Independent Banker - April 2023 - 51

" You have to do everything
you can to really roll out the
red carpet and show them
that this is a great place to
work and stand behind that. "
-Ashley Phillips, United Community Bank
6.
SCHEDULE
CHECK-INS
Onboarding can be a
lengthy process; it lasts at least six
months at Gateway First Bank. " It
takes about that long for someone
to really start to get comfortable
with their position and their job duties and understand the
organization and really kind of start to feel like they're a
part of the company, " Bowman says.
During those months, people at many levels of the
bank engage with new employees. This may include their
manager, their manager's boss and the recruiter with whom
they interviewed.
" It's just making sure that they know they're supported, "
Bowman says. " And they're able to see that they're a part of
something bigger than just where they sit-the four walls in
their office-and what they do every day. "
Midwest Bank likewise wants new employees to know
they haven't been forgotten after they've settled in. The
bank's culture and communications executive reaches back
out to new hires a few weeks after their start date to see
how they're doing, and if they're in training, to see how
it's going.
5.
DESCRIBE EMPLOYEE
GROWTH
Morehead says workers are
increasingly expecting employers to provide
professional development and learning.
" It keeps the job interesting, and it makes
them a more valuable employee to the
organization, " she says.
Indeed, CVCB wants new hires to
understand the professional development
opportunities that are available within the
bank from day one. " We want our team
members to be assured that their time with
CVCB is more than a job; it is a career they
can count on now and for their future, "
Cagle says.
Gateway First Bank embraces a similar
view. " [New hires] need to know that as soon
as they are comfortable with their position,
there's opportunity for growth outside of
that, " Bowman says. " Being able to see your
career progression and create goals and
really focus on your development to move
to the next level is something that's very
desirable in an organization. "
In addition, a supervisor will conduct and present a
90-day evaluation of a new hire that largely revolves
around whether they're a good fit for Midwest Bank and
vice versa.
Managers at United Community Bank, meanwhile,
conduct a 60-day review to give new staffers performance
feedback. At that time, employees do their own review
about their onboarding experience and outstanding needs.
They're asked, for instance, " What can your manager do to
help you do your best work here? "
Morehead points out that regular one-on-one meetings
between managers and new direct reports are also
important. They can provide opportunities for managers
to gather information, like what motivates an employee,
how work fits into their life and how they can best
work together.
" You want to think your recruitment process
is in line so that you bring the best people to
your organization, but once they're there, you
can't just desert them, " she says.
" You are in a relationship with
them, employer to employee, for
hopefully a long time to come. A
good relationship is more deposits
than it is withdrawals. " 
Mindy Charski is a writer in Texas.
Independent Banker - April 2023

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