The present-day branch managers, sometimes known as Business Managers or Branch Sales and Service Managers, are no longer the stereotype of an unseen and illusive boss behind a closed door. The image of the bank manager is changing rapidly as a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with its intrusive digital technology powered by Artificial Intelligence. They now need to be dynamic leaders with great technical as well as soft skills. However, a manager needs to appreciate the foundations of branch banking and how the various roles work together, to enable him or her blend into the digital banking space.
Let us now look at a typical branch banking set-up for branch banking as depicted below and compare it with the digital branch depicted by Mackinsey. While the traditional one focuses on the authority level, Mackinsey’s model depicts the customer journey in the digital branch and is more service-focused.
The Typical Job Description of the Modern Branch Manager
The branch manager, assisted by the operations manager bears full responsibility for his/her branch. As the team leader of branch management and a member of the bank’s management team he or she ensures that institutional business strategies, business model, and core values are implemented in his/her branch. Specific broad responsibilities include:
- Ensuring the corporate goals are always embedded within the branch’s developmental plans.
- Managing and developing staff.
- Ensuring excellent customer care and relationship management
- Ensuring a healthy loan portfolio for the branch.
- Submission of reports and returns to the appropriate departments in Head Office.
Let us examine how this job description can be executed:
Staff Management and Development:
- Ensure that recruited/confirmed branch staff have the right attitude, skills and knowledge to perform their duties.
- Ensure (through communication and good example) that staff live the Bank’s corporate values always.
- Hold regular meetings with staff to update them on institutional development.
- Give regular and timely feedback to staff on attitude, skills and knowledge in relation to their work.
- Set and maintain high performance standards in accordance with institutional standards.
- Sustain staff motivation.
- Take timely and appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the HR policies.
- Carry out regular staff evaluation according to HR policy.
- Coach and develop staff capacity to perform their roles effectively and efficiently.
- Communicate regularly and promptly on staff development to Head Office Management, Human Capital and other related departments)
Executing Corporate and Branch goals:
To ensure that the branch meets its corporate and branch goals, managers must:
- Ensure that the branch business plan is achieved (every month).
- Ensure that the branch serves as a service point for delivering financial services to customers.
- Conduct regular research into products and services required by the customers in the local community, examine the competitive products and services, and when relevant, prepare recommendations to the Head of business in head office.
- Regular follow-ups with relationship managers to mobilize funds and to expand catchment zones to acquire new businesses.
- Critically assess and identify opportunities and threats in the locality, and take proactive steps to leverage opportunities and minimize threats.
- Ensure that branch capacity (ability and numbers) is commensurate with demand and market potential.
Customer Care and Relationship Management
This is the differentiating factor which managers must never underrate. The following expectations are key:
- Ensure that staff understand and maintain high standards of professionalism and customer care.
- Take proactive steps to ensure that customer needs are met in your branch.
- Collaborate with relevant branches and departments to meet customer requirements when necessary.
- Maintain good professional relations with all customers.
Ensuring a Healthy Loan Portfolio for the branch
Since most Bank’s earnings are from interest received and repayment of loans, the following functions are critical to the success of the branch and bank as a whole:
- Ensure that loans approved and disbursed within the branch meet required procedural and risk mitigation standards.
- Implement good portfolio management measures at all times.
- Ensure that all loans are monitored effectively by client relationship officers and branch management.
- Implement measures and structures to follow up on arrears to maintain good portfolio quality of each relationship officer.
- Liaise with relevant head office departments to keep all risky and potential defaulters in check and well structured, and to recommend the appropriate impairment measures or loan structuring.
Submission of Timely Reports/Returns
- Ensure timely and quality reporting by your branch to the relevant offices/departments at all times.
- Perform any other duty as required by supervisor, zonal managers and Head Office.
Bank branches are graded by the bank management according to the size of their assets, number of customers, size of deposits, liabilities, geographical location and so on. A new branch with less than hundred accounts but located in a prime area, is usually graded A, despite the low number of customers. It is usually expected that even with the few high net-worth customers, businesses would be sizeable in future. This is where the technical skills, people skills and conceptual skills are expected to be utilized. As I indicated, a good combination of these three skills can make a branch manager move mountains especially in these times of paradigm shift in banking.
We now have insights into the functions of the bank branch and the roles that branch managers play. If you are a branch manager in a small branch in the remotest part of the country, just manage it well, because eagle eyes are watching. Think global while acting locally, and you will soon find yourself managing the flagship branch of your bank, managing global clients and customers.
Bank branches are graded by the bank management according to the size of their assets, number of customers, size of deposits, liabilities, geographical location and so on. A new branch with less than hundred accounts but located in a prime area, is usually graded A, despite the low number of customers. It is usually expected that even with the few high net-worth customers, businesses would be sizeable in future. This is where the technical skills, people skills and conceptual skills are expected to be utilized. As I indicated, a good combination of these three skills can make a branch manager move mountains especially in these times of paradigm shift in banking.
We now have insights into the functions of the bank branch and the roles that branch managers play. If you are a branch manager in a small branch in the remotest part of the country, just manage it well, because eagle eyes are watching.
Next week, we shall identify how the traditional roles have been infused into the digital banking arena. Managers must not work in a vacuum or re-engineer the wheel.
Think global while acting locally, and you will soon find yourself managing the flagship branch of your bank, managing global clients and customers.
For more insights please book a copy of my new book, “THE MODERN BRANCH MANAGER’S COMPANION” which involves the adoption of a multi-disciplinary approach in the practice of today’s branch management. It also shares invaluable insights on the mindset needed to navigate and make a difference in the changing dynamics of the banking industry. Call 0244333051 for your copy.
To be continued
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alberta Quarcoopome is a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, and CEO of ALKAN Business Consult Ltd. She is the Author of Three books: “The 21st Century Bank Teller: A Strategic Partner” and “My Front Desk Experience: A Young Banker’s Story” and “The Modern Branch Manager’s Companion”. She uses her experience and practical case studies, training young bankers in operational risk management, sales, customer service, banking operations and fraud.
CONTACT
Website www.alkanbiz.com
Email:alberta@alkanbiz.com or [email protected]
Tel: +233-0244333051/+233-0244611343
