The next Branch Manager that we hire here at City National Bank needs to be adaptable and flexible as our market demands change over time. What have you done in recent years to promote your own personal and professional development to promote adaptabili

"Last year, I participated in a training seminar in my current industry that focused on providing excellent customer service in the digital age and the training really helped focus my mindset moving forward as a manager. I pulled several great marketing and customer service tactics that would be great in many industries, but I also feel that they'd be excellent in the banking industry."

To remain successful in a continually changing environment, City National Bank will expect you to be a flexible and adaptable leader in this role to help ensure the success of the branch into the future. To help drill down to your ability to do this, your interviewer is looking to get insight on how you have handled your own professional development to remain adaptable to your job. Prior to your interview, be sure to consider all of the training and development that you've done over time and talk about a thing or two that really exemplifies your will and desire to get better at your work and, in turn, the success of your organization.

"Over the past five years, I've had some great training on employment law, ethics and presentation skills that will all be relevant to this role. But for me personally, the greatest thing that I've done with my family is volunteering at the local food pantry. While it has taught my children many valuable lessons, I have taken a great sense of humility from this time into my work life."

Have you ever operated a currency counting machine or a coin counter?

"While I don't have direct experience working with currency counting technology, I feel very comfortable in my ability to learn how the machines here at City National Bank operate. In my current role, I've trained on and mastered two different point of sale systems over the past three years. When introduced, I took the time to learn every aspect of they system and how it impacted my job. Through the training processes, I was attentive and hands on to make sure I could hit the ground running on the sales floor. Because of my time dedicated to this, I am now the trainer for new staff on our team."

To help save time and ensure accuracy, City National Bank has invested in cash counting technology to help automate cash counting processes within its branches. As a Teller with City National Bank, a part of your job will be operating and troubleshooting these machines on a daily basis. Your interviewer will likely be able to simply answer this question themselves by simply looking at your resume. What they are really looking to hear is that you have some tech savviness in working with simple machines in any of your work experience. If you do have direct experience with currency counting machines, that is great! If not, there is no need to worry as long as you can talk about your ability to learn and thrive with different technologies and give examples of times where you've had to do just that.

"Other than cashing in change in my own bank's lobby, I don't have direct experience. But, I do consider myself to have a very high technical acuity when it comes to machinery and technology. If offered a Teller position here at City National Bank, one of my first priorities would be to become an expert on all systems that I would be required to work on. In my last role, I had to do just this with the phone and computer systems that were specific to my role and I did this with ease."

Talk about a time where you felt overwhelmed by your job duties. What did you do to stay organized and on track with everything happening?

"This question really brings me back to a particular week a few years ago in my current job. It was late fall as the holiday shopping season was ramping up and our store was very short staffed due to a maternity leave and two employees leaving on short notice. While we were short staffed in the store, it took a full team effort to ensure that customer questions were being answered, shelves were stocked and registers weren't getting backed up. To stay organized, the small team we had on staff worked off of a checklist each day to ensure we weren't missing anything important. Constant communication and flexibility was key for our success as we continually helped each other out on important things throughout the day. For me personally at the end of each day, I took a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I kept my head focused and did a great job."

At some point during your career up to this point, you've faced a time where you felt completely overwhelmed while on the job. As you answer this question, try to paint a clear picture for your interviewer that explains all of the contributing factors to you being overwhelmed. Then, proceed to focus most of your answer on talking about the skills and resources you utilized to keep you on track and focused during this difficult time. In the end, your interviewer is ideally looking to hear that you can stay organized and on track no matter how busy things get if you're hired to join the team at City National Bank.

"Over the past four years, my current department has cut staff by almost 50% while the overall amount of work has remained steady. This has led to my total duties doubling over the course of four years. While this has been very overwhelming for, and even detrimental to others that I work with, my ability to handle the stress has been very important. The best thing that I do is set time aside at the end of each day to recap what I've done and make a plan for what to handle the next day. Some of my colleagues can't believe that I set aside 30 minutes to plan, but I know that making a plan actually saves me considerable time in the long run and makes me more productive. As well, on days where I do feel very overwhelmed, it is important to take some personal time during a break to step away and get some fresh air. A quick 10 minute walk outside really helps refresh me for another half day of work."

At City National Bank, we are building a very team based culture. If hired for this position, what would you be able to contribute to this team based culture?

"If hired for this role, I understand that I'd be working among a great team of Tellers, Loan Officers, Analysts and Advisers and I really love this aspect of the role here at City National Bank. In my current role, I work closely with our administrative and sales staff to help ensure smooth operations on a daily basis. I rely on my ability be upfront in speaking with everyone that I work with, no matter what role they play with the organization. I have no worries in walking into the office of our CFO to talk on a regular basis and wouldn't hesitate to do so if needed for this role."

