Independent Banker - September 2022 - 28

PORTFOLIO
drinks and teambuilding games.
" It is also not uncommon for our
bank president to announce that
we're ordering ice cream on a sunny
Thursday afternoon, or that 'lunch is
on me' on a hectic Monday morning, "
says George.
Furthermore, in a more meaningful
way, management does its best to
listen to the heartbeat of its team.
" If anyone on the leadership team
feels there is something preventing a
department from excelling, we take
the time to talk to our team members
to determine how we can better
support them or coach them through
their roadblocks, " says George. " This
takes precious time and energy, but
we find it is always worth it in the
end and pays out overwhelmingly via
employee engagement. "
Eclipse Bank: Team members first
Another community bank with
successful initiatives in retaining
its employees is $370 million-asset
Eclipse Bank in Louisville, Ky.
" We've roughly doubled in size
during the last three years, which has
created several new positions, " says
Andrew Pyles, president and CEO.
" We have promoted from within
for a number of those. I think that
path for upward mobility has been,
and continues to be, a big factor in
retaining some of our best people. "
In addition, he believes, while it
may sound simple, just appreciating
your team makes all the difference in
the world. " Respect and appreciation
are ingrained in our culture and are
even part of our mission statement, "
he says.
BIG STAT
50%
of adults have left a job to get
away from a manager as a way to
improve their overall life.
Source: Gallup, " State of the American Manager " report
In terms of retaining mid-level
employees, Pyles believes pay is
important. " However, while you
need to be market competitive, not
everyone is driven primarily by
salary, " he says. " 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. "
According to Pyles, many people are
friends both inside and outside the
bank, and everyone genuinely cheers
one another's successes.
" We also try to be flexible, " he says.
" For example, many team members
are allowed to work from home one
day per week, we have eliminated
Saturday hours, we have teambuilding
days and gatherings after
hours and we allow paid time off to
volunteer in the community. "
As these banks show, building
a culture of respect, achievement
and fun is something that should be
embedded in day-to-day operations.
That way, the next time a Great
Resignation comes around, you'll be
less likely to feel the effects. 
William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.
When it comes to employee retention,
think about improving managerial skills
According to Cyndi Mergele, senior director of capital consulting
at tax, audit and consulting firm RSM US, there are a number of
reasons good employees will leave organizations, including lack of
training, compensation/benefits, culture, burnout, lack of career
growth opportunities and poor management/bosses.
Mergele believes employers should pay special attention to the
last one. " Employees leave their managers, not their companies, "
she says. In fact, according to Mergele, managers account for at
least 70% of variance in employee engagement scores, and, at some
points in their careers, 50% of adults have left a job to get away from
a manager to improve their overall life.
The reasons for the inadequacies of some managers? According
to Mergele, employees are often promoted into managerial roles
based on their individual performance but are not trained on how
to be effective leaders. In addition, many employer systems reward
individual managers' performance and results, but not their ability to
grow and retain talent. Also, managers do not always have the tools
and insights they need to coach and develop others.
For these reasons, it is critical that senior bank management spend
the time selecting the right people for management positions, and
then provide the proper training, feedback and support.
28 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q September 2022
Independent Banker - September 2022

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