8 tips for recruiting insurance students other than through on-campus interviewing

Recruiting insurance students effectively goes beyond traditional on-campus interviews. Partnering with universities and business schools offering risk management and insurance programs is a great way to connect with students early. Offering internships, mentorships, or case study competitions can provide students with hands-on experience in underwriting, claims management, and actuarial science, helping them gain practical knowledge while familiarizing themselves with the company. This early exposure often leads to a smoother transition into full-time roles after graduation.

Employers can also tap into digital platforms and online communities focused on the insurance industry. Posting opportunities on specialized job boards or platforms like College Recruiter and LinkedIn can attract insurance students seeking internships or entry-level roles. Hosting virtual workshops, webinars with industry experts, or insurance-related career fairs provides an opportunity to engage with students, showcase your company, and create lasting connections. These virtual strategies allow employers to reach a wider audience, highlighting the diverse career paths in the insurance sector without relying solely on traditional recruiting methods.

In the search for fresh talent in insurance roles, Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies are exploring alternatives to traditional on-campus recruiting. We’ve gathered the best tips from eight CEOs, presidents, and other top executives.

• Engage in Industry-Specific Digital Spaces
• Showcase Culture with Virtual Job-Shadowing
• Enhance Outreach via LinkedIn
• Invite Solutions to Real-World Case Studies
• Partner with Online Learning for Internships
• Organize Interactive Virtual Career Fairs
• Focus on Soft Skills and Community Outreach
• Create a Graduate-Focused Landing Page

Engage in Industry-Specific Digital Spaces

Focus on industry-specific insurance forums, conferences, and digital communities where students and young professionals are actively seeking networking and job opportunities. By engaging with these platforms, either by sponsoring events, participating in panel discussions, or offering mentorship programs, companies can position themselves as thought leaders and attractive employers in the insurance space. 

Also, they can consider creating content, such as blogs or webinars, aimed at educating students about career paths in insurance, which not only attracts candidates but also fosters early connections with potential future employees.

Steve Case, Consultant, Insurance Hero

Showcase Culture with Virtual Job-Shadowing

Virtual job shadowing is a game-changer for recruitment. We’ve seen incredible results at Dundas Life, with 85% of participants expressing increased interest in insurance careers. It’s an immersive way to showcase our culture and dispel misconceptions about the industry. Plus, it’s cost-effective and allows us to reach a wider pool of talent beyond geographic limitations.

Gregory Rozdeba, CEO, Dundas Life

Enhance Outreach via LinkedIn

For Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies aiming to hire college students and recent graduates for insurance roles without relying on traditional on-campus recruiting, my top recommendation is to enhance digital engagement and outreach strategies. This approach not only reaches a wider audience but also taps into the digital-first nature of today’s young professionals.

A highly effective method is to utilize early career, job search sites such as College Recruiter and professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn, where you can create targeted advertising campaigns aimed at students and recent graduates interested in insurance careers. These campaigns can be refined by demographics, education, and interests to ensure your opportunities are seen by the most relevant audience. Additionally, setting up a robust company profile that highlights unique opportunities, company culture, and career growth paths in the insurance sector can significantly attract young talent.

Engaging in virtual career fairs is another strategic move. These events allow companies to interact with potential candidates in real-time, providing information sessions, virtual booths, and even one-on-one interviews. Moreover, conducting webinars or live sessions on platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, where company leaders and young professionals within the company share insights about the industry, discuss career paths, and answer questions, can be extremely impactful.

Lastly, building partnerships with universities’ career services to facilitate direct email campaigns and virtual workshops can also be beneficial. This ensures that you are included in the universities’ recommended opportunities for their students and graduates, thereby maintaining a strong presence in their career planning resources.

Steven Mostyn, Chief Human Resources Officer, Management.org

Invite Solutions to Real-World Case Studies

My suggestion is to develop real-world insurance case studies and invite students to submit their solutions online. This assesses their skills and gives them a taste of what working for your firm or agency would be like. For example, you can present a hypothetical insurance scenario and ask students to analyze it and propose an appropriate solution. This allows companies and agencies to evaluate the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills of potential candidates without the need for physical interviews or campus visits.

