance for a long time will have so much to teach you,” she said. “Always ask questions and be willing to learn.”
2. Take advantage of the education your agency offers
Many agencies (as well as Applied Client Network) offer free or low-cost educational tools. “Don’t skip out on webinars and lunch and learns about various topics from coverage to new features in Epic or TAM,” Salyers said.
3. Make time to explore your agency management system
“I have learned about Applied Epic just by clicking around, seeing what leads where, understanding how functions work,” Salyers said. “We have a test account in Epic that I use to practice processes before implementing them in real accounts, and it takes the edge off of ‘Will I do the wrong thing?’” Of course the Applied Client Network forums are also a great place to find answers to and ask questions about how to optimize your system’s functionality.
4. Take time to understand the renewal and marketing processes in your procedure manual
Although it may not be a direct part of your role at your agency or brokerage, Salyers advises thoroughly learning how your system is structured to support renewals and marketing of insurance products. “It may help you make sense of the functions of Epic (or TAM), as much of their functionality is built around these processes,” Salyers said.
5. Study the ACORD applications
As the standard for the insurance industry, it’s important to have a good understanding of what is in various ACORD forms and how they integrate into your Applied Systems solution. “This helped me understand all of the policy detail in Epic,” Salyers said. “I was able to find everything more easily after seeing the data come out into an ACORD application.”
Applied Client Network also offers a number of resources to help new insurance employees better understand their Applied Systems technology and best practices for use. For new educational opportunities, check out Connections online for new articles and download or virtually attend relevant webinars. Have a topic that you or your team would like to learn more about? Let us know today!