Strategic Management for Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers: Positive Change for Sustained Excellence

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Finding & Keeping Great Employees

Do your view your employees as your biggest asset or your biggest expense?

"All that separates you from your competition are the skills, knowledge, commitment, and abilities of the people who work for you. Companies that manage people right will outperform companies that don’t by 30 to 40 percent."
-- Jeffrey Pfeffer
Author of The Human Equation:
Building Profits by Putting People First

As an insurance agency, the focus of your business is on developing new customers and retaining the customers you have. You need new business and retention to grow, and growth is key to profitability.

However, if you spend all your time and energy on sales and service, you may be overlooking one of the critical success factors for growth and profitability.
When asked what their biggest challenges are today, agency owners invariably place “finding and keeping quality staff” high on the list. It’s true for large and small, urban and rural agencies alike. So perhaps a good portion of your time and energy should focus on developing new employees and retaining the employees you have.

The workplace has changed and continues to change. With a keen focus on profitability, employers want more for their employment dollar. And those employees who are willing to give more also expect more in return.

One thing that has not changed is that the insurance industry continues to have a poor image as a place to work. As a group, insurance agencies hire fewer college graduates, pay lower wages, and invest less in training and developing staff.
If you’re not thinking differently about the relationship between your employees and your bottom line, it’s time to start. Do your view your employees as your biggest asset or your biggest expense?

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