Why one bank partnered with bu to invest in relationships
Company Profile
Industry
Financial Services
Problem
Retention
Siloed Teams
Outdated PR Process
Solution
Customized Leadership Training
Engagement + Coaching tools
Streamlined Onboarding
For over four decades, West Michigan Community Bank has built their sterling reputation on two things- a steadfast commitment to preserving and furthering community. And cementing themselves as the bank with a laser-like focus on meaningful relationships with their customers and employees. By partnering with bu they were able to give meaning to those values.
“We saw an opportunity to enhance our communication through uMap™. To learn the brain science behind inclusion. To instill a better way to do reviews. uMap™ helped us find a vehicle by which we could promote that and drive our people-first culture.”
The Problem
The banking industry has no shortage of dry stereotypes. WMCB wanted more. For their employees. For their customers. It’s right in their tagline: Where Relationships Matter. When you make that promise, you have to deliver on it–every day. But that connection to people isn’t something you set and forget. uMap integrates that effort into everyday life.
And if the last two years have shown anything, it’s that you need to find new ways to deepen and strengthen your relationships. The banking environment doesn’t allow for remote work to always be possible. WMCB knew they had to engage their people to a point where they would want to come back for more. uMap™ provided WMCB a guided and simple process that laid the ground for meaningful relationships.
The Solution
The power of uMap begins when employees complete and share their profiles- the living data that highlights their best selves and connects them to the organization’s mission. As the President of WMCB, Phil Koning set the tone right away, knowing that sharing isn’t always second nature for some.
Monica Meinzer, SVP and HR Director noted that managers are finding real value in a more consistent process and employees are enjoying a tool that gives them an opportunity to prioritize their growth. “Of course meeting four times a year versus one does take more time, but as people feel more connected to the bank and their managers, we view it more as an investment because of the return in productivity.”
“The vulnerability piece of what uMap™ offers was definitely hard for me. But, as you go through the process, you begin to understand the impact it has on driving engagement in your team.”
-Phil Koning, President
“I’ve been giving performance reviews for 40 years, and this is the first time I enjoyed it! “
-Phil Koning, President
The Results
Through a time where remote work has taken the world by storm, banking remains a more in-person job for many causing turnover concerns. Thanks to their continuous effort to build a culture people are excited about, that’s not been the case for WMCB. “As an organization, we aren’t losing many people. Those at our officer level know what it’s like to work at other banks, and they know what it’s like to work here, and it’s the comparison that keeps them with us.” – Phil added.
For WMCB, their tagline of Where Relationships Matter means more than patting employees on the back for a job well done. They’ve invested in the tools to support their people as people, making the return on productivity and overall engagement well worth their investment.