Some Ideas for Improving Office Culture in Your Mortgage Branch

A primary component in work satisfaction is office culture. For a mortgage branch to function at its best, every member of the branch needs to feel supported and engaged. If the office culture has declined, it can lead to decreased work satisfaction, lower productivity, and a drop in employee performance. It can even be the impetus for some employees to seek out a healthier environment elsewhere. While every member of the branch is responsible for creating (and contributing to) the overall culture, branch managers set the tone for the office and need to actively promote the culture they want to see. If managers notice that the culture is becoming toxic, they need to address it and work towards changing it as soon as possible. Here are some ideas for improving office culture in your mortgage branch:

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Place Less Focus on Sales Numbers ?

One sign of a problematic office culture is when managers and employees focus too much on performance numbers. This generally means that managers have stopped valuing individual employees based on their strengths and weaknesses and have, instead, begun to categorize them based entirely on performance metrics. In the same way, loan officers may be focused more on their own numbers than on building stronger relationships with prospects and clients. While numbers are an important way to measure success and track progress, they can’t be allowed to dictate the entire attitude of your office. Make sure you give your team other ways to recognize their success, and that you demonstrate what is important through your own interactions.

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Community is Lacking

You’ll notice that, in an unsettled work environment, the office has lost their sense of community. The friendliness among employees has diminished, and team members are afraid to trust each other. If your team isn’t communicating, relating, and bonding with one another, it’s time to find out why. While employees don’t need to be great friends, positive interactions fuel a more pleasant attitude for the entire office. Focusing on personality and fit when hiring new employees and offering more team-building activities are great ways to foster a strong sense of community.

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Poor Communication

Successful branch managers know that high-level communication with (and among) employees is integral to the success of the branch. Managers need to be able to communicate things like branch goals, and they also need to listen to employees’ questions and concerns. Just as important as in-office communication, loan officers have to be able to communicate effectively with prospects and clients. If you notice confusion, misunderstandings, and a lack of clarity between team members or with clients, that’s a sign that communication quality is breaking down, and managers need to act right away to improve it.

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If you want your branch to perform at its best, then improving the office culture should be a top priority.

If you’d like to talk more about improving the office culture in your mortgage branch, or there’s something else I can be of assistance with, please reach out to me. I’m always happy to block off some time to connect.??