Covering overload at an insurance agency: temp agency and the alternatives
Temps fill a seat. Licensed fractional help fills the work.
To cover overload, an insurance agency can use a temp or overload staffing firm, a part-time hire, or fractional licensed help. Temp firms supply a worker by the hour, with the firm's markup in the rate. Check that any temp is licensed in your clients' states and knows your AMS. Fractional licensed help works by the task or hour, in your AMS, and can start on part of a desk.
Three ways to cover overload
| Temp or overload firm | Part-time hire | Fractional licensed help | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Hourly bill rate with markup | Hourly wage plus payroll costs | Per task or hour |
| Licensed? | Sometimes; ask | If you hire licensed | Yes |
| Knows your AMS | Varies | After training | Works in it from the start |
| How fast | Days, if a temp is available | Weeks | Days |
| Best for | A full seat for a set time | Steady part-time work | Part of a desk, or uneven work |
If you use a temp firm, check
- The license. Lines and states, confirmed in NIPR.
- AMS experience. Which system, and for how long.
- Minimums. Minimum hours or weeks.
- Conversion fee. What you pay if you hire the temp.
- Replacement. What happens if the temp doesn't work out.
Match the cover to the situation
| Situation | Usually fits |
|---|---|
| Leave with a known end date | Temp or fractional licensed help |
| A CSR left without notice | Fractional licensed help now, then hire |
| Renewal season | Fractional licensed help for remarketing |
| A backlog of certificates and downloads | Back-office help, licensed or not |
Free tool: someone leaving or out? Plan an offboarding to map their renewals, open items and who covers what. About 4 minutes.
Where Humai fits
Humai matches U.S.-licensed agents, checked in NIPR, who pick up renewals, endorsements and service in your AMS under your name. Start with part of a desk, per task or by the hour, while you decide whether to hire.
Questions agency owners ask
What is overload staffing in insurance?
Temporary help for extra work: a leave, a departure, a renewal season or a backlog. The worker is usually supplied by a staffing firm and billed by the hour.
Are insurance temps licensed?
Some are. Ask the firm to confirm the temp's license for your lines and states, and check it in NIPR yourself.
How do temp agencies charge?
An hourly bill rate that includes the worker's pay and the firm's markup. Ask about minimum hours and conversion fees if you hire the temp.
What's the alternative to a temp?
Fractional licensed help: licensed people who take specific tasks or hours in your AMS, under your name, without a full-time seat.
Which fits a CSR's departure?
Cover the open renewals and service right away, then decide whether to hire. A plan for the person's book matters more than who covers it.
Sources
Licensing rules differ by state. This article is general information, not legal advice. Check with your state's department of insurance.