Five Things You Should Know When Working With a Recruiter

Merry Christmas!!!  I hope that all is going well for you this season!!  Today I thought I’d share some thoughts I have about working with recruiters.  As I’m sure you all know I’m an insurance recruiter and have been working in this industry for about seven years.  It occurred to me that many of you have never used a recruiter.  While I sincerely hope that you never have the need for my services as  this means you all have dream jobs that you will work until you retire, I thought that I might be helpful to share some insight into what you should know about recruiters. 

First of all, there is something that I need to get out of the way.  If you work in insurance all you need to do is to work with me.  Cease all other operations and disregard all of the advice I’m giving you below.  It doesn’t apply to me.  Just kidding.  Most of this information is because I’m aware of my limitations and want you to be successful.  So here goes!

1.  You Should Work With More Than One Recruiter

This is an area that really upsets me.  There are some recruiters out there that will ask you or give you the impression that you should only work with them.  They will give you reasons such as:

• They’ve got all of the orders and relationships
• It will prevent you from being accidentally submitted to a company twice
• They only work with people that they exclusively represent

The fact of the matter is that you should be using all avenues to get a job.  Working with more than one recruiter insures that you get full coverage.  I’ll be honest.  I don’t have all the jobs out there and while I pride myself on being an out of the box thinker I miss stuff as well.  Different eyes can bring different opportunities.

2.  You Should Know Where Your Resume is Sent

This is another important thing to be aware of.  You own you job search and you should know where your resume goes.  Most recruiters are very good about this.  However, there are ones that will either take your resume places without your permission or will refuse to share their clients names because of trade secrets or something like that.  Please bear in mind that there are sometimes specific situations that require complete confidentiality.  You recruiter should be up front about these.  Regardless of the situation you should be proactive and ask how they work.  Ask them to let you know who they send a resume to and request that they ask for permission before sending a resume.

3.  Recruiters Make Money Off of Placing You

I bring this up for two reasons.  The vast majority of recruiting firms have their fee paid by the company.  However, you should still ask and make sure that it isn’t a firm that get’s paid by the candidate.  Most places will be very up front about this but it never hurts to protect yourself. 

The second reason is more important.  If a recruiter tells you that you are not a fit for a position it is because they believe that their client won’t hire you from them for a fee.  However, I can tell you from experience that recruiters are like all people and they do make mistakes and miss things.  Don’t take no for an answer every time.  Listen to the reason why they say no and if they are wrong respectfully disagree.  Now you can’t really disagree if the recruiter has it right – situations like the company wants 20 years of experience and you have four.  But you can challenge them in situations where they missed something on your resume or you didn’t put a key piece on your resume in order to save space.  Remember that you catch more flies with honey  than you do vinegar though.  Instead of telling them that they are wrong (not many people respond well to this.)  Ask them a question like:  “Would it make a difference if I had this experience?”  Recruiters are in sales and like making money – they will be open to this.  Just make sure you bring it up in a way that they can hear.

4.      Follow Up Regularly ( 2 – 4 times a month)

This is one from experience.  I talk to between 10 – 15 people a day.  I take great notes and am lucky to have a great computer system that helps  me remember people.  That said I forget about great candidates from time to time.  The law of averages suggests that most others do to.  The only to way to make sure that you keep on the top of the pile is to follow up regularly.  Now remember there is a fine line between stalking/annoying and regular follow up.  Following up 2 – 4 times a month should do the trick.  My boss always says that the keys to opportunity are time, place and state of mind.  If you follow up regularly you give yourself the opportunity of catching the recruiter when they are in different places where they might think differently.

5.  The Process Takes Time

This is another experience one.  The fastest time I’ve ever placed someone was a 24 hour turnaround.  I spoke with an individual on a Tuesday afternoon.  The client responded immediately with an interview request for the next day and made an offer on the spot at the interview.  This isn’t normal. 

Depending on the situation a company can take between 1 day to 3 weeks to respond to a resume.  The hardest part about this is that it has nothing to do with their interest level.  Just remember to have patience and that if you receive a no news update it is nothing more than a no news update and often times does not mean that there is something wrong with your resume or credentials.

That’s all I’ve got for today.  Please let me know if you have questions or comments.  Feel free to leave them below or email me at sthompson@insurance-csg.com.

