The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Top Life Insurance Agents

Hiring great life insurance agents isn’t about finding someone who “wants to make money.” It’s about finding someone who can build trust, follow a repeatable prospecting system, and stay consistent long enough to win.

Define the role: captive, independent, or hybrid

Before recruiting, clarify:

• Lead model (self-gen vs provided)

• Activity expectations (dials, appts, networking, referrals)

• Product focus (term, permanent, annuities, supplemental)

• Training + mentorship structure

• Ramp expectations (first 90–180 days)

Screen for the 3 drivers of success

1) Coachability: Do they follow a process or freelance it?

2) Resilience: Can they handle rejection without disappearing?

3) Trust-building: Are they consultative or pushy?

Interview questions that reveal real producers

• “Walk me through your prospecting week—day by day.”

• “How do you generate referrals without feeling awkward?”

• “Tell me about a time you lost a sale. What changed after?”

• “What’s your persistency strategy after the policy is issued?”

Add a quick role-play

Run a 10-minute scenario:

• first meeting discovery

• handling a common objection (“I need to think about it”)

• explaining value without pressure

Reference checks that matter

Ask:

• “Would you trust them with a family member’s financial decision?”

• “How did they respond to coaching?”

• “What caused them to struggle—and what helped?”

How True Axis Recruiting helps

True Axis Recruiting finds agents who align with your culture and sales system—so you’re not cycling through hires. Schedule a call