ALEXANDRIA, Va. Dec. 19, 2018— According to the latest Agency Universe Study, 44% of independent insurance agency owners say finding qualified new recruits is their top challenge. The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or Big “I"), in partnership with IdealTraits, has launched Big “I" Hires—a one-stop resource for independent insurance agencies to identify, hire and assess top-performing producers and CSRs.

 “As I travel the country, the thing I hear most often from agents is how difficult it is to find talent," says Big “I" Chairman-Elect Jon Jensen, CEO of Correll Insurance Group, headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C. “Hiring employees is difficult and expensive—and I was feeling the pain firsthand in my own agency. Big 'I' Hires is designed to help agencies stand out as a top-notch employer and find high- quality recruits."

 Big “I" Hires offers a variety of hiring resources, including:

• Recruiting with Ideal Traits: IdealTraits is an insurance agency-specific recruiting portal that has helped more than 6,000 agencies nationwide successfully source top performing sales and service staff. Agents can post jobs, receive resumes, send assessments and identify the right recruit. Posted jobs will appear top recruiting sites including Indeed, Zip Recruiter and more.
• Do it Yourself Hiring Toolkits: For agents who want to take a hands-on approach to find the right staff member, the DIY Toolkits includes sample job descriptions, interview questions, offer letters and more. Agents can follow up with Caliper profiles and knowledge assessments to ensure they have found the right fit for their agency.

• Superior Professional Development: Agents can access onboarding resources, skills assessments and state-specific courses to help employees continue to develop their skills. Agents will also find thousands of articles on commercial lines, personal lines, forms and more to help troubleshoot tough technical insurance issues.

“We are excited to work with Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America," says Kevin Mlynarek, CEO of IdealTraits. “With our knowledge and expertise in insurance agency recruiting, Big 'I' members will now have access to proven, industry-specific recruiting tools and services to hire top performing sales and service staff."

 “We know the future of the independent agency system depends on finding the best and brightest to join our ranks," says Bob Rusbuldt, president & CEO of the Big “I". “Big 'I' Hires will be a one-stop resource agencies can use to build their dream team."

 Founded in 1896, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I") is the nation's oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of approximately a quarter of a million agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products.

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