Do you struggle with insurance interview questions? You want to get it perfect, but let’s be honest, knowing what to ask is hard. Too many agencies go off a vibe rather than an intentional interview process. But let me be upfront, interviewing and selecting team members into your insurance team is one of the most critical and crucial things for you. Going off a feeling or personality will 90% of the time let you down. That is 9 out of 10 times you will not get it right.
Instead, let’s identify what questions to ask at each stage of the interview process. In fact, you need specific questions for each role, so make sure you check out our process pack on How to Hire!
Initial Phone Interview Questions
The first step of your interview strategy should be a phone/Zoom interview. Why? A great deal of our work is done over the phone or video calls today. Also, a phone/Zoom interview is like a coffee first date. It’s a simple easy meeting to see if we are a match. A great initial interview can go over the 15-30 minutes but the ones that are an immediate no, end it quickly.
Here are some initial insurance interview questions:
- What attracted you to our position?
- Why are you looking for a new role?
- How did you get into insurance?
- If money and location didn’t matter what would your dream job be?
- Tell me about your current role.
- How do you stay organized?
- How do you stay positive?
- What are you looking for in your next position?
- What is your salary range?
The last one helps you understand if they are near or on budget. If they aren’t, there is no real reason to continue.
In-Person Interview Questions
Next step is an in-person interview (or video call if the team member is remote). This interview should be situational. For example, if the candidate is a producer, you want to ask questions around sales situations. An example of this would be: How do you like to start a cold call? Or How would you overcome an objection if your quote was a bigger investment but your coverage was better?
For each role you need to identify core situations they will face and ask them their experience and how they would handle it.
I would start by thinking about all the frustrations you have with the current team. Things you wish they did differently or were sharper at. Your goal is to have the person discuss exactly their approach to the core responsibilities. You can then identify if the person tracks correctly with your strategies.
If you would like samples of interview questions for each role in an agency, please check out our How to Hire Process Pack.
Final In-Person Interview Questions
In this final interview (and yes, please do this!) you want to have members of the team on the interview (if possible). The goal is to see how the team gels and allow them to ask questions. These are the people who will be working together.
Here are the top 5 sample interview questions from the list, selected for their ability to assess key aspects of team fit, client service, and role-specific skills in an independent insurance agency:
- Can you share an example of a time you worked closely with a team to achieve a goal? What role did you play, and how did you contribute to the team’s success?
- Describe a time you went above and beyond for a client to solve their insurance needs. How did you ensure they felt valued?
- How do you handle disagreements or differing opinions with colleagues, especially when working on a client issue?
- Walk us through how you would approach a new client who’s looking for a comprehensive insurance plan but has a limited budget.
- What excites you most about working with an independent insurance agency like ours, as opposed to a larger corporate firm?
Conclusion
Hiring the right team members for your independent insurance agency is a make-or-break decision that demands a structured, intentional process. By asking the right questions at each stage—phone, in-person, and final team interviews—you can uncover candidates who not only have the skills but also align with your agency’s culture and goals. Don’t leave it to chance or a gut feeling, as 9 out of 10 times, that approach fails.
Instead, equip yourself with a proven strategy to identify top talent tailored to your agency’s needs. Ready to streamline your hiring and build a dream team? Get our How to Hire Process Pack today for role-specific questions, detailed interview guides, and expert tips to ensure you hire great, not just good!
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