work arrangements and remote employees while also offering the kind of social interaction and learning environment that produces the best result for all concerned . Some specific things agencies can do to ensure a steady supply of highly skilled and knowledgeable workers are :
• Step up recruiting efforts . The good news is that Generations Y and Z consist of about 100 million people in the United States . They will be the most ethnically and racially diverse workforce we have ever seen . But they won ’ t just “ fall into ” insurance the way many of us did . They will want to know what ’ s in it for them and that ’ s where we can proudly shout from the rooftops of high schools and colleges across the country , that what we do matters ! They have an opportunity to be part of a wonderful industry , to serve people in a meaningful way and to prosper personally from their efforts .
• Create more robust onboarding programs for new employees . From day one , agency owners need to engage with new employees , tell them the agency ’ s story , give them a glimpse of what the future holds and show them how they can be a vital part of the success of the organization , regardless of their position . And we hate to say it , but to become truly enculturated , it will probably require people to be in the office more than remote for at least the first six to twelve months on the job .
• Develop an educational career path for every employee . Remember that we judge ourselves by our intentions , but others , particularly young people , will judge us by our actions . Spell out for them what they will be learning throughout their career with the agency . The emphasis should be on accomplishing milestones that serve the clients better , not merely compliance with mandatory CE . For that , they can dine at the $ 9.95-all-you-can-eat CE buffet . The good stuff is harder to attain and yes , more expensive , but so much more rewarding .
• Increase the training and education budget . That $ 651 is not going to go a long way toward creating the master-level employee needed now and in the future . Figure out what you can afford and incentivize people to use their education stipend on courses that will benefit them , the agency , and the client , even if there is no continuing education credit attached . Reward the attainment of professional designations , especially those that require months or years of study and rigorous national-level exams . And consider allowing people to study on company time , or at least contribute equally to the amount of time required . Not everyone has the same opportunity to read and study outside of work hours .
• Hold people accountable . Everybody can be an expert at something , and we all know the best way to demonstrate what you know is to teach others . Don ’ t just subsidize people ’ s attendance at industry events or classes , have them make a presentation when they return . And that goes for the agency owners as well . If you attended a presentation , convention or meeting , share with everyone what you learned on their behalf . What ’ s important to owners will be important to them and it ’ s a fair question for an employee to ask : “ what have you learned for me lately ?”
• Create capacity for learning . It doesn ’ t really matter how much money you throw at training , if people don ’ t have the time to learn . If a few days out of the office to attend a program or class is going to mean they ’ re hopelessly behind when they return , most people won ’ t feel comfortable taking that time away from their daily routine . Being a staff member “ fat ” as opposed to “ one lean ” means we can have people out of the office for education and not have to worry about what ’ s not getting done and how they ’ ll have to work like a beaver when they return .
Think of what our organizations might look like if we doubled or tripled that investment in professional development . If you ’ ve ever stayed at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs , you ’ ll notice the experience is unlike any other . Curious about what made that hotel both a five-star and five-diamond property for so many years , it turned out the answer was staff training . Every new team member receives over 175 hours of training in their first year with the hotel – that ’ s about a month of training . In some agencies , people are lucky
22 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER