Evolution of the banking advisor role: key challenges and actions !

Technological changes (e.g. digitalization and AI…), shifting client expectations to responsiveness and expertise, the rise of online banks leading to pricing pressure, the convenience of self-service, etc), and evolving employee demands (e.g. work-life balance, purpose, and societal impact) are all reshaping the role of banking advisors—whether in traditional institutions or digital pure players like Boursorama or Revolut.

In this context:

• What  is the advisor’s place in the client-bank relationship?
• What does this mean for organizational models?
• Should advisors be generalists or should they direct clients to experts?
• Should they compete with AI tools—or leverage them to enhance the value delivered?

As a transformation consulting firm specializing in banking and insurance for nearly a decade, we share three key topics to address these challenges facing branch networks.

---

How is the advisor’s role evolving, and what are the organizational implications?

In traditional banks, legacy organizational models are often complex due to years of incremental changes. These structures have significant impacts on the advisor’s role, their mission, and daily routines.

Common issues observed in the field:

• Siloed structures (services not communicating, disparate tools for similar client needs)
• Excessive administrative workload compared to commercial time (prospecting, meetings)
• Frequent interruptions due to multichannel communication
• Blurred lines between Front, Middle, and Back Office roles

We’ve observed that many advisors spend nearly two-thirds of their time on non-commercial tasks (account opening, follow-ups, support), and over 60% of their time without any direct client interaction. Some retail advisors handle 60 to 70 tasks per day, often due to poor flow and priority management.

 So how can we reshape the organization to better support the advisor?

Some changes that directly impact the advisor’s experience:

• Simplification and digitalization of core processes (e.g., online account opening in 3 clicks vs. mandatory branch meetings)
• Better time management, optimizing agendas with activity blocks aligned to client behaviour
• Clarity in team roles (front/middle/back) to improve operational continuity

On a broader level:

• Redesigning the organization for better internal collaboration and client-centricity
• Rethinking branch network models (needs differ between a 3-person rural branch and a 10-person urban one)
• Evolving local management, balancing performance oversight with team development and well-being

Ultimately, these shifts help optimize commercial time and bring the advisor’s core mission—sales, value-added service, client satisfaction—back into focus.

---

Generalist or Expert?

Whether they serve young clients, retail, professionals, farmers, or affluent segments, advisors are often positioned as generalists—single points of contact required to master entire product catalogues and internal processes.

Example: A retail advisor must master dozens of products:

• Savings: standard savings accounts, share savings plan, life insurance
• Credit: consumer loans, mortgages, related insurance (credit life, home)
• Transactions: current accounts, card management, online services
• Insurance: P&C, life and disability

Professional segment advisors must also master a parallel catalogue of products—making theirs one of the most demanding roles in retail banking.

But a different model is emerging:

The advisor as a “pivot”— the advisor is still the anchor of the relationship, but is surrounded by expert resources, e.g. product specialists, digital tools, or AI, for faster responsiveness and relevance.

Much like a general practitioner in health care refers patients to specialists, the advisor can redirect clients to experts for more complex needs, either through triangular meetings or direct connections.

While AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can provide 24/7 information, only branch networks have the human touch, local knowledge, and relational depth to deliver high-value service—especially in a “pivot” model.

---

Reactive or Proactive?

 Should the advisor respond to client demands as they come, or anticipate needs and lead the conversation?

Due to legacy systems and organizational constraints (see section 1), advisors are often stuck in reactive mode. Why? Because of the flood of daily interactions:

• Walk-ins: scheduled or ad hoc
• Calls: via branch lines, direct lines, or mobile phones (especially for pro clients)
• Emails: internal or client-originated, often piling up after weekends
• Messaging platforms: Teams, Skype, etc.—useful but interruptive
• Informal exchanges: valuable for team cohesion but still disruptive

Poor flow management leaves little space for proactive outreach, despite the availability of tools:

• Lead alerts (e.g., triggered when a client simulates a loan online)
• Individual KPIs (e.g., number of appointments scheduled proactively)

To unlock proactivity, banks must better manage inbound flows—organizationally and digitally—so advisors have the time and headspace to plan and anticipate client needs.

---

Conclusion: Not a choice, but a balance

Should banks adapt to existing structures or reinvent them? Promote generalists or experts? Focus on reactivity or proactivity?

Perhaps the real answer lies in finding balance—not choosing one over the other.

That said, the role of the banking advisor has clearly evolved and now includes three essential dimensions:

• Modern expert with training on ESG, market trends, and digital tools (AI for decision support)
• Available & empathetic with relief from low-value admin work; work-life balance
• Value creator by returning to core advisory mission, combining proactivity and responsiveness

—

Beyond distribution challenges such as the evolving role of the banking advisors, other key challenges are impacting the banking industry. We’ve identified five of them here: https://www.spirit-advisors.com/en/banking-insurance/

To illustrate some of our consulting missions in banking, you can also explore our client case studies (short format: challenges, solutions, results) on this page: https://www.spirit-advisors.com/en/use-cases/?sector=banking-insurance

Spirit Advisors (https://www.spirit-advisors.com/en/) has been supporting French and international clients in the banking and industrial in their transformation projects since our formation in 2016.