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Aug 03
2012
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WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KEEP EMPLOYEES MOTIVATED?Posted by Steve Cocheo in Pass the Aspirin The Blog   |
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The Headache: It's more demanding than ever on bankers. Smaller staffs, increasing regulation, a tougher business environment. It's harder to keep one's chin up and a smile on one's face.
Our Question: What new steps has your bank tried lately to perk up the workforce?
Come see what other bankers think, and add your own views
What has your bank been trying to keep your people motivated?
Banking these days is full of new challenges--not that anybody took away any of the old ones. The hours are longer, the demands tougher.
We asked our regular prescribers about this question and received some interesting answers. We'd love to hear from you and your bank, too!
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If you would like to join our regular list of "prescribers," to whom we send questions, please email Executive Editor Steve Cocheo today.
Let's hear your views and ideas below! (Editorial Note: Contributions to Pass the Aspirin may also appear in our print edition. While we will ask for your e-mail address, this is only as an aid to verifying identity and will not be used for any marketing or promotional purpose. The e-mail address will not be published.)
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Marty Hansen, president and CEO, First State Bank, $1.5 million-assets, Fairfax, Okla.
said:
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We started this program about six months ago, and it has improved bank morale. I wanted more participation and input from staff, but I could see real reluctance from many employees. About every 60 days we create a team of 5 employees. The only nonparticipants are upper management. The team is lead by an employee?never an officer. They are presented with a problem or even a new idea and asked to brainstorm?nothing is sacred. They meet on their own schedule, sometimes we open and sometimes after hours. In the end the team makes a recommendation. It is amazing the input we now see from employees who formerly declined to speak up. The empowerment they feel in participating, and the pride they have in seeing their team's recommendation come to fruition is remarkable. The innovation they show exceeds what we could ever get only from upper management or officers. They are not "boxed in" like most managers these days--they think outside the box and often cutting edge. |
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Nick Pfeiffer, second vice-president and marketing officer, MidWesOneBank, $1.7 billion-assets, Iowa City, Iowa
said:
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We host an annual daylong event called "Rally Day." It is an all-employee gathering that celebrates the past year and looks ahead to the coming year. It is the only time that we have all 400-plus employees together in one space. Many of directors also attend. We hold it on either Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or Columbus Day. The bank presents annual awards in such categories as Community Service Employee of the Year, Sales Performance of the Year, and Support Employee of the Year. The awards are taken very seriously, with tracking and nominations throughout the year. It is a thrill and a true accomplishment for winners. Our president and CEO provides a state-of-the-bank address, and lunch is served. Additionally, we bring in two guest speakers. We aim for two diverse subjects and styles. We've hosted speakers from motivational to human interest to humor to industry experts. The theme of the day changes each year. The focus is always on fun. Past themes have included movies, Disney, sports, "American Idol", "Survivor", and super heroes. We have pre-recorded some games and skits and done some live. We always tie our games to prizes with audience participation. There is something for everyone. Some years we have a gift for all to take home. Other years we devote those funds to larger prizes such as iPads or a trip to Disney World. The bottom line: To reward our employees for their hard work throughout the year. They always walk away from the day refreshed, reset, and refocused on taking good care of our customers. |
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Marilyn Kearns, vice-president and director of human resources, Ohio Valley Banking Company, $842.5 million-assets, Gallipolis, Ohio
said:
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As we talked with employees we found that they want three things: opportunities for advancement; the chance to be heard by upper management?to know their opinion matters; and flexibility, with work schedules, and freedom, to structure their duties in a manner that works best. Because of this feedback we have implemented a management development program for a select group of high-potential employees. We've started a career path project in which HR/Employee Development will work with each employee individually to help them get the education, experience, and skills necessary to achieve their goals and be prepared when advancement opportunities arise. We are working with a local university to develop a business course specific to the banking industry. We have initiated a "job shadowing" program to allow employees to spend time in other departments. This gives them the opportunity to learn about other areas and appreciate the contribution of everyone in the bank?and enables networking. We have initiated quarterly open forums with the CEO and Chairman of the Board. Employees are encouraged to interact directly with our top management. They can make comments, ask questions, or give suggestions. This allows employees to know that their input is really being heard and considered at the top level. Regarding scheduling, we have started allowing some employees the option to work from home and encouraged managers to allow flexible scheduling in areas where it is feasible. These initiatives are just getting off the ground, so we don?t have any "success statistics" at this time. However, we are receiving favorable feedback. Also, over the past two years we have focused heavily on wellness programs. We certainly hope we are improving the health of our employees. But a side benefit seems to be the camaraderie, building among employees that has carried over into their work. |
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Wesley Sturges, president and CEO, Bank of Commerce, $145.2 million-assets, Charlotte, N.C.
said:
| A rebounding economy is probably the greatest motivation for our employees; however, we have done some additional small things such as posting a high five board, where we trumpet our successes. We've increased our number of staff meetings, to talk about successes. We've formed various employee groups to address issues, challenges, and opportunities for profitability within the bank. This participation has created enthusiasm. | |
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