Consumers Credit Union’s 300 employees are encouraged to participate in educational programs that further professional development in the financial and business community. To assist in this effort, employees are eligible for tuition reimbursement, along with assistance for advanced or post-graduate degrees, certifications, business education workshops and/or conferences.
“We also have extensive internal trainings on everything from leadership to public speaking and have put a lot of time into mentoring, career path development and job shadowing/internship programs—all in-house,” said Shawn Premer, chief human resource officer at the $1.1 billion-asset credit union.
Consumers Credit Union was ranked No. 1 overall in the Best Credit Unions to Work For 2018 and No. 1 among CUs with assets ranging from $500 million to $1 billion. Consumers also came in at No. 1 in the
To ensure transparent communication, CEO Kit Snyder holds “global” calls three times a year where he shares the progress the CU is making on its strategic plan and other major “happenings,” noted Premer.
“We have a formal communication strategy to ensure that we are communicating across the organization effectively and consistently,” said Premer. “Our Intranet, company meetings, executive office visits and email are primary tools for sharing news and providing feedback.”
Another communication avenue for employees to explore is the “IF Challenged” initiative. Premer said this allows employees to make decisions that “other institutions would require managerial approval for.” She added that it “creates a culture where individual voices feel valued and are not afraid to offer suggestions” for improvement.
“Employees from all different departments work together in teams to present a solution for a business need at the credit union,” said Premer. “This challenge fosters innovation, creative thinking, internal networking, problem solving and drives growth. We’ve put into practice many of the solutions that groups have presented.”
Founded in 1951 and based in Kalamazoo, Mich, Consumers Credit Union supports19 branches and more than 115,000 members with $1.1 billion in assets.
