Chicagoland SIA Blog

An insurance producer is hired to find new prospects for an insurance agency and turn those prospects into clients by convincing them to purchase an insurance policy. He or she may be designated as an employee or as an independent contractor. There have been legal rulings both ways as to the proper classification of insurance agents/producers. Does it matter which classification you choose? It does matter. Here is why.

Do your insurance agency employees have job descriptions and titles? They should! It can help to clarify potential issues as your agency grows and you expand your staff. Let’s look at how to start this process.

We all make mistakes. To err is human, right? However, if you are a business offering professional services, such as an insurance agency, those errors can be costly! Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance is designed to cover damage caused to clients by negligence, faulty advice or other failure of duty acts.

Women have made great strides within the insurance industry. According to a recent Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up approximately 60 percent of the workforce within the insurance industry. Where the inequality seems to prevail is at the leadership level. Less than 20 percent of board seats and executive officer positions are held by women, according to whitepaper by the Million Women Mentors (MWM).

Are you conducting exit interviews with your employees who have turned in their resignations? You should be. It is a great way to learn more about your agency, its strengths and weaknesses.

As an agency owner, you likely have a set time for staff meetings. How do your staff meetings go? Are they productive or is it usually the “same old same old?” Get out of a rut and start holding staff meetings that produce results! Here are a few ideas.

For most of us, work is a fact of life. It is regrettable when an employee goes to work feeling deflated and perhaps showing up for nothing more than a paycheck. As a manager of employees, you’ve likely seen it in your own workplace. Here are a few ways to combat employee demotivation in the workplace.

We all know how important it is to provide extraordinary customer service. But have you ever considered how vital it is that you and your agency employees answer the phone warmly and professionally?

Did you know your job may be killing you? Maybe not literally killing you, but stress in the workplace can have all sorts of unwanted effects on all our lives including sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, headaches, stomach problems and even cardiovascular disease. The effect of workplace stress is very real—a study by Harvard University found that nearly 120,000 deaths annually are attributed to workplace stress. Billions of dollars are spent on healthcare each year as a result of stress in the workplace. As an agency manager/owner, it is in the best interest of you and your employees to take the initiative in reducing workplace stress.