A Consultant at Hub International serves as a strategic advisor and a critical bridge between complex financial products and the diverse needs of our clients. Operating within a leading global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, a Consultant—such as a Retirement Plan Consultant—is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing tailored corporate retirement plans, employee benefits, and risk management strategies. This role directly impacts client retention, business growth, and the financial well-being of thousands of plan participants across North America.

The position is highly collaborative and carries significant strategic weight. You will not merely sell services; you will act as a trusted fiduciary advisor to corporate stakeholders, guiding them through regulatory compliance, investment menu design, and employee engagement strategies. Your work directly affects how companies protect their employees' futures, making this role both highly rewarding and intellectually stimulating.

To succeed as a Consultant, you must balance deep technical acumen with exceptional relationship-building capabilities. Whether you are analyzing complex actuarial data, interpreting market trends, or presenting to executive leadership, your insights will drive the strategic direction of our regional offices and help maintain Hub International's position as an industry leader.

The interview questions you will encounter at Hub International are designed to evaluate both your technical proficiency and your consultative approach. The following questions are representative of what has been asked in actual interviews for this role. They highlight patterns in how we assess candidate capabilities rather than serving as a list for rote memorization.

Domain Expertise & Industry Strategy

This category evaluates your understanding of the financial services landscape, retirement planning, fiduciary responsibilities, and market regulations.

• How do you stay current with changing ERISA regulations and compliance requirements for corporate retirement plans?
• Can you explain the difference between a 3(21) and a 3(38) fiduciary standard, and how you present these options to a client?

Preparing for an interview at Hub International requires a balanced approach that demonstrates both your technical knowledge and your interpersonal skills. We look for advisors who can seamlessly integrate into our regional teams while bringing fresh perspectives to our client base.

Industry & Technical Competence – You must demonstrate a deep understanding of retirement plans, employee benefits, or financial advisory frameworks. Be prepared to discuss specific industry regulations, fiduciary responsibilities, and market trends that currently impact corporate clients.

Client-Centric Problem Solving – Our consultants do not use one-size-fits-all templates. You need to show how you analyze a client’s unique organizational goals, identify hidden gaps in their current programs, and build structured, actionable strategies to address them.

Collaborative Leadership – Because you will work closely with local and regional leadership, as well as internal specialists like actuarial analysts and account managers, you must show that you are an effective collaborator who can mobilize resources to deliver exceptional client outcomes.

Cultural Alignment & Adaptability – We value a warm, personable, and professional demeanor. Our interviewers look for candidates who are highly communicative, flexible, and genuinely passionate about helping clients navigate complex financial landscapes.

The interview process for the Consultant position at Hub International is thorough, highly collaborative, and designed to ensure mutual alignment between you and our regional teams. Candidates frequently note that the process is highly professional, welcoming, and structured around open communication. Rather than facing high-stress, adversarial panels, you will engage in conversational dialogues focused on your professional journey, technical capabilities, and cultural fit.

A defining characteristic of our process is the opportunity to meet a broad range of team members. Because our regional offices operate as tight-knit, collaborative units, you can expect to meet local leadership, regional directors, and your direct supervisor over several stages. This thorough approach ensures that you gain a deep understanding of our regional strategy and culture before making your decision to join.

The timeline above outlines the typical progression of our candidate journey, from the initial touchpoint to the final executive sign-off. While the exact duration can vary based on regional needs, the sequence is designed to progressively build on your technical and cultural alignment. You should use this structured timeline to pace your preparation, focusing first on high-level fit before diving deep into technical and strategic discussions.

To excel in your interviews, you must understand the core competencies our hiring managers evaluate during each stage of the process.

Consulting & Client Advisory Skills

At its core, the Consultant role is about building trust and delivering strategic value. Interviewers will closely assess your consultative mindset, looking for your ability to diagnose client needs rather than simply presenting pre-packaged solutions.

Be ready to go over:

• Needs discovery techniques – How you ask probing questions to uncover a client's risk tolerance, administrative challenges, and employee demographics.
• Presentation delivery – Your capability to present complex investment strategies or plan designs to executive boards and investment committees.
• Retention strategies – How you proactively manage client accounts to ensure long-term satisfaction and prevent competitor attrition.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Client turn-around strategies, managing multi-state corporate accounts, and handling collective bargaining agreement plan designs.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk us through a presentation you delivered to a C-suite executive that resulted in a major strategic change to their employee benefits program."
• "How would you handle a client who is highly resistant to changing an underperforming investment manager due to a personal relationship?"

Retirement Plan & Industry Knowledge

For specialized roles like the Retirement Plan Consultant, technical expertise is non-negotiable. You must demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of regulatory frameworks and financial instruments.

Be ready to go over:

• Fiduciary standards – Deep familiarity with acting as a fiduciary and explaining these responsibilities to corporate plan sponsors.
• Plan design optimization – Structuring safe harbor plans, profit-sharing allocations, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans.
• Fee benchmarking – How you analyze and negotiate recordkeeper and administrative fees to ensure your clients are receiving competitive pricing.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Cross-testing methodologies, actuarial valuations, and non-discrimination testing corrections.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Explain how you would structure a corrective action plan for a client whose retirement plan failed its annual ADP/ACP non-discrimination testing."
• "What key factors do you consider when advising a client on whether to transition from a bundled to an unbundled recordkeeping model?"

Team Collaboration & Stakeholder Alignment

Because Hub International operates through a matrixed regional structure, your ability to collaborate across internal departments is vital to your day-to-day success.

Be ready to go over:

• Internal resource mobilization – Working with actuarial analysts, marketing teams, and client service managers to build comprehensive client deliverables.
• Regional leadership communication – Keeping local and regional presidents informed of high-value account statuses and regional growth opportunities.
• Conflict resolution – Navigating internal bottlenecks or differing opinions on client strategy within your immediate team.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time when you had to rely on an internal specialist who was underperforming. How did you manage the situation to ensure the client's needs were met?"
• "How do you maintain open communication and alignment when working with both local office leadership and regional executive directors?"