The Company

A west coast credit union known for its people-first approach recently doubled down on employee engagement to fuel retention, culture, and service excellence. As the organization grew in size and complexity, maintaining a magnetic culture and high levels of employee engagement became even more essential to sustaining service excellence and strategic growth.

The Challenges

Like many organizations emerging from the pandemic, the organization faced stagnating employee engagement scores, with a noticeable decline in 2023. As the business scaled, it struggled to keep culture and communication aligned across locations and roles. At the same time, a looming wave of retirements — including 50% of senior leaders — created urgency around succession planning. The stakes were high: employee engagement wasn’t just a metric — it was the heartbeat of the organization’s award-winning member service and long-term sustainability.

Opportunities Seized

Rather than accept decline, they leaned into its values and saw an opportunity to double down on engagement. The team recognized that building a strong culture of communication, recognition, and continuous improvement could reverse the downward trend — and, more importantly, reenergize employees to lead the credit union into its next chapter. It was a moment to reinforce accountability, spotlight innovation, and position the company as the employer of choice in their community.

Solutions Implemented and Tangible Results Achieved

Led by the AVP of Quality Service & Development and the Quality Service Manager, the organization launched a new approach to listening and acting on employee feedback. Using Quantum Workplace’s Engagement Survey, the team identified three strategic focus areas and facilitated organization-wide feedback sessions to gather actionable ideas from every branch and department. These ideas were compiled, tracked, and shared with leadership — creating transparency and accountability at every level. 

Crucially, they set clear expectations: leaders were responsible for updating their teams on progress, and a formal “Quality Service Action Plan” was rolled out before the next survey cycle. The result? Engagement became a living, breathing process that inspired year-round feedback and innovation. 

To fuel recognition and culture, the credit union amplified its use of Quantum Workplace’s Recognition Tool, celebrating everything from perfect service scores to community contributions. The tool sparked a “virtuous cycle” — the more recognition employees received, the more they engaged with one another and the mission. It also became a channel for spotlighting ideas that shaped real business outcomes, such as new benefit options, career development programs, and enhanced transparency in pay and advancement. 

Measurable Impact

The results speak volumes. In just one year: 

• Employee engagement scores rose from 77% to 81%. 

• Recognition participation increased by 57%, with nearly 3,800 badges shared from April 2024 to April 2025. 

• Member satisfaction reached a record 95.3%, and the net promoter score hit 86.2% — both indicators that employee engagement was translating directly into customer success. 

• The credit union’s reputation as a top employer grew so strong that community members began applying for roles even when no openings were available. 

As one employee shared, “I love how our team has such great camaraderie. The recognition, incentives, and bonuses are fantastic and make this an amazing place to work.” 

A Culture of Listening & Action

What started as a response to stagnation became a strategic transformation. The organization embedded employee voice into the heart of its culture — and it’s paying off. Employees are now active participants in shaping the organization’s future, offering ideas, celebrating wins, and building the kind of workplace where people want to stay — and grow. 

“We believe that engaged employees create extraordinary member experiences,” said a representative from the company. “By embedding feedback into our culture and leveraging Quantum Workplace tools, we’ve transformed engagement from a metric into a movement.”