Virginia Big ‘I’ Breaks Ground in Education, Starting with CSR Program

It’s an age-old problem for agency owners: where to find customer service representatives. Ask agency principals to name their biggest challenges and locating CSRs is right up there at the top of most lists.

“Universally, agents ask, ‘where are we going to get CSRs? We are stealing them from each other and in some instances stealing each other’s problems,'” says Bob Bradshaw, executive vice president for the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia.

Insurance agents are not alone in seeking qualified CSRs. “Bankers and realtors are just as concerned. There is competition for this talent,” he notes, adding “So it’s only going to get worse.”

IIAV staff and board became convinced that the CSR shortage is such a big problem that they decided to do something about it … something big.

Insurance Career Institute
Earlier this month, IIAV broke ground on what members hope is an answer. The shovels began clearing the way for a $1 million addition to IIAV’s current headquarters in Richmond. The extra 4,000 square feet–almost doubling the current building size–will house IIAV’s new Insurance Career Institute, the first phase of which is a CSR recruitment, training and job placement program.

IIAV Education Director Diane Mattis and agents looked at other industry programs and at what area colleges were offering before deciding they wanted to create and control their own CSR curriculum. The IIAV-designed curriculum incorporates the Accredited CSR designation while also addressing specific state laws and licensing requirements, insurance terms and coverages, as well as realistic office situations including how to operate popular agency automation systems such as AMS and Applied Systems. In short, graduates should be licensed, trained, credentialed and prepared for employment.

High schoolers and career-switchers
And agents are ready for the graduates. “We can almost guarantee a job,” notes Bradshaw, citing the pent up demand not only in Virginia but also in neighboring states. “We want them employed as soon as possible.”

Finding CSRs is such a priority that IIAV is not waiting for its new building to be completed to get started on it. To attract candidates, the association has already begun running advertisements in high school newspapers and otherwise spreading the word. In addition, it is promoting the program to those looking to switch careers into insurance.

When the new facility is completed, which should be this fall, the state-of-the-art CSR program will be housed in a state-of-the art facility, complete with high tech classrooms. Parking is being expanded as well.

The extra office space will provide flexibility for the association to run two classrooms simultaneously. That could become an issue since the CSR program will eventually share space with another pioneering IIAV program that is now in development: a producer training program.

In addition to creating new classrooms, the $1 million structure will provide more room for the association staff, which has grown from four people in 1979 to 12 today, and for association supplies and records that have been shipped to offsite storage.

IIAV is in the midst of a fundraising campaign, hoping to raise about $800,000 from members to keep its mortgage low. Members are being asked to contribute from $75,000 to $400 or whatever they can afford.