Independent Banker - August 2022 - 24

PORTFOLIO INNOVATION STATION
Strengthening
human connections
By Charles Potts, ICBA
also conduct temperature checks more
intentionally and frequently, because
distance changes our ability to read,
understand and infl uence behavior.
From the recruiting side, community
bankers may have to fi nd and acquire
talent beyond their immediate
communities. During the pandemic,
many professionals realized that they
could move and work from anywhere.
And if their current employer doesn't
allow such liberties, they will seek
out an employer that will. This is a
massive paradigm shift for many bank
leaders. There must be real purpose
in rethinking how, when and where to
build your workforce.
ommunity banks are
feeling the impact of the
Great Resignation just like other
industries, but with some signifi cant
diff erences. Innovations in
technology, organizational culture,
talent acquisition and retention are
key factors in helping community
bankers reengineer a workplace
environment that revolves around
human connection.
During the pandemic, many
community banks introduced
interactive teller machines (ITMs) to
provide customers with a " branchin-a-box "
experience. Paycheck
Protection Program (PPP) loans
opened the door to additional
innovations, highlighting community
banks' technological advancements
and commitment to their customers.
This kind of technology, combined
C
with accelerated innovation and
lessons learned during the pandemic,
also helped community banks
to develop best-of-breed work
environments that extend beyond
the walls of their branch offi ces. As
community bankers re-envision
the future of banking and talent
management, they should consider
what technology to put in place, which
positions lend themselves to remote
work and how to monitor workfl ow
and performance.
For example, in a remote workplace
culture, conversational evaluations
and interactions between managers,
supervisors and subordinates must
be more routine and intentional. You
won't be colliding with staff in the
hallways, so you need to constantly
evaluate what people are thinking
and how they're feeling. You should
Also, keep in mind that the under-35
demographic is more accustomed
to job hopping than their older
counterparts, so consider creating
a plan that builds resiliency in the
recruiting, retaining and structuring of
jobs, planning two or three years out.
As we advance, we will need to be
more open-minded and authentic
about recognizing and incorporating
professional and personal needs in
the way jobs are structured. Remote
work, work-life balance and mental
health care-issues highlighted during
the pandemic-will continue to play
out in today's workforce. We must
be genuinely willing to embrace and
address these issues.
Community banks are the lifeblood
of communities, but people are the
lifeblood of community banks. Let's
not get lost in the technology and
forget about human connections as we
reengineer a workplace culture that
positions us for success both now and
in the future. 
Charles Potts (charles.potts@icba.org)
is ICBA executive vice president and
chief innovation off icer
24 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q August 2022
Photo by Violeta Stoimenova/iStock
Independent Banker - August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - August 2022