Check out some of my recent articles on the blog here:

Forward Emails:  The Silent Killer

The Six Biggest Challenges Faced by Insurance Producers

How Insurance Producers Can Use Social Networking to Increase Sales

Four Skills that Every Account Manager Needs to Succeed

Job Hunting Myths Exposed

How Account Managers can Improve their Resumes

Three Things that Account Managers Should Do

Six Interview Tips Part I

Five Things Employers Do In the Interview Process

So You Got Fired...What Do You Say in an Interview?

Employee Benefits Account Manager - Dallas, TX

This is a terrific opportunity for an account manager with a strong employee benefits background.  Our client is seeking someone with a strong self funded and middle market background working with clients ranging in size from 100 - 2,000 lives to work on a team underneath and account executive.  This is with a well respected consultant shop that competes with the Mercer's of the world while remaining the culture of a smaller organization.


Employee Benefits Account Manager

Our client is a large, independent agency with an impeccable reputation based on the tenure and national exposure of its senior leadership. The group benefits division is such a strong portion of the agency's overall revenue that the same resources common to a consulting firm are present within this position.  As Group Benefits Account Manager you’ll devote time to the continued development of the agency’s relationship with the insured, and concentrate on the thorough review and implementation of policies to drive down costs and promote a strong group benefits portfolio.


Group Benefits Account Manager Responsibilities:
Provide marketing and client services for designated prospects and clients managing the submission (RFP) process, securing information to effectively market to all carrier partners, preparing all new and renewal submissions for marketing, analyzing data, reviewing proposals, completing enrollments and implementing communication strategies with the client.  
Stay abreast of markets, products, and carrier competitiveness to provide a comprehensive product portfolio to the client.  
Act as a liaison between the client and insurance companies in order to resolve all normal service issues regarding billing, claims, eligibility, and other customer service issues.


Group Benefits Account Manager Qualifications:
At least five (5) years of account management experience with a retail agency or brokerage consulting firm concentrating on accounts with at least 50-100 lives.
Prior experience in a client interfacing role with responsibilities for managing direct communication on escalated issues, pricing and coverage changes and enrollments.  
Active state L&H license 
Organized and excel at meeting deadlines; excellent communicator who can relay important information to Account Executive and Producers while managing expectations with junior level analysts.


Please contact Scott Thompsopn for immediate confidential consideration and additional details.  Email:  sthompson@insurance-csg.com  Phone:  515-987-0242 ext. 17  Fax 515-987-0004  See our website at, www.csgrecruiting.com/ins_opportunities.htm for a complete listing of nationwide opportunities.

Check out some of my recent articles on the blog here:

Forward Emails:  The Silent Killer

The Six Biggest Challenges Faced by Insurance Producers

How Insurance Producers Can Use Social Networking to Increase Sales

Four Skills that Every Account Manager Needs to Succeed

Job Hunting Myths Exposed

How Account Managers can Improve their Resumes

Three Things that Account Managers Should Do

Six Interview Tips Part I

Five Things Employers Do In the Interview Process

So You Got Fired...What Do You Say in an Interview?

Employee Benefits Client Manager - Raleigh, NC

Hi Everybody!  I'm working on a great opportunity for a employee benefits account manager.  My client is a well respected consulting firm that focused on 10 - 500 life groups and larger. They are looking for someone with a strong self funded background that can be the quarterback for a good book of business.  Client facing skills are very important and exposure to wellness, marketing and daily administration are a plus.  Let me know if you are interested or if you have any suggestions!

Employee Benefits Client Manager 
Our client is an independent group benefits agency with an impeccable client service reputation.  The firm adopts a team based consulting concept where the each client service manager is constantly working with all the members of the agency to meet all of the client's needs.  Due to growth the firm has two available positions, Group Benefits Account Manager and Group Benefits Analyst, both of which are suited for individuals offering experience administering and servicing group medical programs.

Group Benefits Client Service Responsibilities:
The responsibilities of the Group Benefits Account Manager include acting as the primary contact for current clients; you'll ensure the provision of accurate and timely information pertaining to the client's upcoming renewal; you'll hold other associates accountable for meeting deadlines and operating within the client's budget for securing new proposals.

