Independent Banker - April 2020 - 24

PORTFOLIO
is great for morale and bank success. One way of
doing this is through personalized career paths.
Start with a discussion between the employee,
their supervisor and/or HR. Make these discussions
part of your bank's talent management
process two to three times per year. To ensure
your bank's growth and productivity, talent management
should be part of board meetings.
During these discussions, employees and
employers should document career goals for both
the employee and the bank. An employee's experience,
education, personality type, strengths
and aptitudes will infl uence both short- and
long-term career goals, as will their interests and
work-life balance preferences. Consider asking
your employees, " What can we do to make this
your dream job? "
Leadership at All Levels
By Lindsay LaNore, ICBA
Mapping out
career paths
iven today's competitive labor market
and rising employee expectations, fi nding
the right talent for your bank can be challenging.
So, why not look internally and focus on the
human capital that you already have?
Bank profi tability is robust right now, which
means budgets are less likely to be roadblocks to
talent development. There may never be a better
time to get executive buy-in. In fact, according
to the 2019 Workplace Learning & Development
Report from LinkedIn, 82% of HR and talent
development professionals said their executives
actively support employee engagement through
professional learning.
What drives employees to leave an employer
isn't always money. Many employees today are
looking to grow their skill set. Creating a culture
of internal mobility, where leaders encourage
their teams to develop skills for their next roles,
24 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q April 2020
G
A likely outcome is a determination that additional
professional development is needed. With
rapid technological innovation, skills have a
shorter shelf life, so identifying skills gaps is critical.
LinkedIn says creativity is the single most
in-demand skill, and that needs to be cultivated.
Allow employees to work on projects outside of
their roles to determine their interests and skill
levels. Each year, try giving them a goal, which
they could work on with a group. Three-quarters
of survey respondents in the LinkedIn report said
they'd take a course if it was suggested by their
manager. So, consider requiring supervisors to
be proactive in talent management.
Career mapping is a win for everyone and
can have a big impact on engaging and retaining
employees and leadership diversity. In other
words, banks can benefi t from giving employees
opportunities for growth.
Build skills with Community
Banker University
Lindsay LaNore
(lindsay.lanore@
icba.org) is group
executive vice
president and
chief learning
and experience
off icer
If your community bank uses ICBA's
Online Training Center, review available
courses at least once a year and
recommend one or two to your direct
reports. The library includes courses
on both technical and soft skills, such
as change management and problemsolving.
icba.org/education
http://www.icba.org/education
Independent Banker - April 2020

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