This week one of my insurance clients told me they lost their top candidate to a competitor because they didn’t move fast enough and by the time they were ready to make their offer, the candidate had already accepted the other job.  As an insurance recruiter, it pains me to hear this because it is avoidable.  Top-tier experienced insurance candidates are in high demand, are typically known in the industry, and often have several irons in the fire at the same time.  They may even be considering other job offers while they are at the beginning of your interview process.  If you take too long to schedule interviews, especially 2nd and 3rd interviews, you run the risk of losing out on these high-caliber candidates to other companies who are able to move faster.

Here’s some tips to help you streamline your interview process:

1. Timely communication with your top candidates is key. As soon as you identify a top candidate, make sure to let them know next steps and provide a timeline of your interview process steps.  Don’t be afraid to ask where they are at in their interview process and if they are entertaining any other offers.
2. Make sure they know that you are interested before they leave the interview. This will set you apart from most of your competitors and lets the candidate know you are serious about them. Get their schedule for the following week, send them a thank you email for their time that day, and try to book the next meeting within 24 hours if possible.  They will appreciate the effort to move the process along as it shows your firm’s agility and responsiveness.
3. Make sure there is at least one point person who is communicating regularly with the candidate so that they remain interested and engaged during your interview process.  Don’t just leave this to HR, make sure key department stakeholders are involved so that the candidate has a chance to bond with their future coworkers ahead of time. You can offer to share company information such as benefits, job descriptions, industry information, or other company-specific culture documents.
4. Bring the candidate into your office so they can see the culture up close.  Unless the job is 100% remote without any office involvement, schedule team interviews onsite so your future employee can meet people face to face vs. just over video. This demonstrates your interest and dedication to team culture. It allows the candidate a chance to really engage with your firm, see the workspace, and consider commute issues if the work is hybrid or in-office.
5. As soon as you have identified your finalist, tell them. Get a verbal offer out to them as quickly as possible and schedule a call to answer any last-minute questions and to go over the offer terms. This is especially helpful if you have to wait to get a formal written offer from a corporate HR that is not local.
6. If you sense any offer hesitancy in your candidate, invite them to talk things over with their significant others, develop a list of questions, and then schedule another call with you to go over any outstanding issues.  By scheduling a final call to go over any concerns, you are demonstrating that you care about their needs, value their time, and their decision-making process.
7. Consider using an external recruiter that knows your industry.  This allows you to find top local talent and have a partner in the process that can help you to understand the candidate’s needs and hot buttons up front before you do your first interview. This saves you time and ensures that you are only considering people that are interested and qualified for your position.  A good recruiter can also help you schedule follow-on meetings, provide valuable candidate feedback along the way, and help you craft an offer that is competitive.

If you are planning to hire insurance talent in the Pacific Northwest and want an insurance recruiting partner who can help you land top candidates, Contact me, and let’s talk about your hiring needs.