10 Key Attributes Tellers Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Michael Davis

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Tellers receive and pay out money. Keep records of money and negotiable instruments involved in a financial institution's various transactions.

The core tasks that tellers are likely to carry out include:

Cash checks and pay out money after verifying that signatures are correct, that written and numerical amounts agree, and that accounts have sufficient funds.
Receive checks and cash for deposit, verify amounts, and check accuracy of deposit slips.
Enter customers' transactions into computers to record transactions and issue computer-generated receipts.
Balance currency, coin, and checks in cash drawers at ends of shifts, and calculate daily transactions using computers, calculators, or adding machines.
Examine checks for endorsements and to verify other information such as dates, bank names, identification of the persons receiving payments and the legality of the documents.
Count currency, coins, and checks received, by hand or using currency-counting machine, to prepare them for deposit or shipment to branch banks or the Federal Reserve Bank.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that tellers would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Having a strong preference for conventional work environments. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 95.29%

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 92.6%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 91%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 90%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.8%

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 88%

Maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 86.6%

Being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.8%

A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.4%

Accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.4%