In search of savings? Try tapping employee talent.
An internal group tasked with reducing expenses and maximizing efficiency at TruWest Credit Union finds bright ideas in employee suggestions
Process improvement initiatives at TruWest Credit Union ($1.4B, Scottsdale, AZ) have historically been a top-down proposition. Although the credit union continuously hunts for ways to reduce friction or gain efficiencies, it was typically senior-level employees who identified operational changes.
That approached worked fine, but it didn’t fully tap into the insight of employees who had direct experience with processes that might be outdated or inefficient, says Sarah Hancotte, TruWest’s vice president of strategy.
“We weren’t capitalizing on the ideas from employees doing the job every day,” Hancotte says.
The credit union changed that at the end of 2018 with the launch of its Brilliance Squad, a new team that gives folks a voice and opens the credit union to more ideas than before.
continue reading »
