Welch Funeral Home Streamlines
the Recruiting and Hiring Process Saving Time and Money

Hiring a new employee is an investment of firms’ time and money.

According to Terri Bannister, assistant vice president of the Assurant Preneed Development Group, the cost of hiring a new employee is equal to one-third of a preneed counselor’s first-year salary. “Considering the investment, it is imperative to hire high caliber employees and minimize the risk of turnover,” said Bannister.

Welch Funeral Home

Through previous experience, Welch Funeral Home in Longview, Texas understood the importance of hiring a high caliber preneed counselor to minimize the risk of turnover.

In January 2004, Welch Funeral Home was ready to hire a preneed counselor and wanted to streamline its recruiting and hiring process.

“Our goal was to hire a preneed counselor that would sustain and grow our preneed program,” said Johnny Greathouse, administrator and financial director at Welch Funeral Home. “We ultimately achieved this goal by streamlining our recruiting and hiring process, saving the firm time and money, while identifying a high caliber preneed counselor.”

The Recruiting and Hiring Process

In the past, Welch Funeral Home handled recruiting and hiring preneed staff in house. However, in January 2004, Welch Funeral Home turned to the Assurant Preneed Service Center to recruit and hire a new preneed counselor.

“I was told about it several years ago,” said Johnny Greathouse, “But we didn’t use it until this year. Our account executive, Colleen Steer, recommended the service once we told her we were hiring a new counselor. She always has the funeral home’s best interest in mind so we requested the Assurant Preneed Service Center’s assistance.”

Guided by Steer and Kathi Wells, an Assurant Preneed Development Group specialist, Greathouse and his staff developed an advertisement for the local paper.

“The Preneed Service Center’s advertisements generate higher quality responses because of the Center’s consultation on market demographics, readership, focus and detailed copy,” said Bannister.

The advertisement ran for two weeks and solicited more than 30 phone calls to the Assurant Preneed Service Center where applicants left a message. The Preneed Service Center screened the messages and contacted qualified applicants for a phone interview.

The Preneed Service Center conducted behavioral interviews and background checks to narrow the candidates prior to Welch Funeral Home conducting face-to-face interviews.

Welch Funeral Home received transcripts of each interview. “The interview transcripts kept us updated on the progress and type of candidates responding,” said Greathouse. “Through detailed questions, the Preneed Service Center narrowed the field of prospects. This enabled Colleen and I to focus our efforts on conducting the final interviews.”

“The Preneed Service Center did offer to conduct the face-to-face interviews, but Welch Funeral Home preferred to be included in the interview process,” said Greathouse. “However, we wanted Assurant Preneed to be involved, so Colleen also participated.”

Greathouse and Steer conducted more than a half a dozen interviews.

“The Preneed Service Center provided detailed interview questions about candidates past work history and goals, which helped us narrow down the candidates immediately,” said Greathouse. “Colleen and I used charts to rate each candidate separately and our results were very similar.”

The Candidate

A social worker for 27 years, Mary Harrison was scheduled for retirement in May of 2004 and eager to begin a new career.

While thumbing through her local paper, Harrison discovered the ad for a preneed counselor at Welch Funeral Home. With a background in insurance, Harrison’s interest was piqued and she faxed a resume and cover letter.

Within a week of submitting her resume, a representative from Assurant Preneed contacted her for the telephone interview where she was recommended for a face-to-face interview. Three days later, Greathouse and Steer interviewed Harrison.

“Mary answered all the questions perfectly. She fit the profile of what Welsh was looking for,” said Greathouse. “Both Colleen and I knew right away that Mary was a fit.”

The Results

Welch Funeral Home extended an offer to Harrison and she gladly accepted.

For Welch Funeral Home, the Assurant Preneed Service Center streamlined the hiring and recruiting process and provided a model for hiring future staff.

“The entire recruiting and hiring process required only a minimal investment of time and money and provided us with a high caliber candidate” said Greathouse. “We plan on implementing this new recruiting and hiring process when hiring all our funeral home staff.”

For Harrison, the entire interview process was a comfortable and easy process.

“It was a quick process, but I didn’t feel like a number,” said Harrison. “I was treated like a real person from my first phone interview to my interview with Johnny and Colleen.”

Harrison’s Success

Harrison hit the ground running and became very active in the community filling her preneed pipeline.

For the past six months, Harrison has been averaging seven contracts a month. She conducts informational seminars, attends estate-planning meetings and gives presentations at local senior fairs to generate leads. Welch’s group marketing program – LifeChoice – also generates leads for Harrison.

“I’m expecting the pipeline to fill up until it overflows,” said Harrison.

For more information about the Assurant Preneed Development Group and how your firm can hire high caliber preneed staff while saving time and money, please contact your Assurant Preneed account executive, marketing partner or general agent, or call 1-800-PRENEED and select option 9. You can also visit www.assurantpreneed.com/atlanta for more information.