Robin BurnsFor Robin Burns, seeing that the credit union employees she has trained have the confidence to excel at their jobs is the most satisfying part of her job.

“When someone I’ve trained calls and is struggling with something they’re never come across before, helping that employee feel confident and feel they can do the job” is the most exciting part of her work as a corporate trainer for Sharon Credit Union, she said.

When new tellers join the credit union, they inevitably meet with Burns, who trains them on the financial institutions’ policies and procedures and the teller system. But if new managers or other employees on the retail side, she also shows them the ropes to match their responsibilities.

“There’s a lot that people need to know before they’re put on the job, and we have a short window of time to get them all that information.” Burns opined. “We usually train a new teller in two weeks. There’s a lot of responsibility and a lot to learn in that time for when they’re on their own.”

The credit union operates a career advancement program, where Burn’s skills are indispensable. She spends time with, say, head tellers, encouraging them to seek additional training to be ready for the next member services position that might open up.

“The job involves a lot more than just training tellers,” she offered.

Burns has been a corporate trainer for 27 years. She started in the financial services industry in 1983 as a teller at a small community bank, later moving to a head teller position, as well as member services. Eventually, the former People’s Savings Bank in Brockton was looking to hire a new trainer, and Burns fit the bill. After a few years there, she gave birth to the first of two sons, so she took a year off to spend at home.

Eventually, Burns returned to People’s part-time in human resources before they asked her to restart her training career. People’s was eventually purchased by another institution, and she left. Finally, in 2007, she started with Sharon Credit Union.

“Robin exemplifies the perfect role model within an organization,” wrote Maureen Gregory, senior branch administrator for Sharon Credit Union, in her nominating statement. “She is intelligent, creative, patient, tolerant, fun, and a great employee motivator. She connects all levels of staff through her programs and encourages everyone to be the best employee they can be. Using her training skills, Robin will take the opportunity to make every moment a ‘teachable’ moment and employees truly appreciate the time she shares with them.”

But Sharon is a smaller institution, with five branches and a call center, so training is just part of her job, allowing her to work on a variety of projects, testing new procedures, like when the credit union changed its overdraft policies and had to change the computer system.

Along with her work at the credit union, Burns has developed several fundraising and community programs including an annual blood drive with Dana Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Jimmy Fund’s Rally Against Cancer, and is spearheading a competitive blood drive for the police and fire departments in Sharon.

Robin Burns

by James Cronin time to read: 2 min
0