A Revolutionary Workplace

Well, we did it again. We have been named one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky for the fourth year in a row. Of course that brings the public awareness and press coverage which in turn brings in the best bankers in the state as they find out how happy our employees truly are at Independence Bank.

Among all of the accolades and awards that Independence Bank has won over the years, this is the ONE that means the most to me. It is the ONE trophy that I keep in my office. The reason it is so important to me is because it tells me that we, as an employer, are succeeding in creating a family atmosphere and a workplace that our employees are proud to be a part of. Our employees are the third largest shareholder in the company and we value their opinions greatly. Winning this award means that our employees gave positive feedback that set us apart from other Kentucky businesses. The process not only allows us to find out where we stand among other companies in Kentucky but we also get the anonymous feedback once it has been interpreted by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

We understand the hesitation that many companies would have in asking these questions of their employees, but we also know that this is how we better our workplace. We have done this for years and it shows in our advanced rankings over the last 4 years.

So why is Independence Bank the #6 Best Place to Work in Kentucky in the small to medium category? I think it’s because this is a family business and our true intention is to treat every employee as a member of our family.

That’s why…

• During the 2009 ice storm, we didn’t think twice about driving from Owensboro to Alabama to purchase generators for employees without power.
• Our employees are paid for their time that they volunteer on a Habitat for Humanity build and band together to support other causes like Relay for Life and Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
• We chartered a bus on a bank holiday to take our employees Christmas shopping in Nashville.
• We brought in Three Dog Night for the company Christmas party.
• We’ve been known to give away a few cars and trips to Disney to our employees.
• Our employees have formed a running club and attend races and walks together.
• Our employees write the standards that they are expected to live by and get the opportunity to review them and make changes each year.
• Our employees get the opportunity to indentify the things that they want to change in the Bank along with the things that should never change in the Bank.

We believe in sharing our success with those that help us achieve it. It may not be the best business practice for our bottom line but sharing is what families really do and THAT impacts our customer service in the best way possible.