As City National Bank continually builds a team based atmosphere within their branches, they want to ensure that new employees that are brought aboard are true team players that will thrive in their culture. As you answer this question, be sure to stress to your interviewer that you are a team player by talking about your experiences in working as part of a team. Talk in detail about what roles you are comfortable in assuming in a team atmosphere and then discuss your own personality traits that make you a great team player. If possible, try to stress the importance of and your ability to communicate effectively to your interviewer.

"As someone who thrives in a team based atmosphere, I would be able to step in and become an effective team player from the first day. I have taken the lead on many project teams during my career and love the responsibility of taking charge on these teams. As well, I can also take directions from others on my team when needed. I have a communication style that is very confident, friendly and professional no matter who I work with. During my career, I've been complimented for my openness to feedback from others and my willingness to help other members of my team when needed."

Give me an example of how you keep track of details while engaging in conversation.

"A customer came into the branch with multiple requests. To ensure that I addressed each of their needs, I wrote down a few notes for myself to gather the information. This was also helpful because when I needed to answer the phone in the middle of the transaction, I didn't forget any of the important details and I was able to resolve both requests promptly. All the while, I kept the customer engaged and made sure their banking experience was enjoyable."

Multi-tasking is a great skill to have within the banking industry. Share a situation that demonstrates your ability to handle the daily tasks of a busy banking environment.

"To keep track of transaction details, while engaging in conversation, I will ask the customer questions or repeat what they are saying to me. This helps me to commit their needs to memory while still appearing engaged, and in the moment."

How would you rate your comfort level receiving money and counting back many to our customers here at City National Bank?

"Because of my cashier experience in the retail industry, I would say I'm very comfortable in handling and counting large sums of cash very accurately. I was responsible for transactions made via cash, check and credit card and at the end of every shift, I had to reconcile my till. I'm happy to say that I never had an issue with a till that was off at the end of a shift or a customer that complained about change that I had given them. This was all due to the extra time that I took to ensure accuracy in every transaction."

As a Teller with City National Bank, you will be responsible for the receipt of cash and distribution of cash to customers that come into the lobby and drive-thru of the branch location you would be working at. Your interviewer will be looking to hear about any direct experience that you have in handling money during your career. As you talk about any experience that you do have, be sure to make it clear that you take pride in the accuracy of your work and that you show honesty and integrity that all you do in working with sums of cash.

"While I don't have direct work experience as a Cashier or Teller handling cash, I would still say that I'm confident in my abilities to handle that aspect of the job here at City National Bank. As you can see from my resume, my experience in finance has had me balancing accounting ledgers and those duties required a strict attention to detail and a high level of integrity in the work that I performed. I think this experience would help me transition very nicely to this role."

If hired for this role with City National Bank, how would you handle a large workload of clients working through a mortgage process?

"In my current role, I'm able to handle a very large workload with my ability to stay organized on the job. If you could take a tour of my office, you'd see that I maintain a neat and clean desk with a very organized file cabinet of my current workload. If I need to shift gears and move on to work with another client, I can easily access information on the fly and keep moving. I also utilize my Outlook calendar to set deadline reminders to stay on track of closing deadlines and paperwork requirements and the tasks function within the program helps me stay right on track with all of my clients I am working with at a given time."

At the heart of this question, your interviewer is looking to find out how you manage a busy workload by having you talk about your organization skills on the job. In your answer, talk about the skills you have and the tools that you use to stay organized and on-track while handling a large workload. Don't hesitate to talk about the software programs that you use and any other tactics that you use to ensure that all deadlines are met and no issues occur with clients because of too large of a workload. In the end, your interviewer wants to walk away from this question knowing that you'll be able to provide top notch service to the clients of City National Bank.

"During my time working a large client load as a mortgage consultant, my success was due to my efficiency and organization on the job. If hired for this role with City National Bank, my efficiency would be very high because of my experience with the entire mortgage loan closing process and my ability to handle certain challenges quickly with that experience. From there, my organizational skills within the loan process software I have experience with kick in to help me keep each client on track with their loan process."

If you were on the job here at City National Bank and a customer came to you with a very odd request that you did not know the answer to or how to solve, how would you handle that situation?

"If I were faced with any question that I didn't know the answer to on the job, I would confidently explain to the customer that I would need to bring in another teammate to help solve the issue and would do so quickly. While I always try to be a subject matter expert on any job that I do, working with external customers can always bring new things. If I could use any resources like a company intranet page or other documentation to help solve the issue myself, I wouldn't hesitate to do that either."

