Independent Banker - April 2023 - 27

PORTFOLIO INNOVATION STATION
Four great places to recruit tech talent
By Charles Potts, ICBA
n today's job market, hiring for
innovation positions has become
increasingly competitive and critical
to our growing digital transformation
needs. Fortunately, community banks
have an opportunity to snatch up
tech experts-as long as you know
where to look. With that in mind,
the following four approaches offer
a way to upgrade your innovation
recruitment efforts.
1. Explore local university
relationships. Local universities
can be feeders into bank technology
needs. As we discussed in
episode 3 of the Independent
Banker podcast, $2 billion-asset
Queensborough National Bank
and Trust Co. in Louisville, Ga.,
developed a relationship with
the Georgia Fintech Academy,
a talent development initiative
affiliated with the University
System of Georgia. In addition
to working directly with students
on a predictive analysis project,
Queensborough hired a student
from Augusta University as an
information security analyst.
2. Seek out big tech and fintech
talent. As technology companies
preempt a potential recession and
recalibrate the past few years'
overhiring trends, they are laying
off highly qualified individuals.
Monitor LinkedIn and technology
job boards for these high-tech
candidates and reach out with
opportunities. Entrepreneurs
may also offer a gateway to strong
candidates. Case in point: Colony
Bank, a nearly $3 billion-asset
I
institution in Fitzgerald, Ga.,
hired fintech founder Christian
Ruppe as chief innovation officer.
The bank's thought was that it
could enable someone who had
built a fintech from the ground up
to apply that wisdom at a bank.
3. Pick up on merger potential.
As mergers and consolidations
continue in banking, look for
opportunities to onboard team
members with targeted expertise.
As shared in episode 1 of the
Independent Banker podcast,
$2.7 billion-asset Coastal
Community Bank in Everett,
Wash., with its banking-as-aservice
(BaaS) efforts, continually
pursues top talent with regulatory
and compliance expertise. You,
too, can leverage M&A shifts to
draw in candidates who meet
distinct needs at your bank.
4. Canvass your bank. Your
team may provide a source of
strong potential. By offering
training opportunities and wider
exposure, you may solve your
tech talent problem within the
four walls of your bank. Consider
courses with ICBA Community
Banker University and attendance
at the ThinkTECH Accelerator to
help cultivate deeper skill sets.
As you grow, evolve and innovate,
you also must continue to tell your
stories to demonstrate to high school
and college students, coding experts,
technology leaders and others that a
community bank is a great place to
work. Emphasize that they will not
only have a fulfilling technology-based
career; they will also strengthen their
community in the process. And be
sure to demonstrate the value of a
community bank technology role in
shaping the future of banking. As we
all know, there's so much potential that
awaits. You just need the right team to
make it happen.
Charles Potts (charles.potts@icba.org)
is ICBA executive vice president and
chief innovation officer
independentbanker.org // 27
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Independent Banker - April 2023

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