Training employees so they can know the ins and outs of their job as insurance agents is vital to their own personal success, as well as the success of your business as a whole. Perhaps what’s even more important than training employees is the way you execute training.

Often times, agencies do not train employees specifically for their job duties. In turn, this leads to employees being disengaged in training, and it ends up being somewhat of a waste of time. Instead, everyone in the insurance agency should be trained based on their specific position and not a position that they are not specialized in, nor should they be. For example, a receptionist should not be in the same training circle as an employee in service since a receptionist has different duties that involve looking up clients instead of servicing business. Though the receptionist should have a general understanding of how the service works, it is not necessary for him or her to go through intensive training for a position other than his or her own.

In addition to catering training based on separate departments of your company, there should always be a set date and time for training so that your employees can get on a regular schedule. Your company may even have a certificate program that lasts for six weeks, scheduling in 2-3 hours of training each week in different segments. According to an article published on InsuranceJournal.com:

“Make a plan for dates and times for training. Post where everyone can see. No vacation time during the training period should be scheduled. Someone in management that can answer specific questions about the standards and processes must be present in every session. Questions should never be left just hanging in the air,” (Alexander, Best Practices – Training & Implementation).

Furthermore, your staff should understand that training is a vital necessity of their job, and they should take it as serious as any other part of the workday.

Having a staff that is fully engaged during these important training sessions means that they are eager to learn more about their job, and in turn will boost company confidence. If any questions arise, your staff should be open about asking them – and higher-level managers and company executives should be prepared to answer anything that comes up. It is also imperative that if there is something that member of your staff do not understand during training, they let the trainer know so that they can leave the session with full clarity in what is being taught.

Remember, training employees should be taken very seriously, and your employees should know that there are consequences for non-compliance, as well as rewards for compliance.