If hired for this role at City National Bank, you will have the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of customers. Given that variety, the number of unique, and often odd, requests that could come your way are pretty great. Whether a customer is looking to transfer money to another country or some other odd request, your interview is hoping to learn that you are able to think on your feet and not get flustered in any situation you may face on the job. As you answer the question, stay focused on the professional and resourceful approach that you would take with customers when put in this situation and don't hesitate to talk about any similar experiences you've handled in the past on the job.

"First, I would make sure that I fully understood the situation by asking more questions of the customer and would do so in a very polite and professional manner. To ensure that the customer knows a plan moving forward, I would then explain my next course of action. If it was an issue that I had to approach my manager about, I would do so immediately and I would show the customer where they could wait in the lobby. If I would be consulting any documentation or other resources, I would do the same with the customer to not have a holdup in the lobby. Then, I would work diligently to find an answer and make sure the customer was handled in a respectful and efficient manner."

The banking industry can be stressful. Tell me about a time when you worked in a high-pressure situation.

"When I was working as an administrator at a financial firm, I worked in a very high-pressure environment. There was one case that was highly sensitive and required me to pay extra attention to detail. I had limited time to prepare the paperwork, but I was still able to support the lawyer and the client, by staying calm and carefully providing everything they needed. I asked questions to clarify the deadlines that needed to be met and set daily goals to meet them."

While working at City National Bank you might find yourself stressed by customers or the fast pace of the work environment. Think of a time where you produced your best work under pressure to showcase how you shine under high-pressure situations.

"Almost every day in my banking career has been filled with high-pressure situations. When I am faced with a stressful situation, I remind myself to slow down, breathe, and assess the situation before jumping in with both feet. Customers seem always to appreciate my calm and methodical approach."

How would you respond to a customer complaint?

"A customer called me very frustrated about an issue with their bank account. I listened and told them I would be happy to help. I asked more questions to understand the problem and then suggested once I had a better idea of what might solve it. The customer was very relieved and grateful that I took the time to listen and make sense of the issue. I plan to provide consistent customer service in the same way when I work for City National Bank."

The interviewer would like to be assured that you can professionally handle customer complaints. Give an example of a time you helped resolve a customer's issue.

"Each customer complaint is unique; however, I have been trained to handle them all with the same method. Listen, be empathetic, and use phrases such as 'If I understand your concern...' and repeat their words back to them. This method has always worked for me."

If a customer at City National Bank had increased savings as their main personal financial goal, what steps would you take with them to get them started down the right path?

"After I had done my due diligence in getting to know the need's of the customer, my first step would be educating them on setting a personal budget that allows for savings. I would take a keen look at their monthly income versus their monthly expenses while also taking into account their variable spending on a monthly basis. Often, by simply doing this, customers are dumbfounded by how much wasteful spending they have going on in their lives. While the customer makes the final decisions on how to best handle, I can use my expertise to help guide them on their savings journey."

As you look to interview for a Personal Banker position with City National Bank, be sure to expect a question or two that really digs into the technical abilities that you would bring to the position in the form of a hypothetical situation that you will likely face in this role. This question is allowing your interviewer to gain insight into your knowledge of sound financial savings philosophies so be sure to talk about important aspects of a customer's finances that can impact their ability to save. As you answer, express that you would use a logical, yet tailored, approach with each customer in this situation.

"The first and most important step to this process is helping the customer truly see their financial situation by delving into their income and expenses. Based on that analysis, the customer then decides which of the factors of income and expenses can be altered to help increase their savings. From there, I would work with them on the best methods for saving and would take a personalized approach to recommending savings accounts or money market accounts with City National Bank."

As a Personal Banker at City National Bank, how would you select products to suggest to our customers?

"To do this effectively, I would rely on my ability to get to know my customers and their needs and I do this through confident and friendly conversation with them. Once I know their needs and goals moving forward, I can then take a wise approach to our product base to get them involved with the products that help them meet their goals. Last year, I did this with a customer that I had over a years worth of history with. Through both email and in-person conversations, I learned that early retirement was definitely a goal of his and I used the benefits of our IRA accounts to help him open one and thrive moving forward."

At the heart of the role of a Personal Banker falls your ability to use your sales skills and customer service skills to match products that best suit each individual customer's needs. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you can do just that. As you answer this question, highlight your ability to learn and know the entire catalog of financial products you would have at your disposal and then switch to your sales skills mode where you talk about tailoring packages to each individual based on their needs. To really sell your interviewer on your ability, try to use a real world example where you used features and benefits to meet someone's needs in a sales related situation.

