Staffing, remote work, collaboration software, and fraud topped the agenda during a CUNA Technology Council chat session presented by CUNA Councils.

As an essential business, credit unions must balance staff safety and member service. Staffing strategies varied widely among the chat participants.

Common staffing arrangements include closed lobbies with escalated drive-thru services, reduced branch hours, and a high percentage of employees working remotely.

Some credit unions have moved branch staff to the call center to assist with the added demand.

Equipping remote workers comes with its own challenges, but both management and staff are adjusting.

“Hardware has been an issue with our remote workers,” one participant writes. “Some employees are used to working with two to three monitors, and when you send them home with a laptop, their decrease in efficiency is noticeable. Some have purchased additional monitors to help them work better. We've been at this about a month now and employees for the most part seem to be finding their groove.”

“We have a culture of trust and have asked employees to do the best they can remotely,” another notes. “Overall, staff remains productive.”

Credit unions quickly learned that collaboration technology is essential for communication with COVID-19 restrictions. Zoom is a popular tool for video collaboration.

Having a high percentage of remote staff also increases the need for information technology support, especially at first. But help desk calls tend to decrease after a couple of weeks.

Other issues participants addressed included increased phishing activity, higher limits on ATM withdrawals and remote check deposits, increased debit limits, and remote training.

CUNA Council members have been joining together for unique, live chat events to discuss ideas and responses to the current coronavirus situation. Topics are gathered from discussions in the Councils Community and members are encouraged to provide topics or questions upon registration. Council members can register for upcoming sessions, and receive chat transcripts and slides if they are unable to attend live.

Read about more CUNA Councils chats here.