The responsibilities of the Group Benefits Analyst
The responsibilities of this position include servicing the needs of smaller employers, mostly on fully funded medical plans with less than 100 employees; you'll also work under the direction of account managers to secure information for RFP, quoting, and documentation of client communication; for all accounts you'll participate in enrollments and provide clarification on eligibility, enrollments, claims and general day-to-day customer inquiries.

Group Benefits Client Service Qualifications:
At least five (5) years of benefits related administration or service experience is required.
Active NC L&H license or able to obtain one shortly upon hire.
For the Account Manager position, its critical you have experience in the lead client management position; your experience also include policy rating, negotiation and client interfacing responsibilities.
Organized and excel at meeting deadlines; excellent communicator who can relay important information within a close knit, team based environment.

Please contact Scott Thompson for immediate confidential consideration and additional details.  Email:  sthompson@insurance-csg.com  Phone:  515-987-0242 ext. 17  Fax 515-987-0004  See our website at, www.csgrecruiting.com/ins_opportunities.htm for a complete listing of nationwide opportunities.

Check out some of my recent articles on the blog here:

Forward Emails:  The Silent Killer

The Six Biggest Challenges Faced by Insurance Producers

How Insurance Producers Can Use Social Networking to Increase Sales

Four Skills that Every Account Manager Needs to Succeed

Job Hunting Myths Exposed

How Account Managers can Improve their Resumes

Three Things that Account Managers Should Do

Six Interview Tips Part I

Five Things Employers Do In the Interview Process

So You Got Fired...What Do You Say in an Interview?

Commercial and Employee Benefits Producers - Omaha, NE

This is a really exciting opportunity.  I'm working with an agency that offers a defined ownership plan that is looking to bring on several producers in Nebraska as part of their long term perpetuation plan.  Our  client is a consultative broker that has high expectations.  I believe that the right person is going to come from one of three places.

• A similar sized agency that does not offer ownership
• A large national broker that wants to gain autonomy and make an impact on their organization
• A small agency where there is limited resources and market access

Please let me know if you have an interest or know of someone I should be in touch with!

Commercial Lines and Employee Benefits Producers
Our client is a well established, reputable insurance agency servicing business clients through commercial and group benefits programs.  Their resources extend from traditional risk management programs to providing financial and estate planning, personal lines, and loss control services.  Commercial producers with niche industry specialties can and will be supported.  The agency is interested in producers with insurance experience targeting agriculture (including biofuels), construction, manufacturing, financial institutions, and transportation  They will also consider sales professionals from those private industries interested in transitioning their business connections into a career in insurance sales.

Producer Qualifications
You must offer a proven track record in insurance sales with middle market commercial accounts or small to middle market employee benefits accounts
Prior experience working in the region with immediate business contacts
Ability to prospect, build a referral base, and close new business deals
Producers with agriculture contacts can be considered for regional expansion in northern Colorado (Front Range area) and central Illinois

Please contact Scott Thompson for immediate confidential consideration and additional details.  Email:  sdickerson@insurance-csg.com  Phone:  515-987-0242 x17  Fax 515-987-0004  See our website at, www.csgrecruiting.com/ins_opportunities.htm for a complete listing of nationwide opportunities.

Check out some of my recent articles on the blog here:

Forward Emails:  The Silent Killer

The Six Biggest Challenges Faced by Insurance Producers

How Insurance Producers Can Use Social Networking to Increase Sales

Four Skills that Every Account Manager Needs to Succeed

Job Hunting Myths Exposed

How Account Managers can Improve their Resumes

Three Things that Account Managers Should Do

Six Interview Tips Part I

Five Things Employers Do In the Interview Process

So You Got Fired...What Do You Say in an Interview?

So You Got Fired… What Do You Say in an Interview?

Happy Holidays!  Today I wanted to touch base on a subject I get asked about a lot.  How to handle your reasons for leaving a job.  This is a really difficult subject that many people get tripped up on.  The truth is that people leave jobs.  It’s a regular part of life like death and taxes.  However, when we are asked about it we start sweating and usually words start spewing from your mouth.  The good news is that you can handle this question easily if you prepare for it.

The first part to how you answer this question is literally how you answer it.  If you are confident in your answer and you own the reason for leaving there is a good chance that the future employer will be comfortable and move on to the next question.  However, if your body language responds negatively and you stammer your way through the answer the employer may feel  that you are trying to hide something and think negatively of you.  Here’s how not to answer it:

Interviewer:  “So, Milton, why did you leave Initech?”

