At PCM Credit Union we CARE about our future

“71% of non-members between the ages of 18-24 are not at all familiar with credit unions.” As reported in the 2013-2014 CUNA Member and Non-Member Survey. I heard this statistic at our annual Credit Union League Convention. My first reaction was...Someone made a calculation error! We do a good job of promoting our credit unions and the credit union movement…don’t we?

Then I had to ask myself, if this is true how could I make a difference? What can my credit union do to increase those numbers? Researching these questions led me to my Next Top Credit Union Executive project. With help from our Executive Vice President, the CARE training program was born.

PCM Credit Union will implement the new CARE training program for all staff by December 31st, 2015. We will use a clearly defined 4-step process so we can create passion and energy within our environment to support the growth of our credit union. 

The four steps for this training are as follows:

Cooperative:

  • What is a Cooperative, what is a Credit Union?
  • Learn the PCMCU Mission & Vision Statement
  • Security, Robbery, BSA & OFAC
  • Who is the WCUL, Corporate Central, the Chapter & Other Resources
  • Policies and Procedures
  • The PCMCU Website & Social Media
  • What does PCMCU do for our Community

Attitude:

  • Putting Members First & Using the Members Name
  • World Class Service: A Members View
  • Phone and Member Contact Etiquette
  • The Phone: Hotline to Success
  • Protecting Member Identities
  • Managing Change
  • Connecting with Members

Respect:

  • Review Employee Handbook
  • How to treat others, be polite, kind and respectful
  • Tools of power
  • Power and influence
  • Listening & Observation Skills
  • Member Confidentiality
  • GLB and Members Financial Privacy

Excellence Training:

  • Expectations & Rewards
  • Technology & Innovations
  • The PCMCU Network & Data Processing System
  • Microsoft Office – Word & Excel
  • Commitment to Excellence
  • Learn the Products & Services
  • Federal Insurance and Your Members
  • Building Financial Relationships
  • Providing Service in Changing Times
  • The Statement of Financial Condition

The training course will be completed over a two-day period. This will allot for 8 hours of training with a half hour break for lunch. We will have roughly a half hour for each training session. The content for these sessions will be our next measurable goal to be completed by November 30th, 2015. Our challenge in this area will be to create stimulating content to build passion in our employees. This will be challenging because everyone learns and comprehends information differently.

The cost of this program to our credit union will consist of employee wages for the two days required to complete the program. However, we plan to recoup these costs with measurable results in our membership growth and personal goals of each employee. 

Our confidential employee surveys will be designed to measure the level of knowledge both before and after our CARE training. The confidentiality of these surveys will allow employees to be honest and upfront with their answers. 

We envision this program helping our membership growth by expanding knowledge through employees. Our employees will then pass that knowledge on to our membership. Once our program has been implemented and completed we will use the finest information from our CARE training program to build a PCM Credit Union branded video. We will share this video with our membership during account opening and at other events such as our annual membership meeting. What do we consider the finest information you might ask? It is what sets us apart from other financial institutions, where our values come from, and how we live by our mission and vision statement and incorporate that into our daily routine. This video will be a collaborative effort from our entire team. Three to five minutes is the ideal timeline to keep members focused. This short video allows us to show them what makes our credit union different from other financial institutions while keeping focus on what we can do to ensure their personal financial success. 

This project fits directly in with our vision statement of Investing in You… Growing Together!  Full PCMCU Mission & Vision Statement can be found here: https://www.pcmcu.com/PeopleCaringMore.html

The overall goal of this project is to increase awareness of the credit union difference, while building passion in our employees. Other credit unions can use this training template to incorporate their goals and differences for their employees as well. A well thought out and detailed training plan can increase passion and strength in any business setting.

Candice Thiry

2015 Competition, UpdateCUES Next Top Credit Union Exec Team