Accelerating Talent Development at Carter Bank & Trust
Introduction
In the rapidly evolving commercial lending landscape, Carter Bank & Trust, a prominent player with approximately $4 billion in assets, recognized the need to innovate its training approach for new and existing employees. The bank’s focus on commercial lending from Washington D.C. to Atlanta demanded a workforce adept in modern financial practices and credit analysis. This case study explores how Carter Bank & Trust leveraged the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) training platform to transform its talent development process, thereby enhancing its operational efficiency and competitive edge in the commercial lending sector.
Challenge
Carter Bank & Trust faced two challenges. First, the bank needed to onboard new college graduates remotely and efficiently, equipping them with practical, real-world skills in commercial lending and credit analysis. Second, it sought to provide its existing staff with opportunities for skill enhancement and refreshers in the ever-changing landscape of commercial banking. Traditional training methods were time-consuming and less effective in meeting the dynamic demands.
Colin Davis, the Commercial Credit Director at Carter Bank & Trust, was tasked with developing a training approach that could address these challenges. The goal was clear: to build a robust, knowledgeable team capable of handling about a billion dollars in underwriting each year, primarily in commercial real estate.
We needed something easy to use because the team is all remote and training courses tailored to what their new roles would be.
Solution
After thorough research, Colin discovered Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) and was immediately drawn to its user-friendly platform and comprehensive training modules tailored for commercial lending and cash flow-based training. CFI’s online training platform, CFI for Teams, offered a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application, ideal for both college graduates joining Carter and existing employees seeking to refresh their skills. In regard to training new college graduates, Colin elaborates saying
CFI goes over a lot of general things they learned in school but offers more real-world applications beyond the textbook. This helped them grasp the credit concepts and how they’re applied in real life so we could use them in live deals.
The implementation of CFI’s training program at Carter Bank & Trust marked a significant shift in the bank’s approach to employee development. The platform’s flexibility allowed learners to engage with the content at their own pace, a crucial feature for a workforce spread across a vast geographical area. It also allowed for Colin to see the training progression across his team making the training easier to manage.
Results
Accelerated Training Process: With CFI, Carter Bank & Trust significantly reduced the time required to train new analysts. What traditionally took a year could now be achieved in six months, enabling the bank to deploy skilled personnel into the workforce much faster. According to Colin,
It’s easier to train folks up. Before I’d go in person and train them as they join the bank and then spend 2-3 months on the phone with them. This expedited things for us. I give them access to CFI and they get the basics they need to get started. This gives me breathing room to hire new grads and feel confident that they’re going to have the basics by the time I give them real world stuff.
Enhanced Employee Skill Set: The comprehensive nature of CFI’s courses ensured that employees not only revisited fundamental concepts but also gained insights into real-world applications. This bridging of theory and practice led to a more competent and confident team of analysts.
Operational Efficiency: The streamlined training process translated into operational efficiency. With a well-trained team, the bank could handle complex transactions more effectively, contributing to its overall growth and stability in the competitive commercial lending market.
Positive Feedback and Continuous Learning: Feedback from learners was overwhelmingly positive. They appreciated the platform’s user-friendliness and the practical relevance of the courses. Moreover, the culture at Carter Bank & Trust, emphasizing continuous learning and development, resonated well with CFI’s offerings, reinforcing a cycle of ongoing professional growth. Colin states,
Our culture at Carter is development and hiring within. You’ll always be learning, seeing new types of deals and you’ll always learn something from every deal.
Conclusion
Carter Bank & Trust’s collaboration with CFI marks a significant milestone in the bank’s journey towards fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional excellence. By embracing innovative training solutions, the bank not only enhanced its operational efficiency but also positioned itself as a forward-thinking institution committed to nurturing top-tier talent in the commercial lending sector.
CFI’s training solutions have been a game-changer for us. They have allowed us to fast-track the development of our new hires while providing our existing staff with valuable refreshers and advanced knowledge. This has not only boosted our team’s confidence but has also significantly contributed to our operational success.
Carter Bank & Trust’s experience with CFI is a testament to the transformative power of role-based, flexible, and comprehensive training solutions in the dynamic world of finance. It stands as a compelling example for other organizations aiming to elevate their training programs and drive business success through empowered teams.
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