CII reveals key skills required for fresh insurance professionals

Insurance professionals believe ‘personal skills’ are the most important competency requirement for fresh entrants to the profession to possess, according to the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII).

A social media poll of 800 CII members conducted in June saw 56% (446 members) stating that having the right attributes for successful social interaction was the key skill that people entering the profession needs to have.

Roughly a third (275 insurance professionals) said technical knowledge was the vital quality for those embarking on a career in the insurance profession to have.

Computer literacy was cited as the highest priority skill to have for those beginning their insurance career by 5% of those surveyed and another 5% felt literacy was top of the tree of skills fresh entrants needed to have on their first day in the job.

Gill White, chief customer officer at the CII, said: “The findings of the poll very much support the CII’s view that there is a vital combination of skills, knowledge and behaviours that combine to make a professional.”  

“We have just opened a consultation with all our stakeholders on the future competency framework to ensure everyone in the profession can refer to a common standard for that combination of competencies and encourage members to help us make sure that the right personal skills are identified alongside knowledge and behaviours so that we can help attract, develop and retain the professionals our customers need to serve their needs.”

The CII is consulting with the market to produce a ‘professional map’, which will be used to ensure the group’s learning, qualifications and membership journey meet future career needs and identify and fill any gaps.

The institute has already spent more than a year interviewing and collating the views of more than 200 market and HR leaders to map the skills, knowledge and behaviours they believe businesses and individuals will need now and in the future.

Mark Dugdale