What are your most urgent training needs?

Chris Jillson, chief executive officer (CEO) for Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union in Albuquerque, N.M., thinks the credit union movement needs more "trusted advisers."

That's because this decade's biggest training challenge will be teaching employees how to gain fickle customers' trust, he says.

"The '80s and '90s were about training and cross-- selling. Now we're moving front-line employees from being transitional employees to knowledge workers," Jillson says. "We've coined the phrase 'trusted advisers' for our employees. We're going to need employees on the front line who are analytical and can become our members' trusted financial advisers. We need employees who can advise members what products and services are best for them and be able to customize products to the members' wants and needs."

Technology and time-or lack of it-are driving this change, Jillson says. Technology has made it easier for members to find products and services, and has increased expectations among members who can compare your local credit union with some of the world's most sophisticated online financial service providers. In the age of the Web, making a personal connection is the best way to gain a competitive advantage, Jillson contends.

"We have to add value to products and services. Being a trusted financial adviser is a value we'll be able to add," Jillson says.

Fortunately, credit unions are familiar with the idea of personal service. "Training goes hand-in-hand with service quality. It's a strategic advantage any credit union can offer. Employees need to become more analytical and more knowledgeable about all aspects of the products and services we offer. They need to be able to analyze members' financial pictures and recommend what's best for them."

As partnering with outside companies becomes more prevalent, credit union employees will need to be able to advise members about the new products and services those new business partners offer, Jillson says.

"We've found in our surveys that members are very loyal. But when it came to some nondeposit products, such as mutual funds, annuities, and securities, members didn't think of their credit union as the most knowledgeable source."

As a result, Sandia Laboratory Federal is working with the University of Phoenix and the University of New Mexico to help staff obtain certification in financial planning through continuing education.

"We're moving our credit union to a point where everyone on the front line could become certified financial planners or some level of that," Jillson says. "It's a big change. Employees used to just handle transactions. This is a step up from cross-selling. Employees are providing advice and guidance to members."

Technology will be an important tool for analyzing members' financial needs, Jillson adds.

"Along with the service quality and some of the other more common training that's taking place, one of our objectives is to go through the credit union and bring everyone to a higher level in terms of using our internal technologies."

Jillson is trying to make sure current employees aren't left behind as new hires come in who are more proficient at using financial analysis tools and other technologies.

"The challenge is to keep everyone happy while we change the whole structure of the credit union. New employees are hired with this knowledge, but the structure might not be in place to keep them happy at that level."

Jillson uses outside consultants or other partners to plan for and promote training. And he knows he needs additional training, too.

"I need to improve in the same areas that I'm requiring the staff to improve in. No one in the organization will be left out of this."

Sherry Thomas, CEO of Augusta (Ga.) Industrial Federal Credit Union agrees that learning and training challenges involve the entire organizational chart.

"It's more of a cultural change," Thomas says. "We have to change our employees' way of thinking. They need to think along the lines of selling the credit union's products and services rather than just being order takers. They need to know how to sell. They need to know what the member wants before the member comes in here.

"People are much more impulsive today and they're not as loyal to the credit union as they once were. So if we're not thinking ahead for the members, they're going to go elsewhere."

To get employees acclimated to the credit union's new environment, Thomas says she's turned to her league for information and to consultants for training. "One person came in and introduced the whole selling environment to us," she explains.

Thomas considers training programs a top priority. "Don't assume training is happening within your credit union," she advises. "As CEOs, we need to be sure training is ongoing."

CEO Dennis Johnson of Auto Body Credit Union in Lansing, Mich., agrees that keeping abreast of trends is important. But he remains clearly focused on the basics.

"If you take care of the members first, you don't have to worry about your competition. I'm always focused on the members. It's all about trying to understand what members need so we can respond."

Not that keeping staff attuned to members is easy. "As we move from the World War II generation to aging baby boomers to generation X, members are becoming very electronically minded. We have to understand how to meet that challenge. How do we grow from that brick-and-mortar base to an e-commerce base and find a good balance?

"E-commerce is really going to affect all of us. Credit unions are struggling with how to provide e-commerce services and train staff to function in that new environment. That's the wave of the future. It's something we have to address both in terms of technical skills and the ability to converse with our members."

Johnson uses a clearly defined process to address training challenges as they arise. "The first thing I did was assess our training needs and our skill level. I brought in training professionals to survey management and staff to determine their needs. Then they compared their findings with my perception of the credit union since I've been here."

That isn't to imply CEOs should discount what they hear directly or indirectly from staff. "Listen to your staff," Johnson advises. "Go to them and find out what they think their training needs are. Then, match that with what you think their needs are. If you can build a bridge between these two perspectives, you'll get there. That's what I'm trying to do."

Jillson maintains that outside sources are useful, too. "Gain as much knowledge as you can about the best training practices and don't hesitate to look outside of the industry," he advises. "There are many great leaders and corporations out there. Look at them and what they've done."

In the end, Thomas says CEOs might have to bridge a generation gap to get their training message across. "Trying to teach credit union philosophy to new employees is becoming more difficult. They're here for a job, not necessarily because they buy into credit union philosophy."

Copyright Credit Union National Association, Inc. Feb 2000
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