Want to retain your top employees? Start by making sure they feel valued and appreciated.
For many employers these days, retaining skilled, motivated workers can be a major challenge. Obviously, there will always be a certain amount of turnover in any organization. But holding on to long-term employees is critical to a company’s success.
They’re the ones with deep knowledge of your products and services, which they can pass on to newer team members. In addition, they often form strong working relationships with customers and colleagues, which can enhance productivity and problem-solving. And their loyalty can help to signal a stable, positive culture and work environment. The list of advantages goes on and on.
Employment experts describe a wide range of best practices for keeping these key people in the fold. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce helpfully boils it down to eight simple tips. Some are obvious and practical, such as offering above-average compensation and clear opportunities for growth. But most fall into a category that might be considered “softer” benefits – allowing employees to speak their minds, encouraging input and feedback, avoiding micromanagement, providing work-life flexibility – and, crucially, showing respect and appreciation. There’s a great lesson here for any business: you may not always be able to offer the highest pay, but you can still boost retention by fostering a strong open culture and showing people how much you care.
Our 2021-22 Employee Appreciation Event: A happy return to in-person celebrations
At Taylor Bank, we’re proud that so many of our associates have chosen to build long careers with us. To make sure they know it, we hold an Employee Appreciation Event every year. Well, almost every year; we were unable to gather in 2021 because … ah, you know why.
But we all came together in June to celebrate our team at Windmill Creek Winery in Berlin, Maryland. We enjoyed their locally produced wines, along with ales from Burley Oak Brewing Company, delicious food from The Street Kitchen, and entertainment from musician Dave Grundman. After two years of mostly virtual meetings, we were thrilled to host this in-person event. It’s all about rewarding employees for their accomplishments, and celebrating each other’s contributions. It’s also just a great way for everyone to have fun and build relationships with colleagues across the company.
The day’s highlight came in recognizing 37 associates who have reached milestone anniversaries with Taylor Bank, ranging from five years to 45 years. You can see the complete list at the end of this article.
One of the 45-year honorees is Diane Hall, team leader of the Deposit Operations group. She started with us as a receptionist, and quickly moved to the Bookkeeping department. After a decade or so, she joined the Computer department (when computers were still a fairly new thing!). She then returned to Deposit Operations, as bookkeeping is now known. All four of her team members have been with us 30 years or more, a testament to Taylor Bank’s reputation as a top area employer.
A strong culture of service and teamwork
“We’re almost like a family because we’ve been together so long,” says Hall. “You pick up a lot of knowledge through the years that can help others. I feel like I know a little bit about a lot of different things. All of the departments work together when customers have questions. We reach out and help each other in a team effort.” After all these years with the bank, solving customer problems remains her favorite part of the job. “It’s great when you can get the customers what they need, and they’re satisfied when they hang up. A lot of them will say, ‘you made my day.’” That, she says, is always very gratifying.
Hall says Taylor Bank offers solid opportunities to learn and grow. “There are many people who have come in at a junior level and advanced through the ranks to management positions,” she says. It’s true; we’re always looking to bring in talented new associates and help them move forward in their careers. Sound good to you? If so, we hope you keep an eye out for new job openings at our bank. Who knows, maybe you can join us in time to attend our 2023 Employee Appreciation Event. That one will be held in Virginia, and we can’t wait!
2021 Anniversary Milestones |
2022 Anniversary Milestones |
|---|---|
| 45 Years
Patti W., Team Leader
Diane H., Team Leader
|
45 Years
Renea L., Loan Administrator
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|
40 Years
Tina K., EVP, Chief Operating Officer
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40 Years
Debbie W., Senior Deposit Operations Specialist
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|
35 Years
Karen G., Team Leader
|
35 Years
Debbie J., Electronic Services Specialist
Teresa W., Senior Accounting Specialist
|
|
25 Years
Casey R., Branch Manager
|
25 Years
Jen F., Branch Manager
Ray T., President and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
20 Years
Yvonne S., Operations Supervisor
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10 Years
Tori G., Marketing Director
Victoria H., Loan Processor
Cory W., AVP, Loan and Business Development Officer
|
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15 Years
Lori S., Staff Development and Training Coordinator
Lee C., VP, Loan and Business Development Officer
Mary K. C., Team Leader
Scott W., Credit Administrator
Theresa J., Customer Service Associate II
Deb D., Customer Service Associate II
Dennis S., Maintenance
|
5 Years
Crystal F., Customer Service Associate II
Karen G., Insurance Administrator
Adam J., VP, Loan and Business Development Officer
Kendra W., Customer Services Associate III
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10 Years
Linda W., Team Leader
Katherine M., Customer Service Associate II
Teri S., Team Leader
Donna W., VP, Compliance Officer and Internal Auditor
Dean L., SVP, Chief Financial Officer
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|
|
5 Years
Meagan F., Senior Accountant/Analyst
Lisa C., Operations Supervisor
Doug C., EVP, Chief Lending Officer
Tammy M., Customer Service Associate II
Aisha G., Receptionist
Marie R., Team Leader
|
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