Aflac is taking its national sales agent recruitment campaign to the streets. Actually, it’s to the race track.
The Columbus insurer known for its quirky spokesduck will post a “Now Hiring” sign on Carl Edwards’ 200 mile per hour NASCAR racing machine. The car debuts Saturday during the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte.
Just don’t ask the driver for an application while he’s burning rubber and trading paint.
“Carl can keep that ad nice and steady so you can read it at 200 miles per hour,” said Jonathan Freed, an Aflac spokesman.
Aflac has sponsored Edwards for three years, and it’s the company’s first attempt to recruit directly via stock car. The National Guard has sponsored NASCAR and Indycar race teams for years as part of its recruitment efforts.
Aflac’s positions aren't hires; they’re independent contractor jobs.
Tom Giddens, Aflac senior vice president and director sales, wouldn’t say how many spots are open, but the company launched the campaign in January in an effort to enlarge its 75,000 member U.S. sales force. The company also is running TV, radio and print spots.
Aflac, which sells products like supplemental cancer and life insurance, is looking for people who are “passionate and motivated with a burning desire to succeed,” said Giddens, himself a former Aflac independent agent.
Employment among the independent insurance sales ranks is picking up after a lull during the recession, said Diane Mattis, executive director of Virginia-based InVEST, an organization that promotes student insurance literacy and helps recruit insurance talent.
Most insurance firms recruit through colleges and career fairs. Bolder companies might go through social media, she said.
"I’ve not heard of [an company] putting a help wanted ad on a racecar,” she said.
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