Detail-oriented or big picture: as you hire new staff for your insurance jobs, what do you value the most? Ideally, you’d hire someone who can navigate both worlds, maintaining a sense of the big picture while also juggling all of the day-to-day details of your insurance agency. How can you hire someone who’s competent at navigating the small stuff?
Why Focus on the Small Stuff?
While the big picture has a lot of value, the small details of your insurance agency help you make sure that your clients are happy and that your agency is growing every day. For example, keeping updated information on your website will help keep your clients aware of your new insurance products. They’ll flock to those workshops and webinars that you’re holding because you’ve advertised them on your website. Focusing on the details is simply professional, and it puts your best face forward.
Detail orientation can also save your business. For instance, if your employees don’t communicate to your clients about a particular detail in their insurance policy, your clients could think that they have coverage for something that is not actually covered. If they have a fire or a flood that impacts their home and they are not adequately covered by insurance, then they may look for compensation from your insurance agency because of this perceived inaccurate information.
Finding the Right Employee for the Job
If you’re looking for detail-oriented employees, how do you spot this characteristic? It’s easy for someone to say that he focuses on the details, but how do you tell whether or not this is really true?
- Examine the person’s behavior. A detail-oriented person will have an error-free resume, know when and where to show up and do so on time, and follow up with a thank you for the interview. These interactions will set the tone for your future interactions with that prospective staff member.
- How does the candidate engage with you and present herself during the interview? Is she well put-together or does she struggle to find a pen? Do you notice that she can find items in her bag? Is she taking notes? Does she have questions ready for you as well?
- According to the recruiting company Top Echelon, you can begin by asking your candidate directly about her work orientation, asking questions such as, “Do you prefer to work on the details of a project, or would you rather pass those tasks on to a co-worker?” Then move on to more focused questions about how that individual manages details.
- Ask your candidate about times when she’s had to focus on the details. Get descriptions of the activities she was engaged in and how she navigated all of the specifics of that situation.
- Questions about the tools that your candidate uses to manage details can help you get a sense of how organized that person will be on the job. Ask your candidate about how she checks for errors, especially in situations when time is short. How does she plan projects and make sure all of the details are well-managed within those projects, even when they have many stages?
- Ask your candidate about challenges with accuracy or working with details. How has she managed to get through times when the details were overwhelming or challenging? This will tell you more about the systems the job candidate uses to manage details.
E&O Insurance Protects Your Business
While you want to hire people who value the details, sometimes even the strongest employees will lose a detail or two along the way. Make sure that your business is protected. Adding E&O insurance for your business will help you just in case an employee makes a mistake. This insurance covers you in case of accidental errors and omissions, helping your business recover if an employee error has a negative impact on a client.
Are you looking for support as you navigate the insurance world? American Agents Alliance can help. From hiring support to E&O insurance, we help you find the resources that you need to manage your insurance agency. Contact us today.
