TIPS TO HIRE RIGHT

1. Start with a clear, concise job description.  Be sure you are certain what the job entails.

2. Conduct phone interviews with the top applicants before meeting them in person. So much of the insurance business is conducted over the phone, and we tend to overlook this important skill in interviewing.

3. Be sure and give a technical test during the interview.  Does the applicant know coverages?  Where to go to research information?  How to operate the automation system?  How to handle a claim?

4. Check references carefully.  Past employers, companies with whom they have done business, former coworkers, people in the community.

5. If you are hiring for an outside sales position, be sure and have a meal with the applicant.  How they conduct themselves while dining is very revealing.

6. Do not oversell your firm.  We can be so enthusiastic about the opportunities we have, we spend too much time talking about our business, not letting the applicant speak.

7. Ask the right questions.  Remember, open-ended questions allow the applicant to speak freely and reveal more.

   • Tell me about yourself.

   • How did you decide on this type of work?

   • What did you most enjoy about your last job?

   • What were the circumstances that compelled you to leave your last job?  Why do you want to make a change?

   • Why should our company hire you?

   • What type of people do you like to work with?

   • What type of people annoy you?

   • What do you expect from the next company who is going to hire you?

   • What would your previous supervisor say are your major weaknesses?  How about your strengths?

   • How could a supervisor best help you reach your own potential?

   • What are your career goals for the next two to five years?

   • What did you do for personal improvement in this last year?

   • Do you prefer working alone or as part of a group?  Why?

   • Describe the environment you work best.

8. Avoid hiring people who are exactly like yourself. While you may feel comfortable with them, it is diversity and uniqueness that build winning teams.

Emily Huling  Selling Strategies, Inc.  P.O. Box 200  Terrell, NC 28682
Phone: 888-309-8802   Fax: 888-309-7355 

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