Ingram's May 2023

MID-SIZE COMPANIES

ARVEST BANK Banking— effective banking, anyway—is a relationship business. That’s the customer-facing dictum. As a workplace, though, a bank thrives by paying just as much attention to the quality of its relationships with members of the team. And so it is with Arvest Bank. “Associate input is an element of our culture that sets us apart,” says Tiffany Javillonar of the human resources office for the bank’s Kansas City market operations, which have 375 full-time employees on staff. “Associates are empowered to share diverse ideas, voices, and authentic processes and behaviors. We encourage associates to continue to openly communicate about ways Arvest can best serve both associates and customers, and we will keep striving to make this a great place to work.” Doing so requires multiple delivery channels available for the staff to ask questions, make suggestions, submit ideas, and share concerns. “Whether you are a new associate or have been here for some time, Arvest offers ongoing avenues to share your voice,” Javillonar says. “These channels are intended to foster an environment of collaboration, high performance, and mutual respect between leadership and associates.” A mission statement that begins with “People Helping People” and ends with “for life” entails career development programs that help identify employee interests, improve performance, boost skillsets, and help advance their careers. At Arvest, that starts at even the intern level. Layered over the development dynamic is a comprehensive total rewards package one might expect

BARTLETT & WEST For more than 350 employees at Topeka-based Bartlett & West, an environmental engineering firm, success starts with a cultural imperative: A “we before me” attitude. The leadership’s commit ment to transparency and a flat organizational structure also create a thriving workplace at this 100 percent employee-owned company. Says spokeswoman Alli Downey: “While we prefer to focus less on titles and more on the contributions each employee-owner can make … Bartlett & West’s 14-person leadership team includes three individuals under 45 years old and two women.” That dynamic has helped hold the firm’s voluntary turnover rate below the industry average, despite the inordinately competitive nature of recruit- ment and retention within the engineering sector in this market. “In 2022, we also increased the percentage of women and people of color in our firm, which is particularly hard in the engineering industry and being located in the Great Plains,” Downey notes. Employee development initiatives include tuition reimbursement, support toward professional licensure, and a variety of in-house and external training opportunities, Downey says, while the compensa tion package is built around best-practices standards for pay and benefits. On top of that are a 401k match, a completely company funded employee stock-ownership program, and annual bonuses for all employees based on company performance. Last year, Bartlett & West implemented extra “thank you” bonuses in the first quarter, moving merit increases from year-end to October to reward employ ee owners and offset inflation impacts. With physical and mental health as much a concern as financial well-being, the firm offers vari ous wellness programs, an employee assistance program, paid mater nity/paternity leave, paid childbirth recovery leave, and both mental health and sick leave. The two largest offices have on-site workout

with the backing of a regional banking giant that has more than $23.5 bil lion in deposits. That package starts with competitive pay and benefits, including three levels of compensation add-ons: annual profit-sharing bonuses, a retirement-plan contribution, and a company match of asso ciate 401(k) contributions. Paid time off can build to a maximum of four weeks a year, and earlier this year, Arvest announced a new, 12-week paid parental leave policy designed to provide additional support to associates with newborn or newly adopted children, promote excellent work-life balance, and reinforce a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The insurance suite covers medical, dental and vision plans, as well as company-paid life and AD&D coverage. Employees enjoy nine paid holidays and discounts on various financial services. Carrying the relationship theme outside the enterprise, associates are encouraged to volunteer in the communities the bank serves, and the Kansas City division supports numerous charitable agencies. The bank has created the “Arvest Opportunity Fund” to expand financial products and ser vices available to underbanked individuals, families, and small busi nesses currently unable to access traditional banking services. (Clockwise, left to right): Mark Larrabee , President & CEO-Greater Kansas City; Lori Smith , Senior Vice President, Branch Administrator; Samantha Barber , Human Resources Admin istrator; Tiffany Javillonar , Human Resources Generalist; Lori Funk , Senior Vice President, Private Banking Manager; Cole Schwanke , Senior Vice President, Consumer Lending Sales Manager; Barbara White , Executive Vice President, Sales Manager; Denise Kaiser , Senior Vice President, Relationship Coordinator; Jennifer Fulton , Senior Vice President, Branch Administrator.

Staff outings like this to Boulevard Brewing Co. in Kansas City typify the events that employees from various Bartlett & West locations will organize to keep in touch.

rooms and company-subsidized food vending. Employee-owners are empowered to work where they need to, in the fashion they need to, while collaboration and connection are encouraged through social, charitable, and company update activities. Driving consistent growth in recent years has been a solid backlog of work, which cur rently stands at a record level, creating the need for 40 new posi tions to fill. Bartlett & West is also actively involved in expanding its workforce, services, and markets through the acquisition of like minded firms. What’s that all add up to? How about an employee net promoter score that averages around +60 and even ranks in the low +70s at the end of 2022 and into 2023? The eNPS asks, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend Bartlett & West as a potential workplace to a friend or colleague?” eNPS scores from -10 to +20 are normal, while above +40 is considered excellent.

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May 2023

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