How to Educate Your Most Skeptical Member Service Reps on New Digital Transformation Processes into the Next Year for a Better Experience in Your Credit Union Education

What if your newest MSRs could get their credit union education through technology? They could learn about the industry and their daily training without pulling in an already-over-scheduled manager. And, when they do interact with their managers and executives, they can focus on moving work forward, not just learning what the work is.

Studies show MSRs who learn new skills or behaviors online use up to 60% less employee time than learning the same material in a traditional classroom. And, retention for your existing MSRs improves, too, by 60%, over face-to-face training because they’re learning at their own pace. They’re able to jump back through the material again and again (and again).

As the pressures to adopt new digital capabilities for your members mounts, have you thought about how transformation efforts can help your frontline MSRs? And, maybe even more importantly, have you included them in the process of exploring new innovations?

Companies that communicate with their teams across all levels of the organization are 8x more likely to achieve transformation success than those who don’t. And, in company-wide transformations, this goes up to 12.4x. That means, so long as you keep your team in the loop, they’ll be likely to jump on board with your digital strategy.

Here are five more steps you can take to get your MSRs behind new technology:

1. Choose your technology wisely

If adoption is the goal with your new tech – be it a core system, contact center platform, or anything in between – think about how your team will use it. Functionality is critical, of course. But so is user-friendliness.

Find a system that leads an MSR through their processes to make their job easier and experience better. Choose the most approachable, intuitive technology and make sure it talks with the other systems you already have in place.

2. Create a shared purpose

Align your leaders on a differentiated digital transformation strategy that’s overflowing with your own DNA – your behaviors and cultures. Then, connect every person’s role in the company (not just the front line) to your technology vision. Show your teams the benefits the tech will have on your membership base and how it’ll help them in their day-to-day.

Let them see what’s in it for them.

As you develop your technology vision, consider why your credit union exists. In other words, what’s your mission? What are the values you hold dearest to support your membership base? Then ask yourself these questions:

• Do all of your employees understand your credit union’s mission and values? Do they demonstrate them in their daily processes?
• What are your company-wide goals? Do all of your teams know those goals?
• Do you have the resources, knowledge, and ideas to add innovation into your member and employee experience?

Once you have the answers documented, circulate them. Then, use them to drive team members at every level in the same direction.

 3. Find your adoption champions

You already know your team’s influencers, so get them fully invested in your new technology in the early stages of your digital transformation. As you phase in your change management, these folks can work across your credit union to coach peers on using the tools for their benefit.

Companies who fail to engage their managers and frontline employees in their transformation efforts report 3% success, according to McKinsey & Company. Compare that with the 26% and 28% success rates when both groups are engaged.

“The key to digital transformation is agility and the ability to constantly renew yourself.” – Isabelle Minneci, Director of HR,  L’Oreal

This group shouldn’t just be your IT team, but pull from every team that’ll touch the tech. Include your star performers and big talkers, and yes, the tech-y team members who just want to score early access to your newest innovations.

4. Customize your training programs

You have MSRs of all ages and tech-savviness working in your credit union. So don’t waste your time (or theirs) by mandating a single course of training for your team. Instead, ask them how they’d like to be trained.

Some employees might prefer an online training session while others may need more handholding with a personal coach. Others may learn by getting hands-on inside the platform. These folks will make great influencers (see step 3) and peer coaches.

Giving them decision-making power in the training process ups the chances they’ll retain and use the training.

5. Highlight your team’s quick wins with the technology

After your employees are up and running with the technology, draw attention to the positive impact it’s having on your members. Give your team an inside view of how their actions in the technology are making the experience easier for the folks interacting with your credit union on the daily.

Publicizing quick wins helps build a stronger case for change and it encourages your laggards to get on board.

Encourage individual gains, too. For instance, if Ellen uses this technology and she’s been able to reduce wait time by 40% quarter over quarter, then celebrate that.

Craving more information on what digital trends are taking over the credit union industry next year? Check out this article on how to modernize your credit union!