What Matters in Recruiting

Leah Scoggins, vice president of talent operations at Higginbotham, said the number one topic young talent asks about in her world of agency hiring is culture.

“Most of the early career applicants we hear from want to know who we are as a company,” Scoggins said. “They’re interested in the industry, but they also just want to understand that we are involved in the community, giving back to the community, that we have a great work culture, work-life balance, those types of things.”

A constant flow of new talent is a must for a growing firm like Higginbotham, which has grown by thousands of employees since Scoggins began with the agency more than 18 years ago. “When I started in 2007, we had about 280 employees and now we have 4,000,” she said, adding that the agency continues to hire on average about 60 people a month. “We’re constantly hiring for everything–production, client services, and even operations–and I don’t see that slowing down,” she said.

Young professionals also like to see growth when seeking an employer, she added. A lot of Higginbotham’s growth has been organic, but a good chunk has been through acquisition as well, she said. That growth is exciting for early career applicants, she added. “They’re excited to see that we’re growing; excited to see that there’s opportunity in different markets or in different verticals.”

Scoggins said the age-old story of “falling into insurance” is changing as many universities around the country expand their risk management and insurance programs. That means it’s critical to create intentional pathways for career growth once new recruits get in the door.

Each year Higginbotham recruits about 100 interns for its summer program. Once the internship is over the students have an opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship, which can mean a part-time job at the agency until graduation. That may lead to a full-time job at Higginbotham after graduation or elsewhere, Scoggins explained. “We’ve even helped some of our interns get jobs at other agencies and insurance carriers,” she said. “We are not trying to corner the market; we just really want to give young talent a great opportunity and exposure to the industry and then help them leverage that experience and grow. We want to see them succeed.”