"If hired for this role at City National Bank, my first goal would be to learn the entire package of personal accounts, savings, loans and investment products that customers here can take advantage of. Armed with that knowledge, I would then rely on my ability to get to know my customers and what they find important to them to help them grow and thrive into the future. I believe that my background in sales will help me to match the great products here at City National Bank with each individual's needs because I've done this in both the automotive sales industry and the food industry."

Here at City National Bank, part of your job will entail talking to our customers about sensitive and confidential information. How will you handle these situations if offered this position?

"When faced with this situation, I would ensure that the conversation between the customer and myself would be done quietly and with any documents out of the view of others. A person's financial situation is private and I would take all necessary measures to keep conversations as private as possible in this role. In my current role, I have frequent private phone conversations with customers and I need to keep the same mindset with them as I would in this job."

At times in this role, you will be required to discuss the confidential finances of customers and this will happen during customer deposits, withdrawals and payments to the bank. When these situations happen during times where the lobby is busy with other customers, you will be required to speak with customers in a very quiet manner. As you answer this question, make sure that you reiterate that you are aware of the sensitive nature of the transactions you will be working on with customers at City National Bank and talk about how you will go about ensuring that a customers private information is kept private. If you have worked in situations that involved confidential material in the past, be sure to talk about them as well.

"Having worked with confidential data and information through my entire career, this part of the job at City National Bank would be second nature to me. By keeping a neat and tidy work area, I would be able to ensure that any customer information was filed appropriately after each transaction and wouldn't be viewable to the next customer that I handled. When it comes to personal interactions, I would ensure that our conversations were held in a quiet manner as privately as I'm able to do so."

Talk about a time you had to communicate with a colleague or customer that was unhappy. What were the keys to making the situation better for all involved?

"A few weeks ago, I was having a pretty normal day at the front of the store. About an hour from closing time, a customer stormed through our front door and approached me at a rapid place with a very mad look on her face. She slammed a bag on the counter and demanded a refund for a shirt that she had purchased last week because she claimed it had a tear in the armpit. Before I could even say anything back to her, she then began berating our store for selling inferior products and she demanded to see a manager right away. As calm as I could, I told the lady that I would be very glad to take care of a return for her and I'd be happy to put her in contact with a manager. I let her know that I'd need to take her number as our manager was not in the store that evening. While she still left upset after receiving a refund, I followed up with my manager the next morning to ensure that he followed up with her. He let me know that she had calmed down and thanked me for my service the evening prior. I know that my ability to not take her harsh words personally really helped make the situation better."

Your ability to handle conflict will be an important part of this role with City National Bank. Tellers are often the first line of defense with customers that call or come into the branch and you will be relied upon to help diffuse any situation that could get out of hand with customers. In your answer, try to focus on your communication skills that you feel are vital to your success in these situations. As you think of a situation you've been in to use in this situation, make sure that you can demonstrate the steps that you took to ensure that the unhappy customer or colleague left the situation in a much better place.

"Last year, I showed up to work to find my close colleague in a fit of rage at her work area. He was slamming desk drawers and using really inappropriate language. Knowing that this wasn't typical behavior from him, I immediately walked over to see what was wrong. He began by telling me that he had received a very bad customer complaint the day before and was now being reprimanded for it by our manager. He started to then talk badly about our manager and I immediately cut him off. By hearing what he had said, I tried to replay the conversation for him and then asked him what led to the customer complaint. I took a very empathetic approach to learn why he was feeling the way that he did and I quickly learned that he was indeed in the wrong in thet situation. My advice to him was to take a quick walk, calm down and hen go talk to our boss. Later that day, he thanked me for my great advice and talked about the lesson learned moving forward."

What experience do you have working on an advanced phone system and what skills do you have that you feel would be essential to work with our clients over the phone?

"In my current position, I handle a majority of the incoming calls to our company. I have to triage calls based on customer needs and utilize the system to transfer calls, place customers on hold or push through to another person's voicemail. Some key things that have helped me master this part of my current job are my willingness and ability to learn my company inside and out and my clear and concise communications with customers that call. If hired for this role, I would be very thorough in my orientation process to learn all of the potential situations I would face with customers here at City National Bank over the phone."

As the customers of City National Bank become more virtual, a good chunk of business transactions happen over the phone. In this role, you will be expected to bring solid skills in handling the technical side of the phone system and great communication skills to handle customers when not face to face. In your answer, talk about any experience you have in working a multi-line phone system. As well, talk about the communication and organizational skills you have to ensure that you can help customers in any way possible over the phone.

