What Is a Bank Teller
A bank teller handles thousands of dollars of cash, mortgage and loan payments, check deposits, and funds transfers, and is a bank's front line in building and maintaining customer relationships. Therefore, bank teller candidates should be detail oriented, accurate, friendly and personable, honest, reliable, and possess strong customer service skills. Financial institutions conduct interviews aimed at identifying these characteristics in potential employees.
Interview Tips
An interview is a necessary step in the hiring process, and being prepared for it gives the employer a good first impression of you. Here are some tips to get you through the progression of a job interview:
- Research information about the company, such as the mission statement, company history, and product line.
- Prior to the interview, practice answering questions that may be asked, such as what skills can you offer that are applicable to the position.
- Have a list of questions to ask the employer.
- Dress professionally.
- Bring a few copies of your resume, CV, reference list, or other important documentation.
- Turn off your cellular phone to avoid distractions.
- Smile and make eye contact with the greeter and interviewer.
- Be on time, preferably ten to fifteen minutes early.
- And following the interview, have an understanding of the next step in the hiring process.
Sample Questions During an Interview
The purpose of an interview is to give the bank an overall sense of your character, knowledge about the position, experience, and professional goals. Let's go over some examples of questions that might be asked at your interview:
- Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to work here?
- Customers can sometimes get very upset with bank policy. How would you handle a regular customer who is angry because they don't have the funds available in their account to withdraw and want you to bend the rules, just this once?
- Do you know the proper techniques for detecting counterfeit cash and fraudulent checks?
- What are your long-term goals? Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Describe a time that you had to handle an upset customer. What was the customer upset with? How was it resolved?
- What would you do if you saw a fellow employee take $100 that belonged to the bank? What if they only took $10?
- Can you explain our bank's various checking account options?
- What qualities do you think a bank teller should possess?
Employment Information
Potential bank tellers may be trusted with thousands of dollars and personal account information daily and therefore must be detail oriented, honest, and trustworthy. Bank tellers are required to balance all currency and cash transactions, receive payments and deposits, and prepare them for shipment to branch locations or the Federal Reserve Bank.
They also verify customer identity and document and currency authenticity and prepare cashier's checks. Bank tellers must demonstrate the calm and supportive demeanor needed for dealing with angry or upset customers.
In addition to honesty and customer service, banks appreciate individuals who excel at selling their products. When preparing for a bank teller interview, it is helpful to be acquainted with the bank's services and account options. A bank teller should be familiar with the products available for customers, and be able to explain them clearly to the customers.
Expected employment decline for bank tellers was predicted to be 12% between 2018 and 2028, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, who also reported the annual median wage for bank tellers as of May 2019 was $31,230.
