Supporting Remote Work
There has been a sudden shift to remote work that was shocking for many employees and for businesses. KPMG acknowledges this challenge for insurance agencies, stating that the fact “that they have put this in place in only 2-3 weeks instead of 2-3 years is a huge achievement in itself in a timescale that most could not have imagined.”
As your insurance agency looks to its long-term needs, consider ways to:
- Support employee connections on an informal basis. What kind of positive company culture are you setting up so that your employees will feel like they know each other as people?
- Support communication about policies and procedures that help people work together and work more efficiently.
- Support constructive criticism and growth in your agency. In this time of quick transition, it’s likely that your employees have a lot of thoughts about what’s working and what’s not working for them.
- Support data security. Hacking and fraud have increased with the change to remote work, and you need to have policies and procedures to keep your agency secure.
Plan for Hiring and Retirements
As you look into the medium-term future, consider how you will shift your workforce to accommodate your clients’ changing needs. Work on job descriptions, and ask employees to be realistic about what their jobs now entail. Consider your directions as an agency. Now look at the immediate and longer-term future and consider what kind of staffing you might need to carry your agency forward.
What kinds of digital communication will you facilitate to support your clients?
Upgrade Your Website and Digital Communication
Just as you consider how to work with your employees at this time, you also need to think about how to work with your clients. What kinds of digital resources do you have for your clients? Consider:
- Ensuring that your website is up to date, with all links and resources functioning.
- Starting a blog or at the very least, an FAQ to address clients’ questions.
- Establishing a stronger social media presence.
- Investing in chat functions on your website to provide ongoing answers to clients without always having to involve a person.
- Promoting your website digitally through larger resources such as video content.
Develop an Overall Business Resilience Plan
According to Continuity Compliance , “the concept of business resilience describes the potential that a business has to continue to make all core services available under inclement conditions.” Are you ready to do this?
Think about:
- What tools do you have to sustain your business under conditions of remote work and a higher workload?
- How can you ensure that these tools are available and that people are trained to use them?
- How can you develop and maintain a secure workplace?
- What employee and client support strategies do you need to implement to help your business maintain and restore full function?
At American Agents Alliance, we help your business develop the tools that you need for a vibrant insurance agency. Support your insurance jobs: take a look at our many membership benefits today.
