A new HR executive, just stepping into their new role, realized something interesting—they had three employees, all titled Tellers, but each role’s essential duties were wildly different.

• Teller #1 was in college, greeting members and cashing checks.
• Teller #2 was creating the frontline schedule, had larger check holds than the others, and was trained to be back up for opening accounts when needed.
• Teller #3 had been there for almost 20 years. She navigated the core system like a hacker, and other tellers called her “the Oracle.”

Then there was “AVP of Member Experience”, a title recently given to a long-term teller who could open accounts, take consumer loans, open CDs, and had recently taken over answering the phones and giving directions to the bathroom.

When HR brought this to leadership, they joked: “We don’t really have three tellers doing three different jobs…? And an AVP doing customer service, do we? Have we been building job titles using Mad Libs?”

All jokes aside, this HR pro already knew the answer: they needed a solid job architecture.

The result: After it was all sorted, the entry-level Teller got clearer growth expectations, and Teller #2 became a Senior Teller. Teller #3 became a Senior Member Service Specialist, and after a delicately navigated conversation, the AVP’s title changed to Member Service Rep, who was backup to the teller line. 

And the best part? Now, no one had to guess who did what or why someone with AVP in their title was still giving directions to the restroom.

 

Job architecture is a crucial strategic asset for banks and credit unions navigating change, growth, and increasing competition for talent.

 

The process should be thoughtful and methodical, balancing organizational structure, employee experience, and skills with company needs. Start by deciding whether it’s being built for the entire organization or focusing on specific departments (e.g., IT, lending, operations) and then expanding from there.

 

1. Perform an inventory of all jobs by gathering current job titles, descriptions, and org charts.
2. Then group the roles into job families such as Branch/Retail Operations, Lending, Risk/Compliance, IT, etc.
3. Once this is done, you can categorize the job levels within each family and establish a progression—starting with entry-level roles and moving through mid/senior-level roles.

 

It’s possible you may only need a senior level if you only have one incumbent in the role. Define the minimum expectations for each level, such as scope of responsibilities, level of independent judgement, complexity of duties, and experience/education needed to succeed. Keep in mind, it’s entirely possible to see two levels of a position in the same salary grade if they aren’t doing different things at a higher level at least 35% of the time.

 

The difference in duties impacts the salary grade, not the title.

 

Job descriptions should be standardized, with the position’s overview, essential duties, and education and experience levels outlined. Align titles across similar roles with key responsibilities and qualifications tied to the job level. Once roles and levels are defined, benchmark them using salary surveys, considering internal equity to support both consistent and competitive compensation. Once the structure is in place, HR will be able to benchmark roles more easily/accurately using market data. 

Standardized job levels and descriptions simplify recruiting, onboarding, performance reviews, and compensation management. In growing or merging institutions, job architecture can help align departments and ensure that the right roles are in place to support those departmental and corporate goals. Having this foundation is essential before succession planning can be addressed. This whole process should be reevaluated every three to five years to ensure it is still relevant to the organization. 

Job architecture helps illuminate the path to progression within the organization. This transparency helps build trust, which is crucial in regulated and compliance-driven industries. Helping to identify career paths and gaps, as well as providing a roadmap for organizational and employee development ultimately makes it easier to retain top talent. Employees benefit from knowing how their role contributes to the bigger picture and what steps they can take to advance.

 

The bottom line: Building a strong job architecture can be one of the most impactful HR strategies for a growing financial institution.

 

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