Thread regarding State Farm Insurance layoffs

Why doesn't SF improve the training of new hires?

Hiring new people without providing them with adequate training...isn't that a terrible waste of money?
This way they are not enabled to adapt easily, they are literally lost at their new jobs and of course they end up leaving unsatisfied. I don't know if you will agree, but the training of new employees is now worse than ever.

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| 1911 views | | 12 replies (last December 12, 2022) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1k5elboB

12 replies (most recent on top)

Likely because they drove off all the decent trainers with the reorganization/transition, didnt think long term what the downside of kicking out experienced workers would have, and have struggled with high turnover and mediocre workers clogging the ranks ever since, much like most other departments.

Fast forward 10 years of only looking at select metrics and its clear the goal is to get warm bodies in seats as fast as is legal, and just try to figure it out from there. Im not sure anyone cares if they are actually trained or not....half leave in 6mo anyway who cares.

Fortune 50 company mind you..

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Post ID: @4zux+1k5elboB

All fine and good but your statement about bonuses is inaccurate. Bonuses are based on calendar year results. Agents got paid on new production during the year through commissions but no bonuses until March of 23 for calendar year 2022.

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Post ID: @1adq+1k5elboB

They can creatively use metrics to hid problems and make it appear to be all good.

Remember how they bragged about all the new business, and it was all great? Well this is the result of overselling and taking on poor new business, higher underwriting losses.

So they got paid on the new business that ended up costing the company more than they took in for premiums.

This is the beauty of metrics, it allows you to hide problems and over inflate good news.

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Post ID: @1dje+1k5elboB

Mngt/exec bonuses are largely based on production and profit with smaller portions related to expenses and employee satisfaction. As I understand it if there is no profit then then the production component goes to zero. Seems like a decline in quality, care and turnover would negatively impact bonuses?

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Post ID: @1skd+1k5elboB

"They need to have basic standards when hiring people."

Yeah, you, I, and the company wishes they could be picky with new hires, and have standards.

Problem is, they want to compete with retail and food industry pay at entry level, for a job that is much more difficult, unpleasant, and stressful.

Most of the decent workers they hire, are only here because they have to, and will leave the second they can apply out to an industry they want.

This is why SF should care IN ACTION, not in words, about their employees, right now....

Staffing is only going to get worse as time goes on. Eventually reality will meet SF management. We are not there yet sadly, moving to a metric based system has allowed them to hide a lot of the company decay and decline....its still here and growing

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Post ID: @1kmx+1k5elboB

We lack the talent, will to do so, and motive to get it done. Simply put.

In claims they actually shortened and standardized a lot of the training, so you still hit the floor clueless on what to do, but they waste lest time investing in you to get there, ect.

SF is stuck in a problem of their own making with this. They got rid of SO MANY experienced workers since 2015 that the company still suffers. As they have reduced benefits, and followed the competition in the race to the bottom with workers/pay vs other industries....we now are in a scenario where its awful, unpleasant, difficult work mixed with a company who doesnt trust or care for the workers, mixed with pay that competes with far easier jobs with less of a middle school detention center vibe.

The work sucks, the pay sucks, and the work environment sucks. So they have to lower the bar on new hires to "anyone who will stick around"

Those new hires get a token training, why invest on people who are going to leave in 6mo anyway, might as well get them on the floor...and since the company only cares about call queue times it will be beneficial, even if they wreck everything they touch.

And so do this for a solid 7 years and eventually your employees will be 50% poorly trained and with one foot out the door, and 50% people who stuck around for whatever reason, but hate it all.

The decline in quality, service, and care, all to bolster executive bonuses.

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Post ID: @1vlq+1k5elboB

Don't TMs have to post and interview for the job? I'm pretty sure anyone who took the job in the last few years knows what they were getting into. To quote Henry Cabot H-nhouse III, "you knew the job was dangerous when you took it Fred."

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Post ID: @1ypk+1k5elboB

It’s more cost effective to rush em through then put the real training on a salaried TM who in order to get a good rating needs to get them up-skilled quickly. Obviously as a salaried TM doesn’t matter to SF if you’re working 50 or 70 hours a week. Also while loading up teams to 16-17 people. Absolutely insane. But yes please tell us how bad TMs are….

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Post ID: @1ytv+1k5elboB

the so called "trainers" are only good to pull power point presentations and repeating the same things they been repeating for years, then they throw you on the floor with zero know how on how to do your job, and expect the other workers to actually train you , this is what is wrong with training.

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Post ID: @1uai+1k5elboB

@1tec+1k5elboB

If you were the least bit educated in humans, you’d understand how the brain works. Reading/writing/definition comprehension works different area of the frontal lobe.

Here’s an article a preschooler would understand.

https://psychology-info.com/areas-of-the-brain-involved-in-reading-and-writing?amp

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Post ID: @1ycn+1k5elboB

@1tec+1k5elboB

In their defense everyone uses auto correct, or grammarly. Knowing the definition of the word you are using is a lot more important, I see why trainees fail at sf now. They try to nitpick things that ultimately don’t matter.

Tbh working in a call center is a bit dehumanizing for most. Maybe accepting it sucks wearing a headset will make them more comfortable. You train for State Farm though, so I’m not sure why I’m wasting my time.

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Post ID: @1fae+1k5elboB

That’s not going to fix it. They need to have basic standards when hiring people. Right now I have professional level trainees that literally can’t figure out how to wear a headset or spell basic words. It’s pathetic.

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Post ID: @1tec+1k5elboB

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