High turnover rates is a given in the financial services industry, and Access Community Credit Union has had its share of employees that came and went. But CEO John Hays takes an approach that can be viewed an unorthodox.
“We’ve rehired a lot of these folks after they have experienced other working environments. In most instances it’s benefited the credit union,” said Hays.
In one case, a loan officer, A.J. Perez, was hired to work at the credit union as his first job out of college. Hays explained that Perez chose to leave after “gaining some experience,” but within a year wanted to come back.
“We rehired and he eventually worked his way up to a senior loan officer, and also helped us launch our mortgage operations,” said Hays. “A.J. carried out our mission in the lives of our members and his teammates here at Access. Looking back, I can’t imagine not rehiring him.”
Access Community Credit Union was ranked No. 10 overall in the
Communication is a critical to Access Community’s culture. Hays said every week a “laid back” open meeting is held to explore the “good, bad and the ugly” of what employees – or ,as he calls them, teammates – are experiencing.
“One meeting is focused on member experience and the other is focused on lending. Team members are asked to bring actual cases involving members and be prepared to discuss them,” said Hays. “These meetings allow us to examine how we are doing, celebrate the smallest and largest of successes and also to make course corrections.”
Founded in 1953, Texas Tech Federal Credit Union supports three branches and more than 11,000 members.
