How To Hire A Bank Teller

A bank teller is an individual who works as part of a team in the daily functioning of a bank branch. Bank tellers are responsible for meeting and greeting customers, actioning customer banking requests, promoting new banking products, and ensuring that banking regulations are met.

Their role is focused on the functioning of the bank to serve its customers. This includes confirming customers' identities prior to carrying out transactions, actioning withdrawal and deposit requests from customers, and dealing with customers' account queries.

Bank tellers need to demonstrate a wide range of skills in their roles. When recruiting for a bank teller, screening your applicant pool to determine which candidates demonstrate these essential skills is vital.

This article explores the soft skills, technical abilities, and aptitudes needed by all successful bank tellers. Also covered are the tests that you can use as part of your recruitment process to ensure you hire suitable candidates.

What should a bank teller be able to do?

The primary duties of a bank teller are customer focused. They should deliver the highest quality of customer service as aligned to the bank's brand.

Bank tellers deal with customer cash queries, process deposits, and withdrawals on behalf of customers, and ensure that any new banking products are marketed to customers as appropriate.

Their role involves upholding the integrity of their branch by ensuring that the cash is handled properly at the start and end of each shift, raising any discrepancies with their team leader or branch manager.

Bank tellers must make accurate recordings and checks of customer's transactions, ensuring that the customers have adequate funds in their account for transactions to be processed, amounts are correctly inputted and recorded and where the transaction is a cash payout, and the correct amount of cash is dispensed to the customer.

They are the first point of contact for customers with queries and are expected to deal with and resolve customers' account queries in person and over the phone.

Bank tellers also play their part in ensuring the bank runs efficiently. This includes ordering cash supplies and replenishing cash drawers, processing information concerning customers' queries, such as new account openings, and promoting new products to customers where they feel this would benefit them.

Skills to look for in a bank teller

The role of a bank teller is varied and requires individuals to have several skills if they are to carry out their role effectively.

When hiring bank tellers, you must evaluate candidates within your applicant pool against these skills and abilities. By doing so, you ensure that the people you hire are the best fit for the role you have to fill.

Reading comprehension: bank tellers need to be able to read, understand and analyse a wide variety of source information, such as reports from their bank manager, reports generated around cash reconciliation, or customers' information concerning a loan application.

Active listening: bank tellers deal with several stakeholders: their team, customers, and higher management, such as the bank's manager. Having the skills to listen to others and ask appropriate questions to elicit necessary information helps bank tellers make the correct decisions given the situation.

Problem-solving: the role of a bank teller requires individuals to problem solve. Having the skills to analyse the situation and decide on the best course of action is essential if a bank teller is to ensure the smooth and efficient running of their branch, keeping the reputation and integrity of the branch intact.

Attention to detail: bank tellers need exceptional attention to detail, having the skill to spot errors or discrepancies and take appropriate remedial action as necessary. They also need to work under pressure, demonstrating attention to detail in all they do.

Microsoft Office Suite: having the ability to use the Microsoft Office Suite confidently enables bank tellers to produce reports in the appropriate format and complete any customer paperwork efficiently.

Useful abilities for a bank teller

Bank tellers need several abilities to be efficient in their roles. These abilities are inherent to their personality, meaning they can excel in this varied and challenging role.

Deductive reasoning: having the ability to solve problems using deductive reasoning means that bank tellers can make appropriate decisions that are in the best interests of the bank and its customers.

Inductive reasoning: when dealing with customers' issues, bank tellers use their inductive reasoning to come to logical conclusions. Their experience and understanding enable them to deal with problems and find the most appropriate solution.

Numerical reasoning: bank tellers use numerical data daily in their role. Having the ability to use this data to solve problems and make decisions based on this data ensures that bank tellers keep within financial regulations, and ensure the smooth running of their branches.

Written comprehension: the ability to read and interpret all forms of written documentation means that bank tellers can make the correct decisions for their customers and the bank.

Time management: bank tellers need to be able to focus on different tasks, switching this focus as necessary between tasks to support those in their team and the bank's customers.

Which soft skills tests could I use to hire a bank teller?

When recruiting bank tellers, there are several tests you can include as part of your recruitment process to determine which applicants have the skills needed for the role.

Decision making test: a test that assesses individuals on their critical thinking and ability to make appropriate decisions in any given situation. This test also assesses an individual's time management skills and their skill in working under pressure to make decisions using the information available to them.

Interpersonal skills: a scenario-based test that evaluates an individual's ability to deal with different situations with empathy and integrity. The test also looks at whether individuals communicate effectively with others, and assesses their emotional awareness in situations they may face as a bank teller.

Accountability: bank tellers are responsible for actioning customers' banking requests in line with their instructions. This test assesses individuals' integrity and ownership of decisions and how well their values, characteristics, and traits align with the role. This assessment is scenario-based, using situations individuals may encounter when in the role.

Which technical or aptitude tests could I use to hire a bank teller?

Evaluating candidates on the technical skills and abilities needed to succeed is advisable for bank teller roles. There are many tests that you can use to do this:

Error checking test: a timed assessment where individuals work with numerical and written information. Candidates work under pressure to identify errors in the information, demonstrating their attention to detail and speed of accuracy.

Logical reasoning test: assesses an individual's ability to make logical decisions when solving complex problems. This timed assessment uses non-verbal information. Candidates need to use analytical thinking to determine the relationship or pattern between symbols or images, then select which of the multiple choice answers is the most appropriate.

Numerical reasoning: a test of an individual's reasoning ability using numerical information. In this timed assessment, individuals need to solve numerical problems using their knowledge of basic mathematical principles. All questions are multiple-choice and are presented in the form of graphs, tables, or charts.

Verbal reasoning: candidates are assessed on their ability to read, understand and analyse short passages of text. This test also assesses an individual's understanding of written words and expressions. Then use what they have learned to solve the problems that follow.

Microsoft Excel: a practical assessment of an individual's ability to use Microsoft excel and all of the applicant's functionality. In doing so, the assessment determines whether candidates can use excel to enable the smooth operation of the bank and reporting.

Our recommended test battery for a bank teller

When recruiting for bank manager roles, we would advise including the following tests as part of your recruitment process:

Numerical reasoning: a test that determines whether candidates can use numerical data to solve complex problems.

Error checking test:an assessment of a candidate's attention to detail and selective focus when working under pressure. This test determines whether candidates are able to spot irregularities in information.

Interpersonal skills: evaluating candidates on how well they communicate with others in various situations. Individuals are assessed on their compassion, integrity, and emotional awareness in cases they are likely to face when in the role.

Accountability: a test determining how well candidates are aligned to the role. The test is scenario based and determines whether individuals take ownership of their decisions, demonstrate integrity in the role, and have the inherent characteristics to fulfil the role effectively.

Microsoft Excel: an assessment tool used to determine whether candidates can use Microsoft Excel as aligned to the needs of a bank teller.

To learn more about streamlining your hiring process, check out our bank teller job knowledge test.