The current hiring environment requires swift action to secure top talent. Companies are streamlining their recruiting processes and expediting offers to ensure they don’t miss out on the right candidates. This accelerated timeline places added pressure on hiring managers and recruiters to conduct thorough interviews that accurately gauge a candidate’s fit in just a few interactions. In this edition of Recruiter Report, we’re answering the question, What are the most valuable questions to ask during an interview?

In today’s environment, one of the challenges commonly coming up in our conversations with insurance leaders is the difficulty recruiting passive candidates. Individuals who are not actively looking are becoming reluctant to learn about new opportunities; or in some cases, going through the full interview process and ultimately staying with their current employer. In this edition of Recruiter Report, we’re answering the question, "How can you help passive candidates feel comfortable accepting a new role in today’s environment?"

In our conversations with insurance leaders, an increasing number of companies are sharing their plans to remain hybrid for the long term. In fact, our Q3 2023 Insurance Labor Market Study found 92% of insurers currently offer hybrid work, with about two-thirds expecting employees to be in the office at least one day per week through the end of the year.

In past editions of Recruiter Report, we’ve discussed many different aspects of the hiring process and best practices for being effective in a virtual environment. However, one topic that has frequently been coming up in our recent conversations with hiring managers is the time after an offer’s been accepted and before the individual’s start date. In this issue of Recruiter Report, we’re focusing on the few weeks following interviews, offers and negotiations and answering the question, “How can companies make new hires feel welcomed and valued prior to their first day of work?”

Last year, we were in the midst of one of the most competitive labor markets the insurance industry has ever seen. Candidates gained a substantial upper hand in the hiring process, leveraging a red-hot recruiting climate and competing offers to raise their expectations around compensation, benefits and flexibility.