The public insight into the activities of banks is offered through their senior leadership – board chairmen, executive directors, customer service officers, whereas an important part of the team remains in the shade. As part of its special project, Banks.am will talk to the heads of important, yet behind-the-scenes, divisions of banks, whose daily efforts produce tangible results in the banking sector.

The first article of the special project features Alina Tsaturyan, Head of Staff of AraratBank, who talks about the main functions of the head of staff and peculiarities of the position, as well as promotes the awareness about the importance of interpersonal communication and its impact on work, bolstered by personal example.

Head of Staff as a link between subsystems

The rights and duties of heads of staff are almost the same in all banks. It's interesting how these rights and duties are fulfilled. The amount of effort you invest in doing your job is what matters here. This is a position which allows working closely with key persons of the bank, participating in the decision-making process, delivering the decision to the executive team and controlling its proper implementation.

The head of staff is not a decision-making body, but is a link connecting the corporate management subsystems of the bank. The head of staff constantly participates and tries to best contribute to the effective and smooth interaction of three core bodies of the bank - the Shareholders’ Meeting, the Board and the Executive Body.

Placing importance not only on the streamlining of the internal processes, but also on the quality of the services provided by the Bank, the head of staff can often function as a "secret customer". It is not actually stipulated as a right or a duty, but acting as a "secret customer", you can find out the real experiences that your customers have both at the bank's head office and in the branches, inform the relevant departments about the gaps that have been noted and remedy the proven flaws. It’s also an opportunity to check on the performance of the departments.

Generally, the harmony between the bank's internal processes lies in the bank-customer relationship. This is the other side of the coin, which shows an external picture in the form of a relationship between the bank and its customers.

Work discipline as a primary prerequisite

The key to a good work discipline is being on time for work, so I've made it a rule to start my working day coming to work on time and making sure that others abide by the same principle. After all, it’s the head of division that sets an example of discipline for staff members. My next task during the day is to verify that nothing prevents the staff from proceeding to work.

Part of the daily responsibilities of the head of staff is to exercise oversight over the entire document flow in the bank, including the incoming and outgoing flow and endorsement of documents by strictly adhering to deadlines. Respecting the importance of the provision of high-quality customer services and relevant representation of the bank, I pay particular attention to the compliance with the dress code established by the bank. These are the primary duties at the start of your working day as a head of staff.

Interpersonal communication as the cornerstone of a healthy bank

Without underestimating the importance of high-level professional skills, I consider human relations a priority. Human relationships are the bedrock upon which a healthy working relationship can be built. I have a golden rule, which says that the respect of your team members should be earned by your own example and behavior, not dictated or demanded by reason of your position.

At AraratBank, we highly value the team spirit, seeing each employee as an individual. When communicating with team members and subordinates, I always try to put myself in their shoes. Due to the nature of the work, I communicate with all departments, and, naturally, conflict situations and complaints may arise during the work. Here, it’s critically important to act as an independent arbiter. It’s indeed a great responsibility to try to sort things out and maintain a healthy team environment in a place where people spend most of their day. No matter whether the institution is financial or not, it cannot position itself in the market as an attractive employer, if it can’t boast a coherent team.

Challenges facing the head of staff

The first challenge for me is getting and keeping the right team together.

Knowing your team like the back of your hand is another challenge. Simply said, the employer must monitor its employees, pamper them with occasional surprises and encouragement, facilitate a balanced approach, which ensures “giving and receiving” in the relationship between the employee and the bank.

Another challenge is ensuring the continuity of balanced, coherent work processes within departments, which in turn promotes higher standards of the banking services.

“Rising together” both in the bank and in the mountains  

Outside of work, there is nothing more rewarding for me than to spend time with friends who are totally on the same wavelength as me, filled up with good vibrations and positive energy. It’s what keeps me coming back to work recharged, ready to build something new and “rise” with the team. The format of these meetings doesn’t really matter: we are open to anything from pottery to painting with wine, from a tea party to a hike.

Yoga, hiking, climbing mountains are some of the best ways to make me feel re-energized. I can say without a doubt that AraratBank’s slogan - "Rising together" - is truly present in my life: after climbing a mountain peak, I only found that there are many more peaks to climb.

There is always room for improvement at work as well. Along with our team, we work for daily improvement, starting with ourselves and encouraging other team members. Rising together, scaling the new heights ahead!

Arpi Jilavyan

Photos by Emin Aristakesyan