"The skills that I would bring to the team here at City National Bank in this role would be clear and concise verbal communication skills, my ability to read the tone of voice of others and strong organizational skills to handle multiple duties at one time. These skills really helped me thrive in my last role where I was handling customers online, over the phone and in-person in our branch office. At that job, I used and worked on the Avaya cloud based phone system and was able to learn and use all functions of that system."

Tell me about a time when you demonstrated you were trustworthy.

"In my last role, I was responsible for reconciling the banking at the end of the day. Last month, there was an overage, and I demonstrated my true character by reporting this to the management. Together, we partnered to research where this happened and collaborated to coach the team member who caused the error. We adjusted the accounts accordingly."

To show City National Bank that you are reliable share an example from your work experience that is relevant to the position.

"Every successful day in the banking industry is an opportunity to show that I am trustworthy. In my five years within banking, I have never been involved in a discrepancy."

Talk about a time you had to handle failure at any point in your career. How did you handle that situation and move forward with confidence?

"A couple of years ago with my current company, my manager asked me if I would consider a promotion into a role as a supervisor for our department. Having not had experience supervising individuals up to that point in my career, I was very hesitant at first. My manager kept telling me that I had the skills necessary to do so. I did accept the offer to become the supervisor and after just three months, I fully realized that the position wasn't for me. I had become very close friends with a lot of the people I was now supervising and that made the real difficult for me. I didn't hesitate to approach my manager to let them know that I wasn't cut out for the role and we worked on a plan for me to transition back my former role. Looking back on the situation, I really learned a lot about myself and who I was as a worker to not put myself in a situation like that again."

This is a question that is being posed to you that gives you a chance to show your ability to overcome adversity and handle yourself with integrity during a time of failure. Your job in answering this question will be to prove that you can cope with failure in a productive way that leads to making the situation right and learning lessons for the future. As you prepare for a question like this for your interview with City National Bank, think of a situation where you can highlight both of these things and don't hesitate to tell your interviewer the reasons why the failure occurred. Your interview fully understands that you are a human that makes mistakes and as long as you take a lesson moving forward, you will be in great standing with them.

"In my current role, I was the person who was informed that we were losing one of our biggest clients to a local competitor. In speaking with the client, they were very unhappy about our customer service and overall pricing. Being responsible for the customer service for our customers, I felt very responsible for losing this client and had to break the news to our leadership team. Right away, our Sales Manager contacted the client to ask a lot of questions on why they were no longer utilizing our services. From there we took a lot of lessons moving forward and I worked through a new customer service policy for my team to follow moving forward."

Customer service is the name of our game at City National Bank. If hired for this role, how would you be able to provide the best customer service possible to our clients?

"With any customer that I work with, I take the time to get to know them and listen to their thoughts, concerns and questions right from the start. I like to hold what I call an intake session to listen to all of these things. After hearing each customer out, I then talk about what I can do to alleviate their concerns and answer their questions right from the start. From that point forward, my customer service skills go the extra mile by staying in constant communication with my clients through either email or phone because I feel that over communication is important right from the start. As human, we have a desire to know what is happening all of the time and I make time to do this for my clients. Last, my customer service starts and ends with a positive attitude and a smile on my face. I take pride in being a front facing representative of my company and work my tail off to ensure that customers know that my company is there for them."

While following all of the steps of a mortgage process and handling client inquiries along the way is the foundation to success in this position, you will be relied on to provide the best customer service possible to all clients because the mortgage section at City National Bank is just one small piece of the pie in their business. If a client feels like they weren't handled with respect and compassion, they could take all of their business elsewhere and see an impact financially because of it. To show that you can provide top-notch customer service in this role, talk about how you provide a personalized experience for the clients you work with and talk about the interpersonal skills you possess that make this possible.

"In my experience, provide the best customer service comes down to doing the little things right. While often overlooked by some in our industry, a smiling face and simple conversations to get to know your customers can go a long way towards building a foundation for a great long-term relationship and I don't take these little things lightly. Even though I may be experiencing a huge workload or stress somewhere else on the job, I am focused and happy when I am face to face or on the phone with the client. At those times, they deserve 100% of my attention and focus and they get that every single time."

If a client here at City National Bank were to be denied the financing that they desire, how would you handle that situation?

"This is a very common occurrence in my current role in the mortgage industry. When a client is denied financing, I am very up front and honest with them in my approach. The most important thing that a customer wants to understand is why financing is denied and my experience in the finance industry lends well to me explaining the importance of credit scores and debt to equity ratios. I have found that customers that are denied financing really take well to my approach and I have had many customers come back after doing the personal work needed to improve and succeed in their application process."

