Put Your People First

Credit unions have long been driven by their people: members, the people who love the service they receive; and staff, the people who love providing that service. How well CUs communicate with employees can make a difference in everyone’s success. The most successful CUs are the ones that put their people first and build an open line of communication.

Newsletter Builds Relationships

“We wanted to find a way to connect with one another,” explains CUES member Nancy Huber, training coordinator for $450 million/40,000-member 121 Financial Credit Union, Jacksonville, Fla. “We introduced our staff newsletter, the 121 Employee Focus, four years ago.”

Used strictly as a relationship building tool, it contains no product or promotional info. “It’s all about our people,” explains Huber. 121 Financial CU produces the newsletter monthly in a pdf format with no set page limit. It’s then featured on the employee intranet. “We include as many pages as needed, based on employee submission. Staff suggestions drive the piece entirely.”

With 135 employees in eight locations, employees love to read about each other, their personal milestones and the many community activities employees endorse. “The newsletter is a fresh way to engage and motivate staff,” continues Huber. “The benefit to us, as a credit union, is the teamwork it builds.” Huber, along with her assistant, spend about six hours each month using Microsoft Publisher to prepare the newsletter. “It’s turnkey now; for the amount of goodwill and team spirit achieved, we can’t place a dollar amount on the newsletter’s value.”

When Huber unveiled the first edition, she didn’t know quite what to expect. Not surprisingly though, employee profiles immediately became the most popular. “We draw names monthly for the bio, and everyone has loved telling their own story,” she says. Other features include a monthly quote, recycling ideas, games, recipes, staff birthdays, and employee anniversary dates. “We also have a ‘Try Something New’ section, which is growing in popularity.”

A recent example is the story of an employee’s two daughters who both experienced their first “real” roller coaster ride (Space Mountain) with photos to capture the moment. One daughter loved the coaster, the other not so much. The moral of the story? Go ahead and ride a roller coaster at least once!  

It’s Part of the Playbook

The CU has an intranet named “Playbook,” which employees are required to check at least once per day. When the newsletter is ready, an alert appears directly on each employee’s homepage. “We’re lucky. Staff is committed to our Playbook. We’ve taught them to use the site for most every need, from policy to product information and promotions. It’s our day-to-day communication,” explains Huber. Fed through the intranet site, the newsletter is meant to provide a break from procedure and product info.

Recently, the CU missed a deadline for publishing the newsletter. “We really heard about it, too,” laughs Huber. “One office, which LOVES to celebrate birthdays, missed their own manager’s because I was late getting the issue out. Of course, they made up for it, but I was pleased to learn that staff look forward to and get value from [it].”

Empathy Humanizes the Workplace

Having a well-read newsletter, 121 Financial CU believes staff now have more empathy and compassion for each other. “It’s easy to get busy and put the job before the person,” Huber says. “But when you get to know your co-workers as people, in a personal way, you become more receptive to working together, finding member solutions, and improving service.” An effective newsletter not only increases camaraderie, it will pro-mote a work/life balance. “Staff become confident that you as a CU, care about them,” she adds.

Use a Blend of Channels for Message Delivery

As with all successful communication efforts, a CU must understand the needs of its audience. How does staff want to communicate? “To be effective, use the tools your audience prefers,” advises Bill McKenna, national marketing consultant at Membership Marketing Support Services, Gilbertsville, Pa.

For some, it may be a digital newsletter; for others, a printed piece. Certain staff may prefer reading emails or accessing an intranet site for information. Whatever methods staff prefers, the CU should anticipate their needs and communicate accordingly. “This will strengthen your overall communications strategy.”

Also focus on the personal, human side of content. Include stories that stand out, using brief but engaging copy. “All of us are bombarded with hundreds of messages daily. Keep the content unique, but remember to keep your message pithy,” explains McKenna.

Merging Cultures

After three mergers and a new name, $600 million/72,000-member Directions Credit Union, Sylvania, Ohio, needed something significant to impact a diverse team that had nearly tripled in size over eight years. The staff, composed of cultures from three separate CUs, were striving to relate and bond as a team. More challenging was the fact nine of the CU’s 18 branches were as far as 200 miles apart. Staff meetings and face-to-face time were out of the question.

How can we connect staff with each other, especially since we are so spread out? CUES member and SVP/Growth and Development Kathy Martin says this was the question she asked of the leadership team six years ago, after Directions CU’s third merger and resulting name change.