Interviewee:  Before answering the interviewee looks around nervously and begins to answer without making eye contact.  “Well you see… it just didn’t work out”

Interviewer:  “Why?’

Interviewee:  Takes a long pause and a deep breath.  “Well, I, um, I, you see my boss, he took my stapler, it was a Swingline and I um, uhh set the place on fire.”

Burning down the building is probably never a good reason for leaving a job...

Here is how he should have answered it:

Interviewer:  “So, Milton, why did you leave Initech?”

Interviewee:  “Well, Bob.  My boss and I had some confusion about what stapler I should be using.  So I took matters into my own hands and burnt the whole place down.  That’s the kind of take charge guy I am!  Plus I learned that I need to be a little more flexible in the future.”

Obviously this is an extreme reason for leaving – I’m not sure that you could overcome arson in any situation, but you get the picture.  Milton owned his reason for leaving, was confident about it and made it a positive.  One other thing that you want to avoid here is to make sure you don’t minimize it either.  If you make a mistake that is a fireable offense you shouldn’t start by saying it wasn’t a big deal or end the statement with some false laughter.  Just say that you made a mistake, you learned from it and that it made you a better person and employee.

The second part of this is what you actually tell the interviewer.  In most cases I believe that you need to swallow your pride and just tell the truth in an objective manner.  The key word here is objective.  Don’t be angry, don’t be sad, don’t be flippant.  Just say I was fired because this occurred.  I feel bad about the situation and I accept it.  Even if it was total BS that you were fired act this way.  Nobody wants to hear a sob story.  They want to know what you learned from it and that you handled it maturely. 

But in some cases you legally can’t share the truth.  What do you say now?  In this case you need to craft a very specific message and practice it.  It needs to be something that goes like this:

“Company X and I entered into a mutual agreement that resulted in me leaving the organization.  As a part of this I agreed not to divulge anything about the nature of my departure.  What I can tell you is that they are a great place with great people and I’m ready to move on to the next step of my career.”

Most places will understand something like this but be prepared that sometimes they will push you for more.  In this case just share what you can and apologize for not being able to share more.  Some people won’t accept this and it is just a reality you may have to deal with.

The final part is just good interviewing in general.  Think about your answer here and practice it in front of the mirror.  If you do this it will come out smoothly and eloquently and will make it effortless.  This ties in to the first part – you just need to sell it and move on. 

I have one other thought that goes with this.  These tips are equally applicable if you voluntarily left a position for another one or to look for a job as well.  You just need to have a story and stick to it.

That’s all I’ve got for today.  Have a great week and as always please feel free to leave comments below or email me at sthompson@insurance-csg.com.

Check out some of my recent articles on the blog here:

Forward Emails:  The Silent Killer

The Six Biggest Challenges Faced by Insurance Producers

How Insurance Producers Can Use Social Networking to Increase Sales

Four Skills that Every Account Manager Needs to Succeed

Job Hunting Myths Exposed

How Account Managers can Improve their Resumes

Three Things that Account Managers Should Do

Six Interview Tips Part I

Five Things Employers Do In the Interview Process

Things you Should be Doing Right Now For the New Job you Don't Need

AVP Employee Benefits Strategic Sourcing - Nashville, TN

This is a great opportunity that is a little different than the things I normally recruit on.  It’s outside the insurance industry yet they seek someone who is likely within the insurance industry. My client is looking for someone who has a strong knowledge of employee benefits, contracts, pricing, negotiations in a role where they will negotiate price reductions on benefits for members of the purchasing group. Its a tough search because it has elements of procurement  but it is not procurement in it’s truest sense and it is not an HR position and is not part of the HR department.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions!


AVP Employee Benefits Strategic Sourcing
Our client is a group purchasing organization supporting nearly 1,400 not-for-profit and for-profit acute care facilities, as well as ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and alternate care sites.  They presently offer a unique opportunity to join their organization as the
AVP, Employee Benefits Strategic Sourcing. This individual is responsible for contract negotiation and management of employee benefit agreements for group members including PBM, Life/Disability, EAP, Dental and other HR related categories.  This individual will possess exceptional strategic and tactical contracting skills as well as superb interpersonal skills to develop and foster professional relationships with senior human resource executives, financial officers and other corporate departments.  He/she will be responsible for internal coordination with legal and advisory boards to facilitate finalization of contract agreements.  In addition, he/she will analyze and develop reports for benefit costs, healthcare trends/utilization, business case scenarios, and integrating benefit costs into financial metrics. He/she will also assist in fostering improvements in customer satisfaction.

