Study Reveals CU Employees' WeakKnowledge Of Member Attitudes

MADISON, Wis. - (02/13/06) -- A new Filene Research Institutestudy of employee attitudes at credit unions shows employeesstudied expressed weak knowledge of member attitudes or knowledgeof the larger context of credit unions. Overall, employees shared asense of doing their jobs well, with the focus on members andservices. They also believed they could earn more money elsewhere,indicating that they like what they do at the credit union, foundthe study, called 'Employee Perceptions of Credit Union.' Theresearchers worked with a group of 30 employees at two creditunions at all levels of responsibility and a variety of ages,gender and experience. The study showed a very strong sharing ofbeliefs among the employees about the characteristics of creditunions and the characteristics of an ideal financial institution.The study suggests that credit unions may want to work to develop astronger view of credit unions among employees to nurture a senseof shared mission, and to help employees perceive whether membersand potential members think credit union membership isspecial.