“We considered the situation intently, wanting to do what was best for both staff and members,” says Martin. The goal was to implement several new methods of communication, with a staff newsletter serving as a relationship builder. “We ended up revamping our entire internal communications strategy and our staff newsletter, The Compass, was born.”

When the Intranet Isn’t Enough

The CU’s education and training specialist, Mary Beth Tice, who prepares the newsletter, felt The Compass needed to work alongside the CU’s intranet, as well as address the issue of staff being inundated with emails. “The intranet alone wasn’t solving the questions staff had,” elaborates Martin.

The newsletter’s success has exceeded everyone’s expectations, with the most recent issue being 10 pages.

The length of the newsletter depends on contributions made by staff and current activities around the time the newsletter is published. While there is no formal measure of the success, Martin does evaluate the piece, adding, “When staff comment on something they have read; we see printed copies laying around; or when staff contribute to articles, we know they must like it.”

“It’s also the perfect complement to the employee intranet,” continues Martin, which is mostly operational, providing staff with policy, product information and a marketing promotions calendar. It also houses the employee handbook and various HR forms.

The newsletter has evolved to become both a social and educational piece to keep staff informed, united and motivated. “When a CU can build healthy relationships among its staff, all members benefit,” adds Martin

Keep Content Employee-Driven

Directions CU keeps The Compass rich and varied in content by using staff feedback. “Every month we solicit ideas for articles directly from staff,” explains Martin. “We scour for community events, special employee celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries. Anything that can grow the dynamics among staff is welcome for submission.”

Crucial to readership is having employees set the tone and direction of the piece. “From the beginning, peer-to-peer feedback has been essential to the newsletter and our overall communications strategy,” she says.  

At year-end, the SVP of each department writes a synopsis of what has occurred throughout the year. The focus is on personal stories and team success, rather than pure growth statistics. Staff is also able to see the timeline of goal attainment and congratulate each other.

Internal News Releases

News releases are just one way $414 million/36,000-member Educational Community Credit Union, Kalamazoo, Mich., communicates with staff.

“We don’t use a credit union-wide employee newsletter specifically, but what’s been successful for us is the distribution of internal news releases,” says VP/Marketing Christine Camp, a CUES member. She believes these news releases are a highly effective way to communicate or recap important information.

“All departments use the consistent format marketing devised for its news releases. Each release contains the ‘who, what, when, where, and why’ of the topic,” says Camp. The easy-to-follow structure provides a concise yet thorough explanation and encourages readership. “Our news releases keep the conversation flowing with staff—especially when there are significant changes, milestones, new policies, or when introducing products or promotions.”  

Market to Employees First

With a strong emphasis on communication, Educational Community CU uses as many tools as possible to convey meaningful news. For example, it offers “Learning Hours” where staff are invited to attend an educational session on a range of topics—either in person, by WebEX, or later via a recorded online video.

The CU’s intranet is also used to relay key information, like marketing news or announcements. Marketing plays a role in keeping the site current, as does HR, to ensure content is on-going and relevant to changing employee needs.

“Employee desktops are yet another way we showcase marketing initiatives,” says Camp adding, “It’s important to always market to our internal members first.”  

Employee desktops are integrated into the communication mix by using a designed graphic or photo to draw attention to a current marketing initiative. “It works perfectly to reinforce the message,” says Camp. “Staff see the graphic when they log on in the morning and throughout the day as they work from their desks.”

When Face-to-Face Pays Off

For $300 million/24,000-member Garden Savings Federal Credit Union, Parsippany, N.J., leaders still find face-to-face discussion an important part of its overall communications strategy. In addition to one-on-one conversations, the CU uses a variety of tools to communicate with staff, including an intranet site, staff emails, personal letters, and interactive staff meetings set in a town hall format that the credit union calls “all hands” meetings.

“Major news still needs to be conveyed personally,” says CUES member Michael Powers, VP/lending and marketing at the CU. The town hall (all hands) meeting approach­—where the CEO and staff chat casually and openly—has been positively received by staff. It encourages interaction and gives the CU an opportunity to reassure staff when changes are happening.

The all hands format is particularly useful for sensitive topics. “Certain topics, like a merger, should always be communicated face to face first,” explains Powers. For these situations, Garden Savings FCU will share the information first in person, then follow up in writing, usually by email, to summarize all pertinent points.