I have seen that this approach provides valuable insights into the thought processes and capabilities of students, which can be useful in making hiring decisions. It also allows for a larger pool of applicants as students from different universities and backgrounds can participate. Companies and agencies can showcase their company culture and values through these case studies, attracting top talent who align with their vision.

Once I implemented this strategy in my own company, we saw a significant increase in the quality of candidates for diverse roles. We were able to identify bright and driven individuals who had the potential to become future leaders in our firm. So, my top tip is to be creative and think outside the box when it comes to hiring college and university students.

Daniel Cook, HR / Marketing Executive, Mullen and Mullen

Partner with Online Learning for Internships

A great alternative to on-campus recruiting is partnering with online learning platforms and offering virtual internships. At Edumentors, we found that engaging with students via online platforms not only broadened our talent pool but also attracted candidates who were more adaptable and tech-savvy. 

Additionally, offering remote internships allowed us to diversify our candidate pipeline, boosting applicant diversity by 20 percent. Virtual career fairs and targeted online recruitment campaigns also give you access to a wider range of top-tier talent without logistical challenges.

Tornike Asatiani, CEO, Edumentors

Organize Interactive Virtual Career Fairs

At Atticus Consulting, we’ve found virtual career fairs to be incredibly effective. We recently organized one that attracted over 500 students from 20 universities, resulting in a 30 percent increase in qualified applicants. These events allow us to showcase company culture and provide interactive Q&A sessions, giving students a real feel for insurance careers. Plus, they’re cost-effective and reach a wider pool of talent than traditional on-campus recruiting.

Barbara McMahan, CEO, Atticus Consulting LLC

Focus on Soft Skills and Community Outreach

As an insurance broker for over 20 years, I often hire recent college graduates. My top tip is to look for soft skills like emotional intelligence to understand clients and craft solutions. I hire interns in psychology, sociology, education; they get people and want to help.

Strong interns become hires. Show growth and career opportunities. Mentor them as they gain experience. For example, a sociology grad analyzed financial choices. She interned, counseling clients on needs and options. Now, she’s a top producer, intuiting needs and solutions.

Recent graduates bring fresh perspectives. Their diverse experiences benefit my team and clients. I hired an education graduate to revamp our website and social media. He tripled web traffic. Revenue climbed 23 percent. We gave the team $1,000 bonuses.

Reach out to help your community. We sponsored a festival and had fun working. Traffic and revenue soared. Find your niche to support locals. Show unique value so future customers know you.

Casey Heer, President, Casey Insurance Group

Create a Graduate-Focused Landing Page

For me, creating a dedicated landing page for recent graduates has been a creative way to enhance our recruiting strategy. Here’s a valuable tip: Design a landing page that speaks directly to the aspirations and concerns of new grads, showcasing not just job openings, but also career paths and growth opportunities.

As a sample, the page features interactive elements like a “Day in the Life” video series, where our young professionals share their experiences, and a skills assessment tool that helps candidates understand how their academic background aligns with our roles.

The results have been impressive. We’ve seen a 60% increase in applications from recent graduates since launching the page. More importantly, the quality of these applications has improved significantly, with candidates demonstrating a clearer understanding of our company culture and the roles we offer.

One unexpected benefit was the reduction in time-to-hire. Because candidates coming through this page were better informed and pre-qualified, our interview process became more efficient, reducing our average time-to-hire by two weeks.

We also included a section on continuing education and professional development opportunities, which has been particularly appealing to recent grads. This has helped us attract candidates who are looking for long-term career growth, not just a job.

Remember, the key to an effective grad-focused landing page is to address the unique concerns of this demographic—career growth, work-life balance, and the opportunity to make an impact. This takeaway has been important in helping us build a strong pipeline of young talent for our growing company.

Tomasz Borys, Senior VP of Marketing & Sales, Deep Sentinel