Posts by Robert Houghton

The 2025 NFL Draft is now in the books.  It is the greatest talent show on the planet.  And because I am in the talent business, it is one of the most fascinating events of the year for me.  There are many similarities and lessons learned, particularly, in how they each view production and potential…

I had a call this past week from one of our hiring authorities who explained to me that he was starting to send sales assessment tests to all of his insurance sales producer candidates.  He asked me, “Is it a good idea…?” He explained to me that he was only successful on 15% of the…

I am in the midst of a major recruiting effort seeking top-shelf experienced insurance sales professionals for a national insurance broker. In the insurance business we call them, “Producers.” Sales, by their general nature, have a relatively high failure rate. But in insurance, the failure rate is absurdly high. Based on our own internal candidate…

Did you know that, except for the Super Bowl, the NFL Draft is the most watched sports program of the year?  Amazing.  It is a three-day talent-hunting event broadcast live on ESPN this year beginning on Thursday, April 25th. Approximately 224 college football players (32 teams x 7 rounds) will be selected over a period…

Through my executive coaching business, I assisted several insurance candidates this past month who found themselves in the unenviable position of having to navigate the job offer process on their own without the assistance of a recruiter. My advice to them: · The Verbal Offer: At the end of the interview process, the client hiring…

Hey, don’t laugh.  This is a serious subject!  Seems like Elon Musk and “DOGE” are spreading to the private insurance sector in the WDC region. Just this last week, four account managers called to say, “I’ve been fired.” I spoke with each one of them at length. How did this happen? It’s too personal of…

At least once per month, someone will ask me, “What’s it like to be an executive recruiter?”  So for the benefit of my loyal readers, I would like to share my thoughts with you on this interesting profession of mine! I will summarize as follows: Get on Social Media: In 2023, I decided to put…

I almost fell out of my chair Sunday morning while reading an old essay from Tennessee Williams.  The quote that jolted me: “I was not aware of how much struggle had gone into this struggle until the struggle was removed.”  WOW. That’s me. That’s us. I highly recommend this essay written by Tennessee Williams in…

If you haven’t noticed, there is a War on Talent right now in the WDC regional insurance sector. Insurance agency owners and HR departments are doing just about anything now to retain their top talent. Including offering counter-offers to departing employees.  Some are offering “stay-on” bonuses, a new car, exotic vacations, promotions, and even the…

January is always our best month to recruit top talent.  Post-holiday periods are often a time for reflection, so I guess it makes sense, right? Here are six reasons why hiring authorities and candidates alike should consider an executive recruiter: Targeted Recruiting (Clients): When an employer has targeted an individual from a competing firm for a…