No. 31: Zions First National Bank

Location: Salt Lake City
Assets: $17.5 billion
No. of employees: 2,518
President and CEO: A. Scott Anderson
Zions, No. 31 in the overall ranking, is also No. 2 in the category for banks with assets of more than $10 billion.

When they want to talk with someone about advancing their careers, employees at Zions First National Bank don't have to squeeze in yet another meeting during the workday.

They have their own version of a college fair, known as a "career university night," hosted by the bank's human resources department.

The events allow employees to discuss their career goals with senior officers and explore educational opportunities with representatives from local universities.

If employees decide to head back to the classroom, they can expect some help with the cost. The amount depends on the number of applicants and the types of degrees, but Zions typically awards $2,500 per school year for employees pursuing an undergraduate degree and $6,000 for those in an MBA program.

Among employees' favorite activities is a four-week wellness competition dubbed "March Madness." The employees divide into teams, and each team competes for titles based on minutes spent on financial, physical, spiritual and mental wellness activities. In this year's four-week competition, 1,293 participating employees logged more than 3.8 million minutes. That works out to a 56% increase in the average number of minutes per employee per week compared with
last year.

Exercising should get more convenient for those at the corporate office in Salt Lake City, with the addition of an on-site fitness center. The bank also offers its far-flung employees discounted rates to fitness centers in their area.

Zions First National Bank, founded in 1873, is the lead bank of the $54.6 billion-asset Zions Bancorporation, a multi-bank holding company that operates more than 500 offices across 10 Western states.

Next: Boiling Springs Savings Bank

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