A bank manager is a leader of people who ensures that the staff gives customers a good banking experience.
This was said by Gnano Naidoo, branch manager of Nedbank retail in Springs.
She had been working for a bank for the past 25 years.
In years gone past the skills you needed for this job was competence in the work, skills and experience to become a bank manager.
Those years you had to work yourself up from a clerk to get to this position. This is what she did after starting at Standard Bank in Dundee years ago.
She started working for Nedbank in 1988 and she has been manager for 18 years.
Before becoming manager of the Springs branch, Naidoo amongst others, worked in foreign exchange. This was a huge advantage to her career, as not many bank officials at that stage specialised in this.
Naidoo said when she looks at someone’s CV who has applied for a job at the bank, she is searching for the ability to lead people.
New times had arrived when a graduate who never worked as a teller could become a bank manager.
Although mathematics was an advantage to someone considering a banking career, management often only considers a candidate with a degree.
Being able to communicate in English is very important to anyone considering working in a bank.
“What is important is that a bank manager must be a leader,” she emphasised.
This person must be able to sacrifice a lot, be committed and be dedicated to the work.
The bank manager also has to be able to communicate efficiently and have empathy with the staff, as well as the customers.
Bank managers and officials also must have integrity, be transparent and be trustworthy, because they work with people’s money.
Where old school bank managers were stuffed away behind closed doors, they now have an open-door policy for personnel and clients.
The bank manager of today must have the ability to empower the people who work in their branch to serve their customers, because his results depend on the success of the people working for him.
Naidoo said it was important that the manager helps personnel in the bank to become multi-skilled, because they will serve their customers better and set the scene for optimal performance as a branch.
She said above all, the bank manager of today must love working with people and be able to respect others, whether employees or customers .
