Ep 413: Building An Internal Advisor Training Program To Solve The Talent Pipeline As A Growing $4B Advisory Firm with Kevin Leahy
Nov 26, 2024
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Kevin Leahy, CEO of Connecticut Wealth Management, shares insights from his firm's innovative training program that successfully nurtures talent straight from college. He emphasizes the importance of structured onboarding, focusing on both technical skills and communication. Leahy discusses the challenges of attracting younger advisors amid retirements and highlights the benefits of hiring in cohorts. He also elaborates on maintaining core values during growth and fostering strong client relationships, showcasing how effective training can create a robust advisory talent pipeline.
Kevin Leahy's firm emphasizes a structured onboarding program that trains new advisors in both technical processes and client communication skills.
The cohort-based hiring approach fosters teamwork among new advisors, enhancing their learning experience and building supportive relationships during training.
Maintaining a low client-to-advisor ratio allows the firm to deliver personalized service, boosting client retention and supporting sustainable growth strategies.
Deep dives
Systematized Training for Advisors
The episode discusses a structured internal training program implemented by Kevin Leahy's firm, designed for onboarding new advisors directly out of college. This program is divided into two 90-day stages; the first focuses on foundational knowledge through standardized case studies that introduce the firm's planning process, data review, and system input. In the second stage, new hires enhance their client communication skills through mock presentations and constructive peer feedback, which helps build their confidence in client interactions. This systematic approach not only prepares new advisors for their roles but also fosters a sense of camaraderie as they progress together through training.
Utilizing Technology for Efficient Training
Kevin's firm employs a software platform called Playbook Builder, which centralizes all training resources and materials, enhancing accessibility and efficiency during the onboarding process. This platform allows new hires to access videos, PowerPoint presentations, and standard procedures, ensuring that they have the necessary resources at their fingertips. The use of technology streamlines the training experience and allows for consistent messaging across the firm, as all new advisors learn from the same materials and practices. This approach minimizes confusion and discrepancies that can arise when training is dependent on individual advisors' varying teaching styles.
Cohort-Based Hiring Strategy
The firm has adopted a cohort-based approach to hiring, bringing in multiple new advisors at once to go through training together. This strategy not only meets the firm's staffing needs more efficiently but also promotes team dynamics and support among new hires as they share the onboarding experience. By training in groups, new advisors can learn from one another, collaborate, and build relationships that enhance their future teamwork. Kevin emphasizes that this method has proven effective in ensuring a strong talent pipeline while fostering an environment of collaboration and mutual encouragement.
Focus on Core Values During Hiring
Kevin prioritizes aligning new hires with the firm’s core values, which emphasize teamwork and collaboration, particularly in the hiring process. During interviews, the firm employs a rigorous evaluation to determine if candidates exhibit traits such as empathy, integrity, and a team-oriented mindset. This focus helps to ensure that the advisors not only possess the necessary skills but also fit culturally within the organization. As Kevin notes, hiring individuals who resonate with these values significantly contributes to a positive work environment and high employee retention.
Growth Through Client-Centric Practices
Kevin discusses how the firm achieves growth by providing exceptional client service, leading to high client retention rates and positive word-of-mouth referrals. With a client-to-advisor ratio of about 35 to one, the firm ensures that each client receives personalized attention and support, which reinforces client loyalty. The firm's approach not only focuses on acquiring new clients but also on increasing the wallet share of existing clients by proving their elevated service level. This dedication to clients has resulted in sustained growth and success, allowing the firm to expand through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
Kevin Leahy is the CEO of Connecticut Wealth Management, an RIA based out of Connecticut that oversees approximately $4 billion in assets under management for 1,100 households. Kevin's firm stands out for its systematized training program designed to onboard and develop young talent straight out of college, effectively maintaining a robust advisory talent pipeline. This approach has supported the firm through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, ensuring a smooth transition of clients from retiring advisors to new ones, all while keeping a low client-to-advisor ratio of 35-to-1.
Listen in as Kevin shares how his firm's structured new hire training program starts with comprehensive initial training on systems and financial planning processes, followed by a focus on enhancing client communication skills. He also discusses sourcing new talent from a vetted internship program and how hiring in cohorts optimizes learning and integration. You'll also learn about the interview process Kevin's firm uses with veteran advisors, how his firm is able to maintain its core values as it grows, and more.