Independent Banker - August 2021 - 5

FLOURISH
" The people we employ embody our
banks, and the personal relationships
our teams forge with our customers
make us unique in the industry and
keep our customers returning. "
Rebeca Romero Rainey
President and CEO, ICBA
C
OVID-19 was an experiment
in forced change, and now that
we're transitioning into a new norm,
we're grappling with what's next.
We know we cannot just backtrack
to where we were in early 2020;
we need to develop a new, postpandemic
mindset. And that means
that as employers, we have a brave
new world of hiring to navigate.
Because the community bank
business model relies on our
employees as our strongest assets,
recruiting and retaining top talent
has always been a chief priority.
In fact, having the right staff
on board is a primary driver of
our profitability. The people we
employ embody our banks, and the
personal relationships our teams
forge with our customers make us
unique in the industry and keep our
customers returning.
But in this new era, what does it
take to bring the right employees into
the fold? Certainly, job flexibility is a
key component, but for community
banks, that historically has been
challenging. Yet, we learned during
COVID-19 lockdowns that we can
run our businesses in ways we never
might have imagined before, so we
now have the opportunity to apply
these lessons to new staffing models.
We also have to rethink how we
position community banking as a
career. Hiring is a lot like business
development; we have to tell our
stories, put our best foot forward
and pitch what we offer in a way
that resonates with the audience.
This is where we can be proactive
in identifying potential employees
by thinking outside of the standard
candidate pool. Taking the time to
look for community members who
would make good teammates can yield
exciting results.
But reaching out alone won't
seal the deal. As the minds and
hearts of the workforce continue to
evolve, we have to demonstrate how
we are meeting them where they
are. For example, this generation
of employees wants meaningful
work they can believe in, as well as
career advancement. It's up to us
to demonstrate how we meet those
criteria; for example, showcasing
our community impact through the
Paycheck Protection Program and
sharing stories of how community
bankers can start out as tellers and rise
to leadership levels over the course of
their careers. We need to emphasize
community banking's mission and
professional growth opportunities.
The work is on us to recruit and
retain the best and brightest, and as
you read this budget-focused issue,
I invite you to consider how hiring
plays into your strategy. At its core,
community banking is all about
people, and engaging the right talent
makes all the difference.
Connect with Rebeca @romerorainey
What you need to know
Want to assess how your compensation measures up in the
industry? Take a look at the recently published results of
the 2021 Crowe ICBA Compensation Benefits Survey. crowe.com
independentbanker.org Q 5
Photo by Robert Severi
http://www.crowe.com http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - August 2021

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