As a Loan Officer at City National Bank, you will have times where you will have to have the difficult conversation with prospective clients that are being denied financing. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you take a professional approach with the clients and that you have a firm understanding of the regulations surrounding loans in the industry. To seal the deal for this question, talk about your ability to educate the client to better the chances that they will come back to City National Bank for business in the future.

"Life as a successful Loan Officer is about being knowledgeable and professional and I pride myself on my ability to project both of those things. In the times I need to personally decline a potential customer, I am firm and fair with them. I don't beat around the bush in any way because this can leave a customer with a false sense of hope. Taking the time to explain the regulations for the loan in layman's terms often helps customers understand things better as well."

Tell me about your cash handling experience.

"As a bank teller, I have handled cash as a part of customer transactions for the past two years. I am experienced with deposits, savings withdrawals, cashing checks and issuing traveler's checks. I am excited to learn more about City National Bank cash handling procedures."

Share some of the details of your experience in cash handling, which are relevant to the position.

"The majority of my cash handling experience includes my time in retail. I was a cashier at Store ABC for three years. As far as the banking industry goes, I have some experience in handling cash from my three months with Bank XYZ."

As a Personal Banker with City National Bank, why is providing tailored customer service important? How would you make this a priority if hired for this role?

"As in my current industry, I understand that your customers here at City National Bank all have their own unique financial situation and needs in how I would work with them. Because of that, I have to work with each person on their own individual terms rather than taking the same canned approach with every customer I would work with. To help provide the most tailored customer service possible, I would take the time needed to get to know my customers and their needs and then work with them moving forward in their goals. As personal finance can often be frustrating, I would take my time to listen and understand my customer's frustrations as well to show that I truly care in helping them create a solid plan moving forward."

In the banking industry, customers all have very unique financial situations and personality types so a very customized approach is required to make each customer feel valued. In this role as a Personal Banker, your customers will expect that you tailor your approach to meet their needs. As you answer this question, be sure to talk about the ways that you get to know your customers to best work with them. On top of that, explain the importance of taking an empathetic approach with your customers and talk about why an empathetic approach is important when working with a customer on their financial needs.

"A tailored approach in customer is really easy when you listen, listen and then listen some more. By reflectively listening to my customers, I'm able to get to know them quickly by name, learn a bit about them personally and learn their financial goals for the near and long term moving forward. With that information, I can them formulate the best customized plan for them and that is very important for them to know that my approach was created with their needs at the forefront. With that in mind, the customer then has a much better chance of becoming a life-long customer at City National Bank."

What ideas could you bring to City National Bank to help grow revenue in this branch?

"While I will always be a firm believer that traditional marketing techniques are key to creating new business and revenue, an outside the box approach can always be vital as well. Here at City National Bank, I would make it a priority for frontline staff like Tellers to be trained in advanced sales skills to help upsell customers in their regular conversations with them. Customers of City National Bank typically see the frontline workers the most and Tellers are most likely to steer your customers towards revenue generating products."

If hired as the next Branch Manager at City National Bank, one item that you will be continually tasked and evaluated on is your ability to help grow revenue at the branch through new customer acquisitions and increased sales of banking products. This question gives you the chance to cite your revenue growing skills and how you will apply them to the banking industry. Prior to your interview, be sure to do your research on growth and revenue in the banking industry and think of a creative way or two that can really sell your interviewer on your ability to help drive increased revenues at the branch you are interviewing with.

"Over the past five years, I've become more entrenched in data analytics in my current role to help drive revenue and I think the banking industry can surely use data analytics to help predict customer trends. With the rapidly changing service combinations that banks put out, data analytics could be key in helping predict customer preferences and that data could be put to use to put out the most preferred packages for future customers."

How do you stay organized?

"I prioritize my workload against deadlines to stay organized, always putting the needs of customers first."

Staying organized is essential to make sure that you are thorough and pay attention to details, to keep customers happy. It is also necessary for accomplishing your daily tasks behind the scenes. Share a few tools that have helped you stay on-task and on-time.

"I work closely with my peers to share responsibilities and ensure key tasks are delegated out, should there be an important deadline to consider."

At City National Bank, our Personal Bankers work with clients from all different walks of life. How do you handle working with many different personalities throughout the day?

"In my current role in sales, I work with customers from all different economic and cultural backgrounds. My personality really suits a sales based role well because I have the ability to personally connect with any person that I work closely with and I do this with a very friendly, yet professional approach. I take as much pride in selling a lower end product to a person with lower socioeconomic status as I do in selling a product to the CEO of a large company. I've been in both of those situations and as long as the customer leaves satisfied with a smile on their face, I know it was a job well done."

