Regional banking institutions face a tough balancing act: delivering the personalized service customers expect while keeping pace with new technologies and evolving regulatory demands.

The good news is you don’t have to choose between digitization and customer connection. You just have to build a workforce with the skills to do both. We've outlined four core skills that your banking workforce needs for today and the future, and how to develop them at scale.

Technology, and AI in particular, has transformed every industry, and financial services is no exception. Digital literacy skills are no longer just “nice-to-have.” These are foundational skills your workforce needs to meet the moment.

The banks that are ahead of the game are the ones prioritizing digital fluency for every employee across the entire business. But most legacy education and training models aren’t equipped for this kind of training, nor are they set up to provide continuous upskilling opportunities for workforces to keep pace with the landscape.

A digitally fluent workforce is essential to maintain satisfaction and trust with customers who expect seamless digital transactions in their banking, and the only way to achieve that is to build a culture of continuous learning that empowers employees to adapt and deliver on those expectations.

Cyber threats pose a significant risk to banks and their customers, and outdated cybersecurity training leaves institutions vulnerable. Similarly, regulatory compliance training requires adaptability: as regulations become increasingly complex, employees need training that can evolve alongside these regulations to stay compliant.

Protecting your institution and customers requires training that’s as dynamic as the threats and regulations themselves. That means continuous, adaptable learning that not only covers the basics of threat response and data privacy, but also builds the agility employees need to stay ahead of evolving risks.

That same agility extends beyond cybersecurity and compliance. It’s a critical skill for navigating nearly every aspect of modern banking, where change is a constant. New technologies, evolving regulations, and shifting customer expectations can alter priorities in an instant. The institutions that succeed have employees who can pivot quickly.  

But traditional hierarchies, outdated technology, and legacy banking systems don't make employees more agile, they slow them down. To build agility at your workplace, consider rotating employees through different functions, embedding real problem-solving exercises into training, or using simulations to practice responding to real-world disruptions. When agility becomes a core skill, your workforce won’t just keep up with change, they’ll lead through it.

All the skills we’ve discussed so far are essential, but they can only go so far. The most important skill of all is the one that enables employees to earn and keep customer trust. This means investing in training that allows employees to develop durable skills in customer service such as listening, communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

And this isn’t just for frontline tellers or call center reps who are customer-facing. Every role in a credit union or regional bank contributes to the customer experience in some way.

By building durable interpersonal skills alongside technical expertise, you’ll prepare your workforce to adapt to industry change while maintaining the long-term customer relationships and community trust that set your institution apart.

For banking institutions, the future isn’t about choosing between digital transformation and preserving the principles of community that your customers expect. It’s about building a workforce capable of delivering both. By investing in digital fluency, cybersecurity and compliance, agility, and durable customer service skills, your teams will be prepared to navigate whatever comes next.

Ready to build a future-ready workforce? Download this step-by-step playbook to learn how other banking institutions are building critical skills at scale.