Agency Assessment - Month 3 Develop - Job Descriptions

In this article we review our process of building job descriptions for each team member.

Agency Performance Pack Course

  • For more information, you can take this course: Building Agency Job Descriptions For Every Role In Your Agency

Who should get job descriptions in our agency?

Everyone.


We always start with the executive team to clarify their roles and make sure they are working on the right activities that are targeted to help you achieve the agency’s vision. 


After those are completed, we will work on each team member’s job description. 

How do we get started with job descriptions?

APP has templates for almost every role in an insurance agency. 


You can click here to see our templates (your agency also gets a link to specific templates for you that you can edit).


We recommend you use our templates as a starting point and work to polish them up for your agency. 

When will we roll these out to the team?

We will start sharing the executive team’s roles when they are ready. 


The new organizational chart will be shared with the team at the Agency 2.0 meeting. 


Within one week from the Agency 2.0 meeting, the executive team will have one-on-one meetings with each team member about their job description, compensation, and incentives. 

How often will the job descriptions be updated?

Job descriptions should be reviewed quarterly with each team member and updated as needed. 


There should be a formal update every year. 

The job descriptions are designed to bring clarity and accountability to each role. We would like an up-to-date document that shows exactly your expectations. All of the job descriptions have metrics and the agency’s values. 

Sample Job Description

Personal Lines Account Manager

Mission of the Personal Lines Account Manager

To serve and grow the book of clients assigned to you by providing extraordinary service, educating the customer, identifying revenue growth opportunities, and generating referrals. Account managers focus on growth within their current book of business while also backing up their co-workers. 

Desired Outcomes of this Role

  1. Maintain a retention rate of X for your book of business
    1. Proactively reach out to clients
    2. Conduct ongoing account reviews for your designated portion of the business
    3. Work efficiently and effectively with clients on their policies
    4. Effective account rounding
    5. Generate referrals for personal lines and other departments
    6. Educate clients about the benefits of having our agency as their agency
    7. Proactively call canceled business to try to win them back immediately
  2. Generate additional revenue from the book of business
    1. Review accounts when clients call in and work to improve coverage both through endorsements and coverage increases
    2. Identify account rounding opportunities and proactively pursue them
      1. Identify coverages that clients have with other agents
      2. Generate demand for coverages the client didn’t know they needed (i.e. umbrella)
    3. Consistently share the agency’s referral program with clients
  3. Conduct account reviews
    1. Complete 100% of account reviews assigned to you each week, including reviewing potential discounts and coverage gaps
    2. Contact clients for a formal review, improving the client relationship, generating opportunities, and reducing remarketing
    3. Follow agency remarketing guidelines 
  4. Provide outstanding inbound service on claims, billing questions, and endorsements
    1. Work to manage clients’ expectations
    2. Follow-up with clients via phone or email
    3. Use every opportunity to confirm and update client contact information 
    4. Educate clients on the benefits of using our agency
    5. Service personal lines account in a manner so as to eliminate gaps in coverage, thus reducing E&O exposures
    6. Document the management system
    7. Follow agency service standards on follow-up and follow-through
  5. Demonstrate a positive attitude and efficient work ethic
    1. Work to increase and improve efficiency on a daily basis, including finding ways to streamline processes, using technology tools to the fullest, and limiting distractions
    2. Possess and maintain a positive attitude, including positive working relationships with clients and agency personnel
  6. Conduct audits on new business files 
    1. Work with producers to check their new business files for accuracy
    2. Send any onboarding materials to clients post-sale
    3. Update any missed new business items
  7. Sell new business for the agency
    1. Take new business opportunities and quote them either on the phone or book an appointment to review quotes within 48 hours
    2. Follow the agency sales process
    3. Follow-up according to the sales process
    4. Hold the target agency closing ratio
  8. Work to support the marketing and branding team in the following ways:
    1. Provide them any business cards to be used in marketing campaigns
    2. Suggest blog, email, and social media topics to the marketing department
    3. Share agency social media posts on personal social networks
    4. Participate in picture and agency branding opportunities when invited
  9. Other responsibilities as directed by your manager

Key Performance Indicators (Metrics)

Key Performance Indicator

Current

Goal

Date to Track

Method to Track

Book Growth

   

Monthly

Book of Business from Agency Management System

Retention

   

Monthly 

Retention Report from Agency Management System

New Business

   

Monthly

New Business Report from Agency Management System

Re-Marketing Closing Ratio

   

Monthly

Spreadsheet OR Agency Management System

New Business Closing Ratio

   

Monthly

Agency Management System

Principles

  • Address difficult issues professionally and quickly
  • Listen to learn and strengthen the agency
  • Be relentlessly positive with the team and see their potential when they cannot
  • Outlast the suck of adopting change
  • Be driven to achieve the agency’s goals

Critical Competencies

Efficiency

Able to produce significant output with minimal wasted effort.

Honesty/Integrity

Does not cut corners unethically. Earns trust and maintains confidence. Does what is right, not just what is easy. 

Organized & Planning

Plans, organizes, and schedules in a productive manner. Focuses on key priorities.

Follow-Through

Lives up to verbal and written agreements, regardless of personal costs. 

Persistence

Demonstrates tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.

Proactivity

Acts without being told what to do. Brings new ideas to the company.

Flexibility/Adaptability

Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions. Copes effectively with complexity and change. 

Calm Under Pressure

Maintains stable performance when under heavy pressure or stress.

Enthusiasm

Exhibits passion and excitement about work. Has a can-do attitude.

Work Ethic

Possesses a strong willingness to work hard and sometimes long hours to get the job done. Has a track record of working hard. 

Listening Skills

Lets others speak and seeks to understand their viewpoints. 

Communication

Speaks and writes clearly and articulately without being overly verbose or talkative. Maintains this standard in all forms of written communication, including emails.

Teamwork

Reaches out to peers and cooperates with supervisors to establish an overall collaborative working relationship.

Persuasion

Able to convince others to pursue a course of action. 

Feedback:

  • After 90 days, you will meet with your manager to review any bottlenecks, ideas you have to improve, and the objectives outlined in your job description. 
  • Additional feedback will be given as needed. 

Download:

You will get job descriptions you can edit for your agency but here are our samples. 

Job Description Samples