How a co-operative society is structured

Org chart

The branch branch is shown in depth, from the general manager to a branch manager and the cashier, clerk and recovery staff. Credit, accounts, member services, internal audit, admin and HR are drawn one level down. An elected board and chairman sit above the general manager.

Levels and designations

Approval chains

How the structure works

Ownership and management are separate by design. Members own the society and elect a board of directors, who choose a chairman and set policy, interest rates and major decisions. But the board does not run daily work: a general manager or secretary leads the staff and executes board decisions. Branches serve members, with a branch manager over a deputy, cashiers who handle cash, clerks who process deposits and loans, and recovery officers who collect dues in the field. Credit officers appraise loans, accounts keeps the books, member services handles queries, and an internal auditor checks compliance, since a society answers to the co-operative registrar.

How it changes with size

A small society may run one branch with a secretary, a cashier and a clerk, and a board closely involved in daily matters. A mid-sized society builds several branches, a general manager, and proper credit, accounts and recovery functions. A large society or a district co-operative bank adds regional oversight, a head office with departments for credit, recovery, treasury and audit, and more branches across the area. Through every stage the elected board stays above management, and internal audit and compliance grow in importance, because member money and registrar rules demand careful control.

Common problems

The board changes with elections, so management must stay steady even when directors turn over, which needs clear roles that do not depend on individuals. Members are also owners, so service and fairness are watched closely. Cash handling at branches needs strict accountability. Recovery staff work in the field collecting dues. Audit and registrar compliance are constant. The steady fixes are clear reporting lines that survive board changes, branch attendance by biometric with cash-duty accountability, and one branch manager as reporting manager per staff member so leave and cover stay clear through transitions.

• Reporting lines that stay steady through board elections
• Branch attendance with cash-duty accountability
• Field attendance for recovery officers collecting dues
• One branch manager as reporting manager per staff member

Set up this structure in ZeniaHR

1. Add each branch and the head office as a branch, and create departments like Branch Operations, Credit, Recovery, Accounts, Member Services, Internal Audit and HR.
2. Add designations such as Clerk, Cashier, Recovery Officer, Deputy Branch Manager and Branch Manager, and use grades to hold pay bands.
3. Give every staff member a reporting manager, the branch manager, and an HR partner, so leave and corrections route steadily even through board changes.
4. Set a General shift for branch hours, and use mobile app punches with a check-in spot for recovery officers who collect dues in the field.
5. Use biometric punches at each branch, and use access control with field masking so cash and member data are seen only by the right roles.
6. Keep leave, corrections and overtime on the reporting manager then HR route, and add the general manager as a hiring approver above branch managers.

Frequently asked questions