Meet them where they are…
(This is the 3rd in a 3 part series from Will. Part 1 can be located HERE, Part 2 can be located HERE)
With the insurance sector as a whole grappling with significant recruiting challenges, there has been significant emphasis put on how companies can better communicate opportunities with potential recruits. In the previous posts of this series, we’ve discussed the need to dispel the myth of insurance being a boring industry, and how to communicate the benefits of insurance as a career choice. This post will cover how and where to spread those messages, and additional strategies to set your organization up to recruit elite talent.
We know that facetime with potential recruits needs to be an essential part of any effective recruiting strategy. Direct communication can only take you so far though, and these touchpoints need to be primed in order to be as effective as possible.
To get the most out of all of the tactics discussed in this series, your content & thought leadership should intentionally reach beyond the insurance industry. Insurance businesses have insight that can not be replicated anywhere else, so it would be wise to share it in a way that is valuable to those outside of the industry. Doing so will accomplish two things; first, it will show expertise in broader spheres of business and personal finance, and second, it will build brand awareness as a helpful partner to companies and individuals alike. This positioning is key to reaching a broader audience, building trust, and thus recruiting better talent.
Even with carefully crafted content, creating compelling thought leadership is not enough. To truly communicate your brand in a novel way, insurance businesses need to meet new audiences where they are. Choosing the right platforms to focus on depends on your goals. Despite many marketers preaching that organizations should be on every platform, it’s not always feasible; a company looking for an executive audience simply shouldn’t worry about their presence on Tik Tok. There are, however, a few platforms I believe every risk-based company should at least consider a strategy shift in.
Taking the next step on Linkedin
Linkedin blog posts are great, and you should encourage your team to build personal brands in this way as well. Your company’s Linkedin page can’t just be the place every bit of content lives; it should also amplify the voices and brands of your team.
The company’s Linkedin page needs to maintain a certain level of brand coherence; that is, you shouldn’t just begin posting about every possible topic. But your team can cover anything they would like. Commercial brokerages can amplify team voices & insights about client sectors, insurtechs can share advice and tactics related to their software development and data practices, and carriers can provide both data-driven and anecdotal insights into just about anything.
Not only does this show off your expertise and help reach broader audiences, but building up the personal brands of team members will make your company a more attractive place to work for particularly ambitious target recruits.
Tapping into the Twitter Gold Mine
Despite what the recent press says, Twitter (X still feels weird to say) is alive and well, especially within professional circles. Twitter is flush with both successful and hopeful entrepreneurs and there is an especially active small business community. Not only is this a great place to attract ambitious young recruits, but it’s a massively untapped community for sourcing new business.
Creating and distributing thought leadership that caters to the small business and micro private equity communities on Twitter will catapult your brand awareness and reputation, helping with recruiting and dealflow alike.
Leverage Email
I know what you’re thinking: young people don’t use email. Well, let’s start with some stats.
It is estimated that 44% of millennials started using email between the ages of 10 and 14 and it is expected that Gen Z started using email at an even younger age. Also, despite how vocal millennials are about work life balance, 87% of them regularly check email outside of working hours according to a study by Adobe.
Email is a significantly underutilized medium for building your brand among target recruits. Savvy young professionals consume email newsletters religiously, and email as a whole is a cornerstone of their information diets. It’s also a better place to feature professional content versus trying to find brand identity on socials like Instagram or Tik Tok.
Feature content on email newsletters that have high readership among your target audience, and think about creating an email newsletter of your own that is focused on innovation, storytelling, and other valuable insights that will attract ambitious young professionals. This will increase the level of exposure to the industry and help you consistently speak to how interesting the industry is, the level of opportunity in insurance, and the growth opportunities that come along with a career in risk.
For those interested in getting started on email newsletters, I really liked this checklist from Email Growth Hacks.
Paving the Way Forward
The insurance sector finds itself at a crossroads, balancing between an aging workforce and the dire need for fresh talent. While many young professionals might initially perceive insurance as mundane or lackluster, the true nature of the industry is far more engaging and dynamic than meets the eye. By tapping into the passions and interests of young professionals, dispelling myths around the industry’s excitement quotient, emphasizing both vertical and lateral mobility, and leveraging modern communication channels like email, the insurance industry can successfully appeal to a younger generation. As demonstrated by countless young professionals already entrenched in the sector, insurance isn’t just about managing risks—it’s about understanding the intricate web of the global financial system and making a meaningful impact. To usher in a new era of innovation and growth, the insurance industry must reimagine its approach to talent acquisition, placing a strong emphasis on its inherent dynamism and the vast opportunities it presents.
About William Alverson
Will Alverson is the President of the Insurance Nerds Career Center. He has previously led marketing at various financial services organizations within the Insurtech, Venture Capital, and Private Equity sectors.
Will Alverson is the President of the Insurance Nerds Career Center. He has previously led marketing at various financial services organizations within the Insurtech, Venture Capital, and Private Equity sectors.
