Question

Case: Training

The TNT company, with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the nation's leading financial companies, with $ 200 billion in assets. Its subsidiary banks operate approximately 1,200 financial centers in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Boston, Connecticut, Ohio and Alabama. The operational strategy of TNT differs from other financial companies. Its subsidiaries are organized as a group of a banking community, each with a regional president, who is responsible for making decisions related to the client locally. This makes customer service more assertive, reliable and empathetic. TNT has experienced a 30% turnover rate (movement of exit and entry) of cashier employees and determined that this is due to the fact that on-the-job training has been ineffective.

The tasks of bank tellers include:

Balance cash and checks exchanged at the end of each work shift and calculate daily transactions using computers, calculators or adding machines.

Verify that the checks and money paid are correctly signed, that the written amount matches the numerical amount and that the accounts have sufficient funds.

Receive checks and deposit money, verify the amount and corroborate the accuracy of the receipt.

Examine the checks for endorsement and verify other information such as dates, bank names, identification of the recipient of the money and the legality of the documents.

Enter the transaction in the system to register it and generate the computer receipt.

Count the coins, money and checks received to prepare them for deposit or send them from the branch to the Federal Reserve Bank.

Identify errors in transactions when debits and credits do not match.

Prepare and verify cashier's checks.

Order the money received in boxes and machines of changes according to their denomination.

Process transactions, such as terms deposits, contributions for retirement savings plans, ATM transactions, night deposits and mail deposits.

The daily work activities of ATMs include:

Communicate with supervisors, peers or subordinates.

Establish and maintain interpersonal relationships.

Work directly with the public.

Interact with computers.

Document and record information.

Evaluate information to ensure compliance with standards.

Get information.

Make decisions and solve problems.

Process information.

Communicate with people outside the organization.

Questions?

1. How does technology influence the process of training and learning?
2. which training methods you would recommend to train TNT bank tellers. Justify your selection of the method
3. What traditional training methods would be the most appropriate for this case?
4. Which of the new technologies would you recommend?

Answer 1

1. Technology has been a huge advantage for training purpose:

• Easy to learn whenever needed
• Performance of employees can be monitored real time. and reports can be given electronically
• Options given to employees on the choice of media such as audio, video etc.
• Blended learning such as live seminars possible
• Group discussion can be done anywhere by teleconferencing, group ware(eg: lotus notes)

2. In case of Bank teller, the essential skills to be trained are

• Strong mathematical skills
• Attention to detail skills
• Customer service management
• Cash handling
• Computer - financial software skills
• Multi tasking

The training method I would recommend is "Multiple Problem solver"

It is a software based module,where the teller is given multiple tricky customer situations to be solved such as

• Eg: An Arrogant business man comes for a NEFT transaction and thus he has filled the NEFT form with a lot of mistakes and he had given a cheque along with it which has a hit of fradulence.

The teller needs to identify the situation and point out the mistakes and illustrate the solution to the problem.

3. The traditional training method for developing a "Teller" would be " Role playing"

Role playing is the concept of training by creating groups and assigning roles to each player. These players are given a situation and they are intent to perform the character. By performing they can improve

• Communication skills
• Knowledge implementation
• People handing skills
• Decision making skills Etc

4. Recommended new technologies:

• The companies can start posting web based learning modules of all the products, process, policies related to the company and there by the employees can learn in their own desks anytime.
• Virtual simulators can be used such as to train pilots for flying training
• They adopt software ,which provide scenario such as customer-manager buying process and feed responses , so the employee can get trained by asking queries and giving solutions to the problems
• They create games on real time situations and the employees are supposed to solve the problems and end the game. It can be used to teach risk management associated with the profile.
• Usage of Artificial intelligence, by which the modules can be customized based on each employees