Independent Banker - April 2022 - 20

PORTFOLIO
instance, or do hybrid teams that
work on a rotating schedule now only
need half the space they once had?
Also, could the bank benefit from
adopting a " hoteling " model in which
remote employees can reserve an
office periodically?
A fresh mindset is critical
for genuine change
Welcoming the future of work
has been more difficult for other
institutions. " I have some banks that
are like, 'We want everybody back
in the office because we want the
team back, and there's something
about being in person,' " says Marcia
Malzahn, who works with community
banks across the country as president
of the management consulting
practice Malzahn Strategic in Maple
Grove, Minn.
Not having everyone working
under one roof comes with risks,
acknowledges Adrian Breen, president
and CEO of The Bank of Missouri in
Perryville, Mo.
" As CEO, my main concern is the
dilution of our culture, " he says. That
said, he acknowledges that hiring
local talent for every position is no
longer practical for his 130-year-old,
$2.8 billion-asset bank.
" You can put your head in the sand
and try to ignore [that workers have
changing expectations], or you can
embrace it, and that's what we've
decided to do, " Breen says, adding
that if a role is data-driven, softwarerelated
or one of a few operational
roles, " You can be anywhere in the
country and have that job. "
This year, The Bank of Missouri
has posted a number of job openings
that are categorized as either fully
remote or " optional work from
home. " Those roles include talent
acquisition specialist; administrator
for a commercial loan operating
system and customer relationship
ITMs could help tellers join remote ranks
Flexible work arrangements aren't yet an option for every bank
employee. Tellers, for instance, still dutifully make the commute.
Yet, interactive teller machines (ITMs) are creating new possibilities
for some team members.
ITMs operate like automated teller machines but enable
customers to interact with tellers over a video link. They can stay
open longer than branches, and they can accomplish a lot. Adrian
Breen, president and CEO of The Bank of Missouri in Perryville, Mo.,
says his ITMs can do 70% or 80% of traditional bank transactions.
Marcia Malzahn, president of management consulting practice
Malzahn Strategic in Maple Grove, Minn., sees this technology
as a chance to open up remote opportunities for tellers. " Now
a customer can go to an ITM, and it doesn't matter where the
employee is behind the screen, " she says. " They can be at home, or
they can be in the bank. "
Today, the tellers who interact with customers through The Bank
of Missouri's 40+ ITMs work from branches, but that could change
as the community bank progresses in its digital transformation
efforts. " There's a little bit more technology needed, " Breen says,
" but we do see developing that to where they can work from home. "
management platform; and a few
positions on the team that manages
the bank's banking as a service (BaaS)
fintech relationships.
Consistency amid disruption
Community banks that adopt more
flexible work arrangements are
finding they don't need to sacrifice
customer care. " We've been able to
keep our bonds in the community
because our client-facing people
are out there, " WesBanco, Inc.'s
Pietranton says.
To be sure, " out there " has always
had wide boundaries. Malzahn recalls
that years ago, as a private banker,
she would visit customers' homes
20 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q April 2022
Independent Banker - April 2022

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