As a Personal Banker with City National Bank, you will be dealing with a wide variety of clients and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are able to tailor your approach to working with many different personalities while maintaining a knowledgeable and professional approach with each person. In your answer, be sure to stress that you have the patience to work with all different types of people effectively and the calmness to handle customers that are demanding or full of questions. If you have an example of a role you've held in the past where you've worked with customers, feel free to bring examples of times you had to work with differing personalities first hand.

"I really pride myself on my ability to work effectively with many personality types and people from different backgrounds. In my current role as a Financial Advisor, I work with clients that range from C-Suite Executives all the way down to entry level employees making close to minimum wage. I have the ability to connect with and relate to any individual on a personal level as this is so important in the financial field. If hired here at City National Bank, this ability would greatly help your customers that are in need of personal banking advising."

What do you want to accomplish at City National Bank?

"First and foremost, I want to deliver top quality service to customers of City National Bank and perform my responsibilities with best in class service. I want to work at City National Bank because I want to become a financial advisor. Starting out as a professional banker will give me valuable experience resolving client account issues and providing financial assistance, from investments to savings and travel advice."

Set some goals so that you can share how this position at City National Bank will help you to achieve them and how you will add value to City National Bank along the way.

"My primary goal is to achieve a leadership position within the banking industry. To do this, I will continue my related education and take any training opportunities that come my way."

How do you build rapport with those that you work closely with?

"In an industry like yours here at City National Bank, one bit of mistrust between your institution and a customer can spell disaster as they withdraw funds and move them somewhere else. I pride myself on ability to build trust and rapport with those that I work with and I do this by being very genuine in all of my interactions and finding time to connect personally with all that I work with. I always remain respectful to the needs of others and do my best to keep a smile on my face and stay positive at all times."

The banking industry relies on the relationships built between the institution and its customers and your role as a Teller with City National Bank will find you face to face with many customers. Your interviewer is looking to learn how you go about building rapport with both customers and your colleagues in this question. As you answer, be sure to talk both about why you feel that building rapport is important and the ways that you go about building rapport to those that you work with. If possible, make sure to highlight why building strong relationships is important in the banking industry to really sell your interviewer that you have what it takes to be a part of the success at City National Bank.

"In my mind, building rapport with my colleagues and customers comes down to the basic principle of trust. I build trust with people by doing what I say I'm going to do and delivering results on time. I'm also always considerate to the thoughts of others and work my timeframes around the needs of others, especially when it comes to the customers that I work with. I am confident that my ability to connect with customers in a trusting way will greatly benefit the business here at City National Bank because customers want a friendly and trusting face handling their personal finances."

Why do you want to pursue a career in the banking industry?

"I am passionate about the field of finance and accounting, mixed with an unwavering passion for quality customer service. The banking industry allows me to tap into both areas and have a lot of fun making positive customer experiences along the way."

Before your interview, take some time to think through your career goals. City National Bank is looking for motivated individuals who want to grow within the company. Share your career plans. Talk about how this position will help you achieve your goals!

"Careers in banking run in my family! My mother was a banker and my father, a financial advisor when I was growing up. It always fascinated me how smart they both were. It's in my blood!"

To get to know what type of leader we'd be hiring at this branch of City National Bank, how would you describe your management style?

"I take a very well rounded approach with my team that is both personable and professional and I've honed this approach through my time and experience as a senior leader. I take the time to get to know my staff and their work preferences so I can effectively delegate work as needed. I know that I am the authority for my team and I always keep an open door policy for them to approach me when needed."

With your interviewer looking to hear your thoughts on what type of leader you will be, make sure not to use generic labels of different leadership styles. Rather, try and remain focused on your ability to build and maintain an effective team based atmosphere as the success of any branch at City National Bank will rely on the Branch Manager's ability to do so. From there, talk about your specific skills and abilities that will really be able to foster that team atmosphere to promote branch growth and employee satisfaction moving into the future.

"I consider my management style to be a very adaptive one and I say adaptable in that I am able to cater my approach to each unique team member and each unique situation. I pride myself on promoting a fully functional team environment and I like to allow others to be part of the decision making processes. But when necessary, I can make crucial decisions and communicate those decisions with my team in an educational and firm manner."

