Forward Bank

Forward Bank has been named one of the Best Banks to Work For in 2018 by American Banker magazine. This annual ranking recognizes the financial institutions that are committed to investing in employees' job satisfaction, career development and personal growth – a 'return on assets' that can be hard to measure by traditional means.

Determining the Best Banks to Work For involves a two-step process. The first step involves an evaluation of participating companies' workplace policies, practices, and demographics. In the second step, employee surveys are conducted to directly assess the experiences and attitudes of individual employees with respect to their workplace. Best Companies Group managed the survey, analyzed the data, and used their expertise to determine the final ranking.

"Being honored with this award for the second year in a row is proof we are continuing to do the right things," commented Bill Sennholz, President & CEO of Forward Bank. "If you want to know if your employees love coming to work every day, and if you want to know if trust, respect, and communication permeate the culture, just ask the employees. We made this list because our employees said we belong here."

Survey results discussed family atmosphere, community involvement, encouragement to have fun in the workplace, and employee feelings of being valued and appreciated. Forward employees favorite activities include: celebrating special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and hosting contests for best costume or ugly sweater! Forward Bank was also recognized for their unique Pay It Forward program whereby employees experiencing a family emergency or personal hardship can apply for financial assistance from funds which have been donated by their co-workers through payroll deduction and fundraising events.

Full results of this year's program are available at American Banker and in the September issue of American Banker Magazine.