If you feel like your insurance agency could use some fresh new ideas and a dash of enthusiasm, hire an intern!
We’ve laid out some general pros and cons of hiring an intern, followed by the various types of tasks an intern can handle for your insurance agency. In most cases, the pros absolutely outweigh the cons—and with just a little planning, you’ll find the arrangement benefits all parties involved.
- An intern can take on projects you haven’t had time to address.
- Interns can offer engaged, enthusiastic, affordable help, which can otherwise be hard to find.
- It can help you recruit talented professionals you may want to hire permanently.
- Many interns are digital natives and are tech-savvy, fast learners.
- You’ll have a lower investment in employee search, hiring, and onboarding.
- You can inspire future leaders in the insurance industry and enjoy rewards of being a mentor.
- An intern can help improve company culture and morale.
- You don’t have to commit for the long-term, just a temporary assignment.
- Since interns are newer to the field, they may lack experience and will need training.
- You may need to assign a formal mentor and complete college internship requirements.
- You’ll need to ensure the internship meets your local, state, and federal requirements.
- Since internships may be short, time can be lost to the learning curve and training.
- You’ll likely need to fit certain project’s within the timeline of the internship (and not vice versa).
To make the best use of the internship, capitalize on the individual intern’s strengths and your agency’s needs. Consider the following:
- What are the intern’s interests?
- What skills do they already have?
- What skills do they want to learn?
- How can you set them up for success?
- What is the best value they can offer at your agency?
- How long will they be with you?
If you haven’t yet decided how you can best use an intern’s help, make a list of projects your agency hasn’t had time to tackle. Think about whether you can use an intern to:
- Contact businesses regarding insurance needs and follow up on leads
- Handle or reroute client calls regarding benefits, claims, billing, etc
- Quote insurance for customers
- Follow up on customer referrals
- Conduct online investigations related to claims
- Create reports on investigational findings
- Help with general tasks, analysis, and documentation
- Assist with billing and collections processes
- Update and maintain your website
- Help with marketing initiatives
- Expand social media presence and brand awareness
- Work on technology and coding
- Assist in human resources
- Handle enrollment materials, information, and presentation materials
With an intern on your team, you’ll be able to catch up on some of those tasks you’ve been dragging along. A skilled intern can help you improve your business and boost morale, and in return, you can help guide an emerging professional just embarking on a new insurance career.
Thanks for reading our educational resource! Any above reference to a specific company, method, or product is meant for educational purposes only and is not specifically endorsed by Pie.
