Author: Virginia Bates ​

VMBHits Provides Fast and Easy Insurance Knowledge Testing

Ask any group of insurance principals or managers what they perceive to be the biggest challenge running their organizations and high on the list is finding and vetting good candidates for vacancies and new positions. Creating a competent, motivated, knowledgeable staff is becoming increasingly difficult. How many departments and agencies have settled “for a body" because they were afraid that holding out for the right person would be too long a wait.

When we find someone who can spell “insurance," we jump for joy. We even convince ourselves that a candidate's past experience will allow him or her to jump right in and do the job. Then we find out that someone who said, “I did homeowners in my last job" really meant that she put policies in an envelope and mailed them out. Fairly soon into the new job, she had convinced everyone that knowledge of homeowners and auto contracts was not in her repertoire and being able to help clients was several months of training away.

One agency went for weeks interviewing and placating their overworked staff that they were trying hard to find the right person to fill the department vacancy. Only after weeks of overtime and frustration did they realize that an assistant in the department had learned more than anyone had every guessed and deserved a chance to take on the next-level job earlier than most of the department had ever thought she could.

These and most insurance organizations have wished for years for a tool to determine the coverage knowledge and operational insurance skill levels of candidates for positions in their departments and agencies. There have been standardized and home-grown paper-based tests that have been cumbersome, but now there is a simple and fast way to qualify a candidate's coverage knowledge and operational acumen.

VMBHits site is easy to use, both for the agency and for the candidate. An agency coordinator sets up the agency account on the site and chooses the appropriate tests from a list for the candidate to take. The candidate is then emailed notification of his or her selection for testing and completes the subject tests at any time that is convenient. Each test is designed to cover the subject area comprehensively and usually takes 15-20 minutes to complete. Grades are reported back to the administrator.

Lines of business tests  available at VMBHits include homeowners, personal and commercial auto, umbrella/excess, Benefits, commercial property, business income, general liability, professional and others. Bookkeeping, errors & omissions, safety, and technology utilization, as well as Microsoft Office products Word and Excel tests are also available.

With the cost of continuing education, agencies and carriers can put all employees through relevant test subjects to determine which class subjects would be the most beneficial for individual employees and which classes are needed by enough employees to warrant an in-house class.

Many agencies require staffers with lower scores on specific subject tests to take classes or study-up on those topics.  They often build those requirements into the staff person's performance review requirements for the next review period.  Other agencies offer bonuses in pay or time-off for achieving those educational goals.

Agencies and carriers want to differentiate themselves to their clients. What better way to do that than to point out the technical expertise and risk management strength of the agents, underwriting and service staff that will handle prospects' and clients' insurance needs – and be sure it is true?

Visit VMBHits.com to learn more. You can sign up your agency to order tests immediately or at a future date. The “contact" button will put you in touch with the Site Administrator who can answer any questions you might have.

​Last Updated: March 10, 2023