City National Bank Interview Questions

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1. The next Branch Manager that we hire here at City National Bank needs to be adaptable and flexible as our market demands change over time. What have you done in recent years to promote your own personal and professional development to promote adaptabili
2. Have you ever operated a currency counting machine or a coin counter?
3. Talk about a time where you felt overwhelmed by your job duties. What did you do to stay organized and on track with everything happening?
4. At City National Bank, we are building a very team based culture. If hired for this position, what would you be able to contribute to this team based culture?
5. Give me an example of how you keep track of details while engaging in conversation.
6. How would you rate your comfort level receiving money and counting back many to our customers here at City National Bank?
7. If hired for this role with City National Bank, how would you handle a large workload of clients working through a mortgage process?
8. If you were on the job here at City National Bank and a customer came to you with a very odd request that you did not know the answer to or how to solve, how would you handle that situation?
9. The banking industry can be stressful. Tell me about a time when you worked in a high-pressure situation.
10. How would you respond to a customer complaint?
11. If a customer at City National Bank had increased savings as their main personal financial goal, what steps would you take with them to get them started down the right path?
12. As a Personal Banker at City National Bank, how would you select products to suggest to our customers?
13. Here at City National Bank, part of your job will entail talking to our customers about sensitive and confidential information. How will you handle these situations if offered this position?
14. Talk about a time you had to communicate with a colleague or customer that was unhappy. What were the keys to making the situation better for all involved?
15. What experience do you have working on an advanced phone system and what skills do you have that you feel would be essential to work with our clients over the phone?
16. Tell me about a time when you demonstrated you were trustworthy.
17. Talk about a time you had to handle failure at any point in your career. How did you handle that situation and move forward with confidence?
18. Customer service is the name of our game at City National Bank. If hired for this role, how would you be able to provide the best customer service possible to our clients?
19. If a client here at City National Bank were to be denied the financing that they desire, how would you handle that situation?
20. Tell me about your cash handling experience.
21. As a Personal Banker with City National Bank, why is providing tailored customer service important? How would you make this a priority if hired for this role?
22. What ideas could you bring to City National Bank to help grow revenue in this branch?
23. How do you stay organized?
24. At City National Bank, our Personal Bankers work with clients from all different walks of life. How do you handle working with many different personalities throughout the day?
25. What do you want to accomplish at City National Bank?
26. How do you build rapport with those that you work closely with?
27. Why do you want to pursue a career in the banking industry?
28. To get to know what type of leader we'd be hiring at this branch of City National Bank, how would you describe your management style?

City National Bank Interview Questions

1. The next Branch Manager that we hire here at City National Bank needs to be adaptable and flexible as our market demands change over time. What have you done in recent years to promote your own personal and professional development to promote adaptabili

2. Have you ever operated a currency counting machine or a coin counter?

3. Talk about a time where you felt overwhelmed by your job duties. What did you do to stay organized and on track with everything happening?

4. At City National Bank, we are building a very team based culture. If hired for this position, what would you be able to contribute to this team based culture?

5. Give me an example of how you keep track of details while engaging in conversation.

6. How would you rate your comfort level receiving money and counting back many to our customers here at City National Bank?

7. If hired for this role with City National Bank, how would you handle a large workload of clients working through a mortgage process?

8. If you were on the job here at City National Bank and a customer came to you with a very odd request that you did not know the answer to or how to solve, how would you handle that situation?

9. The banking industry can be stressful. Tell me about a time when you worked in a high-pressure situation.

10. How would you respond to a customer complaint?

11. If a customer at City National Bank had increased savings as their main personal financial goal, what steps would you take with them to get them started down the right path?

12. As a Personal Banker at City National Bank, how would you select products to suggest to our customers?

13. Here at City National Bank, part of your job will entail talking to our customers about sensitive and confidential information. How will you handle these situations if offered this position?

14. Talk about a time you had to communicate with a colleague or customer that was unhappy. What were the keys to making the situation better for all involved?

15. What experience do you have working on an advanced phone system and what skills do you have that you feel would be essential to work with our clients over the phone?

16. Tell me about a time when you demonstrated you were trustworthy.

17. Talk about a time you had to handle failure at any point in your career. How did you handle that situation and move forward with confidence?

18. Customer service is the name of our game at City National Bank. If hired for this role, how would you be able to provide the best customer service possible to our clients?

19. If a client here at City National Bank were to be denied the financing that they desire, how would you handle that situation?

20. Tell me about your cash handling experience.

21. As a Personal Banker with City National Bank, why is providing tailored customer service important? How would you make this a priority if hired for this role?

22. What ideas could you bring to City National Bank to help grow revenue in this branch?

23. How do you stay organized?

24. At City National Bank, our Personal Bankers work with clients from all different walks of life. How do you handle working with many different personalities throughout the day?

25. What do you want to accomplish at City National Bank?

26. How do you build rapport with those that you work closely with?

27. Why do you want to pursue a career in the banking industry?

28. To get to know what type of leader we'd be hiring at this branch of City National Bank, how would you describe your management style?