AVP, Employee Benefits Contracting Responsibilities
Serve as HR benefits subject matter expert to membership
Identifying, coordinate and generate HR contracting activities
Develop strategies and gain consensus from designated senior leadership and project stakeholders on contracting strategies, award recommendations and financial results
Resolve vendor issues
Grow client contract volume and contract offerings for members
Manage complex solicitations and reviews specialized and/or non-routine proposals, bids, and contract modifications.
Analyzes significant, and/or unique contract requirements, special provisions, terms and conditions to ensure compliance with appropriate laws, regulations, and corporate policies and business unit procedures.

AVP, Employee Benefits Contracting Requirements
Bachelors required.
At least 10 years experience with a preferred concentration in the human resource benefits contracting area. Prior experience as both a health benefits insurance underwriter and customer consultant preferred.
Extensive knowledge of negotiation tactics and strategy formulation.  General knowledge of carrier solicitation and evaluation process
Excellent analytical and financial modeling skills
Ability to identify savings opportunities and communicate clearly and effectively to employers
Possesses good organizational and presentation skills
Excellent oral and written skills

Please contact Scott Thompson for immediate confidential consideration and additional details.  Email:  sthompson@insurance-csg.com  Phone:  515-987-0242 EXT 17  Fax 515-987-0004  See our website at, www.csgrecruiting.com/ins_opportunities.htm for a complete listing of nationwide opportunities.

Check out some of my recent articles on the blog here:

Forward Emails:  The Silent Killer

The Six Biggest Challenges Faced by Insurance Producers

How Insurance Producers Can Use Social Networking to Increase Sales

Four Skills that Every Account Manager Needs to Succeed

Job Hunting Myths Exposed

How Account Managers can Improve their Resumes

Three Things that Account Managers Should Do

Six Interview Tips Part I

Five Things Employers Do In the Interview Process

Things you Should be Doing Right Now For the New Job you Don't Need

Employee Benefits Account Manager - Salt Lake City, UT

This is a great opportunity with one of my best clients.  They are looking for a very sharp account manager with middle market and large account experience (250 – 2,500 lives). Self funded experience is a must.  This place offers terrific benefits and a great work life balance.  As always please let me know if you have any suggestions or are interested yourself.


Employee Benefits Account Manager

Our client has been in the risk management business since 1910 and is one of the largest independent insurance brokers in the western United States.  They cater to both small and large market business clients and offer a diverse product line that includes employee benefits, safety consulting and contract surety.  They currently offer an opportunity in their health and welfare division as an Employee Benefits Account Manager.  In this position you'll assist producers in marketing and servicing a large book of business.  


As Account Manager
You'll participate in prospect or client situations, as directed
You'll support the bidding process by releasing requests for proposal, fielding carrier questions, developing financial spreadsheets, coordinating carrier interviews, and maintaining client service issue logs
Supports the client or prospect effort through review and assistance with preparation of RFP materials


Account Manager Qualifications
At least 5-7 years of group benefits service experience within an insurance agency or benefits consulting firm
Must have prior background directly working with clients to manage their group benefits policies
Product experience includes fully funded and self-funded risks for group medical and ancillary coverage
Experience working in a team environment managing endorsement requests, new business marketing, certificate processes, and billing inquiries


Please contact Scott Thompson for immediate confidential consideration and additional details.  Email:  sthompson@insurance-csg.com  Phone:  515-987-0242 x17  Fax 515-987-0004  See our website at, www.csgrecruiting.com/ins_opportunities.htm for a complete listing of nationwide opportunities.

Check out some of my recent articles on the blog here:

Forward Emails:  The Silent Killer

The Six Biggest Challenges Faced by Insurance Producers

How Insurance Producers Can Use Social Networking to Increase Sales

Four Skills that Every Account Manager Needs to Succeed

Job Hunting Myths Exposed

How Account Managers can Improve their Resumes

Three Things that Account Managers Should Do

Six Interview Tips Part I

Five Things Employers Do In the Interview Process

Things you Should be Doing Right Now For the New Job you Don't Need