Every agency must figure out how to manage new employees, particularly ones who have little to no formal training or experience in the Insurance and Risk Management industry. This is a challenge every agency faces. Getting new employees involved and contributing from the minute they start working often comes with growing pains. It’s the manager’s job to transform that pain into progress. An employee onboarding program specifically for insurance professionals new to the industry can help with this process.
Here are three simple things you can do to help onboard new employees:
1. Mentoring Sessions
A very productive strategy to use with new hires is to hold a mentoring session with them. During the session, go over the expectations of the job, any questions they may have, and your new hire’s professional goals. Setting up expectations and being solution-oriented can help new hires feel supported throughout this transition.
Administrative Paperwork
It’s smart to begin with the responsibilities associated with human resource needs. A well-organized new employer will have them added to the payroll and registered in any benefits that the company offers. Determining how and when they get paid will instill confidence in the mind of the new employee.
An Overview of the Organizational Culture
If the office is large, construct a map if you do not already have one and have the new hire fill it out. This is the kind of activity allows new hires to reintroduce themselves to the staff or introduce themselves for the first time. It also has the potential to encourage pleasant conversation that is geared toward assisting employees to better understand one another. If the office is small, you can skip this step by making introductions and giving a quick tour.
2. Tasking & Training
As soon as the new employee is familiar with the working environment, assign them a job that they can do on their own without needing to contact you for too many specifics. Completing a self-paced course, taking part in a tutorial for an automated system, or getting started with insurance education are great examples of tasks that can help new hires feel integrated into your agency.
The National Alliance offers instructional materials and courses that are ideal for introducing new employees to your agency or firm. The Introduction to Insurance course helps new hires gain footing in the insurance business. The Introductory Series can be taken at the employee’s own pace and in their own time. New hires can also benefit from the independent study courses offered to learn how to fill out commercial ACORD® Forms.
3. Training with Real-World Practice
Once your new hire passes the licensing exam, get them started on the details of insurance policy paperwork and endorsements. Enrolling them in CISR self-paced education programs is another way to support new hires as they learn how to make major contributions for your customers.
Take the time to carefully plan how you will get a new employee up and running in the most efficient manner possible so that they can eventually become an asset. This will allow you to cultivate productive members of your team much more quickly.
Perfect for Employee Onboarding
PRO CE courses helps new agents understand the fundamental aspects of insurance as a product and an industry. Self-paced courses guide participants through the characteristics and terms of primary areas of insurance including personal, commercial, life, health, and benefits.
Taken as a whole, these courses provide solid foundational knowledge of the insurance and risk management industry, as well as avenues for career development and skill-building.
