Insurers Seeking Agents in Droves

Despite the many concerns about the health of the industry amid the seemingly endless soft market, many insurers are currently on the lookout to hire large numbers of agents nationwide.

Allstate announced this morning that it hopes to hire more than 100 agents in five Southwestern states to open offices, including Arizona (34 agents), Nevada (19 agents), New Mexico (15 agents), Oklahoma (20 agents) and Utah (20 agents).

As part of its efforts to attract potential agency owners, Allstate launched More2You http://www.more2you.com, a regional networking and career recruitment platform intended to engage would-be Allstate agency owners and start a dialog about agency opportunities. The insurer also is utilizing Twitter to reach out to potential agents, who can learn more by chatting with Allstate in real time at www.twitter.com/more2you.

"We are hoping to attract a diverse group of candidates, including women and multi-cultural entrepreneurs, who thrive as leaders in Allstate," Jeff Hoffman, strategic deployment leader for Allstate's Southwest Region said. "The Allstate agency opportunity is open to everyone—including those with no prior insurance experience—making it ideal for re-careering professionals and 'mom-preneurs.'"

Last month, Allstate also had announced that it was on the hunt for agents across the state of Illinois to become exclusive agency owners. The insurer said its Illinois recruiting goals included 41 agents in Metro Chicago, 18 in northwest Illinois, 18 central Illinois and 10 in southern Illinois.

Much like Allstate, New York Life announced Monday that it had launched a new career website for jobseekers designed to provide easy access to information about the benefits of a career in life insurance and financial services for individuals at all stages of their professional development, as well as opportunities in management. The website, www.newyorklife.com/careers, is part of New York Life’s efforts to recruit over 3,500 new agents in 2011.

“With more than 40% of American households reporting they need more life insurance—the highest level ever reported—the demand for professional agents in local communities across the country has never been greater,” says Mark Pfaff, New York Life’s EVP in charge of U.S. Life Insurance and Agency. “Through real-life stories on this website, jobseekers will hear from New York Life’s agents and field managers about the benefits of a career with New York Life.”

Earlier this month, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. also issued a release highlighting its desire to hire additional agents and sales professionals in California. The insurer plans to hire more than 20 new agents in 2011, and held an open house last week in Sacramento as part of their recruitment efforts.

As INN reported Monday, a handful of insurers, including Aflac and GEICO also are looking to hire for a large number of non-agent positions.

Aflac will be holding a job fair this weekend in the hopes of filling 100 new positions, ranging from entry-level to technology support and analytical positions. Likewise, GEICO is looking to add 230 associates for its centralized services division in a variety of positions including emergency roadside services (ERS) representatives, glass claims representatives, accident tow dispatchers and salvage/total loss specialists.