Independent Banker - October 2018 - 52

advantage of the educational opportunities that we are
offering to better yourself. "
Raymo notes a direct connection between investing in
employee education and his community bank's ability
to attract customers. " I tell employees, 'The bank is the
overall beneficiary of your personal career development.
When people want to do business with you, the
bank benefits.' "
Steve Adamo, senior vice president and director of
training and quality services at First Fidelity Bank in
Oklahoma City, Okla., agrees. He is such a believer in
professional development that he helped launch the bank's
FFB University in 2016 (the first full semester commenced
in the fall of 2017).
Adamo finds that education is central to retaining
talent. Since launching FFB University, turnover rates at
typical fare for a community bank providing professional
development, but Adamo contends that these popular
courses help his employees grow personally. He says
that by surveying employees on what they want in terms
of education, he can literally use employee preferences
as " a shopping list " for FFB University's offerings at the
beginning of each new semester.
FFB University offers 300-plus courses from ICBA's
Premium Plan online learning program, and another 200
to 250 courses of its own design. The offerings are proving
extremely popular. With a workforce of about 320, the
bank is averaging 2,000 completed courses per month.
Clear goals
I tell employees, 'The bank is the
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-Greg R. Raymo,
First State Bank Southwest
the $1.5 billion-asset bank plummeted from 34 percent
one year ago to 13 percent this year. " Employees feel
valued because we've invested in them as people, not as an
employee number, " says Adamo.
" All of our staff has a clear direction on how they can
advance within our company and within their positions, "
Adamo continues. " That's what creates morale: Clearly
communicating to your staff what's their direction and
their ability to grow. Lighting up that path is a huge part of
why our turnover rates are now so much lower. "
Classes on stress reduction, leadership, juggling
multiple tasks at once, mastering Excel, becoming a better
writer and even parenting skills might not sound like the
52 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q October 2018
Raymo takes a more hands-on approach to helping
employees choose the courses they enroll in. Course
selection happens at an employee's annual and mid-year
performance reviews. During each of these reviews, a
supervisor adds into an Excel spreadsheet those training
materials and courses that the employee should complete
within the next six months. Most of FFB University's
webinars come from ICBA or from the Independent
Community Bankers of Minnesota. " It's been absolutely
wonderful, " he says of the ICBA unlimited webinar pass.
" It was a great investment on our part. "
Reviewing those spreadsheets helps supervisors see
exactly which webinars and seminars each of the bank's 62
employees has completed. It can also help management
determine whether or not an individual is prepared for the
next opportunity. In this way, professional development is
not only a retention tool, keeping employees happy. It also
helps bank executives to progress in their own successionplanning
goals.
Lindsay LaNore, who heads ICBA's Community
Banker University, points out that while annual or
ongoing training is a required part of most community
banks' compliance management systems, " professional
development programs also allow banks to promote from
within. " When banks invest in their employees, individuals
grow and " there are some incredible impacts to the
institution as well as to the bankers, " she says.
LaNore says engagement levels soar when
employees realize their employers are investing in
their futures. " Professional development programs
give employees a sense of empowerment that they're
growing both professionally and personally in their
level of knowledge, " she says. " It gives them a sense of
ownership in their roles at the bank and what they want
Independent Banker - October 2018

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