Survey Says 95% of Bank Employees Prefer Managing Their Schedules with Mobile App

New Zebra Reflexis survey shows growing interest in mobile scheduling app; greater schedule flexibility would make associates more likely to stay with current employer

Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge,announced the results of its third annual International Branch Banking Employee Survey. The findings indicate nearly 80% of banks are operating without a software solution to assist with task management and employee scheduling, resulting in inaccurate scheduling of branch staff, less time to focus on the customer experience as well as risks related to security and compliance.

With more bank branch closures and shrinking labor pools, scheduling has become even more important in driving employee job satisfaction. One out of three survey respondents said current scheduling processes make them less satisfied, and 20% of respondents have even considered quitting their jobs due to scheduling issues.

Only 38% reported being able to request shift swaps from their mobile devices in an industry which is shifting toward mobile-first platforms, largely driven by the convenience expected by the rise of the on-demand economy. Ninety-five percent of respondents prefer a mobile app to manage their schedules, shift swaps and scheduling preferences – this is nearly a ten-point increase from 2021. In addition, 95% said greater flexibility and control over their schedule would make them more likely to stay with their current employer.

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Speaking of time, the majority of branch banking field leaders report spending between nine to 10 hours each week assisting with the schedule, and 60% still rely on in-house or manual scheduling processes. Unfortunately, 84% of those surveyed said forecasts are only occasionally accurate to predict customer volume, and 55% do not have customer appointments fully integrated into their forecasts which can result in longer wait times and unprepared staff. The mobile-first, AI-powered forecasting platform, Reflexis for Banking helps banks ensure the right people are at the right place guided to the right activities at the right time to reduce cost, improve execution and grow revenue.

“More than three out of four banks (78%) don’t have a software solution to assist with task management and employee scheduling,” said Brian Wallace, General Manager of Banking, Zebra Technologies. “Using intelligent software to digitize key processes across their operations, banks can increase the efficiencies of their workflows, reduce cost, risk and errors and enable their employees to have more time to build essential relationships with their customers.”

The survey also highlighted pain points for branch managers related to risk and compliance. The sharing of customer information on non-sanctioned channels was up 10% from last year with 61% of bank employees sharing customers’ personally identifiable information outside of bank-approved communication channels. In addition, 40% of employees reported using non-sanctioned communication tools such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and texting to collaborate with colleagues, posing a serious compliance and information security risk leading to potential data leakage.

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“Nearly nine in 10 (87%) of the survey respondents say their overall job satisfaction would improve if the time spent on administrative, non-customer-facing activities was reduced,” added Wallace. “With the right software and workforce management system, branch managers can streamline and digitize their processes to focus their teams on deepening customer relationships.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Findings of the Zebra Reflexis Third Annual International Branch Banking Employee Survey show nearly 80% of banks are operating without a software solution to assist with both task management and employee scheduling.
• Ninety-five percent of respondents prefer a mobile app to manage their schedules, shift swaps and scheduling preferences – a nearly ten-point increase from 2021.
• Deploying the right technology can improve the accurate scheduling of branch staff, increase time to focus on the customer experience and reduce risks related to security and compliance.
• Zebra’s Reflexis for Banking empowers teams to drive value by simplifying communications, enhancing execution and aligning labor with demand via AI-powered forecasting.

SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

The third annual International Branch Banking Employee Survey was conducted in February 2022 by third-party research firm Momentive. It includes feedback from over 1,300 bank branch employees across 10 countries including the U.S., UK, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy and the Netherlands.

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