Independent Banker - September 2022 - 27

Five ways to
" We have tried to create a team
environment here. You won't hear us use
the terms 'employee' or 'boss.' We are all
team members, and we have team leads.
We try to enforce this through our culture. "
-ANDREW PYLES, ECLIPSE BANK
develop a peoplefirst
culture
Schedule check-ins to
identify interests and
developmental needs.
learning. (See sidebar, right.)
" Drive engagement through
learning, " she says. " Do this early and
often. Providing all levels of employees
with opportunities to learn and grow
has profound benefits for a bank. "
LaNore notes that in addition
to increased productivity and
performance, it also drives employee
engagement and satisfaction, lowers
attrition and absentee rates, and
create a healthier workplace. " Often,
innovation and creativity soar when
we allow employees to be curious and
explore new ways of thinking. "
One bright idea for community
banks to consider is equipping
team members with " power skills. "
Examples include, but are not
limited to, teambuilding, critical
thinking, strategic thinking, problemsolving,
and new communication
and presentation strategies. " This is
one way to future-proof your bank, "
says LaNore. " Power skills allow
bank teams to add value beyond any
automated or intelligence system,
operate in a digital environment and
continually adapt to new ways of
working and new technologies. "
Finally, LaNore suggests, another
important way to demonstrate
bank leadership's commitment to
continuous learning is by linking
learning and performance goals.
" And, " she says, " always remember to
make learning fun. "
Malvern Bank's personal touch
One community bank that has found
success in retaining its best employees
is $180 million-asset Malvern Bank
in Malvern, Iowa. " Here at Malvern
Bank, we try not to focus on 'talent
retention,' " says Katelin George,
human resources and marketing
manager. " Yes, we tend to retain top
talent, but we do this because we are
focused on the individual and not
their title. We care about our people,
we are flexible when needed, and to
be honest, we do have some truly
awesome 'extras.' "
The bank offers the more
commonplace birthday lunches
and gym memberships, but it also
takes care of its employees in some
unconventional ways, such as paying
for monthly manicures or pedicures
for all staff at the local salon. " We
group up our team members and
send them out of the office quarterly
to have fun together, such as golfing
and bowling, which enhances crossdepartmental
relationships, teamwork
and collaboration, " George says.
Malvern Bank also hosts quarterly
happy hours after work with food,
Provide skills-based
training opportunities.
1
2
3
Create " stretch "
assignments in the form
of short-term projects that
fall outside an employee's
typical role and job
function.
4
Embrace new ways to
collaborate and share
knowledge and skills
across departments.
5
Nurture leadership
by providing a mix of
technical and power
skills training.
Source: ICBA Community Banker University
independentbanker.org Q 27
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - September 2022

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