Email is never used in place of the original conversation for challenging news. “Handling complex issues remotely or in a non-personal way can be a mistake,” says Powers. “In these instances, written communication should only be a piece of the puzzle.” 

In the past, the CU produced a monthly staff newsletter to feature contests, promotions and staff bios. “It ran its course and staff eventually gravitated to email for the majority of their news,” reflects Powers. “There is value in offering a staff newsletter, though, particularly for larger CUs with multiple branches.” If a CU wishes to produce an internal newsletter, Powers believes it should share a common message and theme, adding, “If we re-launch our staff newsletter, it will absolutely go front and center on our intranet.”

Reinforce Your Mission

“A well-defined internal communications strategy starts with the big picture,” says strategist and credit union consultant Robyn Gamboa, owner of Rockin’ Robyn Consulting, Tucson, Ariz. “It’s important for all of the pieces to be in place reinforcing your mission, vision and values. It should be designed to carry out your overall strategic plan.”

Gamboa recommends to first ask why—why do we want to develop a better way of communicating internally? What information do we want to share and why? In other words, how much transparency does a CU want or need to provide to its staff? Only after a CU reviews its internal communications needs can it develop a formal plan. She suggests putting this plan in writing and reviewing it regularly. “As employee needs change, so should your strategy.”

Transparency Leads to Loyalty

Informed employees drive the success of any organization. “If something momentous is happening, bring your employees on board by providing timely details with clarity. Center the message on staff needs,” emphasizes Gamboa. “When you let employees fill in the blanks for any situation, positive or negative, it can cause more harm than fully disclosing the information in the first place.

“When the CEO stands behind what’s being communicated, and is genuinely interested, staff respond,” says Gamboa.

It’s also prudent to use a variety of channels to reach staff. “Everyone has a different style in which they learn or like to receive messages,” explains Gamboa. The message itself can also drive the channel used. She likes newsletters, for example, for team building and distributing information quickly and uniformly. “However, they should only be a part of your overall strategy. Consider using a variety of channels for maximum effectiveness.”

“Social media can be an excellent tool for relaying your message,” adds Gamboa. “Why not try a private (closed) Facebook page just for employees?” Here, along with email alerts, staff can be reminded to check the intranet site or read a newsletter for information. “Any way you can bring staff into the conversation is a plus.”

Whatever channels a CU chooses, it’s important to use a good mix and monitor the value and effectiveness of each.

There’s also a direct correlation between open communication and increased staff productivity. “Communication can reinforce corporate goals and the role each staff person plays,” adds Gamboa. “When people understand and are happy with their roles, their loyalty is strengthened.”

Changing Staff Culture

From 2006 to 2013, Gamboa served as VP/HR and eventually VP/member service and marketing for $137 million/11,000-member Tucson Old Pueblo Credit Union, Tucson, Ariz., where she implemented an internal communications strategy. “I was hired to change and create a more positive employee culture. We devised a variety of plans to drive that change, including corporate-wide meetings, emails, intranet site, and staff newsletter.” It was also important to evaluate the CU’s progress and make adjustments as needed.

Surveying staff quarterly, Tucson Old Pueblo CU carefully tracked the reactions of staff and how employees used various means of communication. Gamboa was surprised to see the intranet was not highly used. “Even with it serving as our default homepage, adoption rates were low,” she says. “At its highest, staff who visited the site daily was just 13 percent.” This led to significant changes in how the CU planned for and executed its internal communications.

Eradicate the Rumor Mill

Like Powers, Gamboa believes in delivering tough news face to face. “If there’s uncomfortable news to share, it’s always better to do so in person.” Then follow up in writing. This could be handled via an employee newsletter or note from the CEO.

The personal approach used first ensures news is delivered in an appropriate (empathetic) manner for staff goodwill; the follow-up in writing creates transparency (clarity) and serves as a reference point for the future.

Gamboa agrees and stresses how imperative it is for leadership to be on board with what they want or need to share with staff. “Communication is the building block for your culture. Let it reinforce your mission and values. Also use it as a way to appreciate or say thanks to your staff.” First-rate internal communication ultimately leads to greater collaboration and teamwork.

With 25 years of marketing and communications experience, Stephanie Schwenn Sebring established and managed the marketing departments for three CUs. As owner of Fab Prose & Professional Writing, her new focus is on assisting CUs and industry suppliers with their communications needs.