Retention — Employee Experience. Tracking the employee experience at your company is pertinent. The utilization of workplace surveys can help you stay in touch with how your employees are doing. By listening to our employee feedback from the surveys, Texas Security Bank has increased its employee scores every year for the last three years.
When it comes to designing the future of work, one size fits none. Discovering success isn’t about a hybrid model or offering remote work options. Individuals and organizations are looking for more freedom. The freedom to choose the work model that makes the most sense. The freedom to choose their own values. And the freedom to pursue what matters most. We reached out to successful leaders and thought leaders across all industries to glean their insights and predictions about how to create a future that works.
As a part of our interview series called “How Employers and Employees are Reworking Work Together,” we had the pleasure to interview Lynee Minter.
Lynne Minter is the Vice President/Director of Human Resources for Texas Security Bank with 25 years in the banking industry. Lynne now leverages her years of experience as HR Strategic Partner to the Leadership Team to maximize their strengths and talents and, ultimately, their bottom line.
Certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Lynne uses her knowledge and experience to optimize the development of her HR Team to recruit, hire and retention of high performing people. Lynne harnesses the unique strengths of executives to drive productivity, enhance communication within the team, and help individuals be happier in their personal and professional lives.
Lynne truly believes when we operate under the focus of our God-given strengths and not our weaknesses, we can change the world to be a better place all around! Lynne drives accomplished people to shift perspective when needed and when failure is not an option. Her powerful intuition positively changes the lives of everyone she touches. Married for over 41 years, Lynne is also a proud mom to three grown sons and two grandchildren.
Thank you for making time to visit with us about the topic of our time. Our readers would like to get to know you a bit better. Can you please tell us about one or two life experiences that most shaped who you are today.
Growing up, my father was a monumental figure in my life. Most of my ideals around my career, marriage and life were shaped by his guidance and the memorable experiences we shared. My father, a ranking officer in the Navy, had an innate love for family and his country. He was confident, kind and always led by example.
One particular experience I can recall was before getting married to my husband 41 years ago; he said, “Lynne, marriage is the hardest job you’ll ever have, but it’s the most rewarding job you’ll ever have if you treat it with respect.” I can honestly say that piece of golden advice really resonated with me and strongly believe it has attributed to the length of my marriage.
When he passed at 94 years old, he received a 21 gun salute at his funeral. I don’t think I have ever heard so many great things said about any one person as I did about him. His influence continuously encourages me to be more like him.
Let’s zoom out. What do you predict will be the same about work, the workforce and the workplace 10–15 years from now? What do you predict will be different?
Remote and hybrid work structures are here to stay. This type of work model has had proven results in areas of productivity and overall morale. As far as my prediction of how the workplace will be different — I think we will continue to see company’s “work culture” evolve with the generational eras. We may also see experimentations such as a four-day workweek and other work-life balance initiatives in the workplace.
What advice would you offer to employers who want to future-proof their organizations?
Develop a strategic retention plan that fits your culture right now and stick to it! The most important things to include when drafting your retention plan are the creation of touchpoints and engagement opportunities for employees. The implementation of quarterly reviews will provide a touchpoint and insight on what is working for your team and what is not. I urge you to consider the integration of workplace surveys strongly. We have gained a lot of valuable knowledge from these anonymous surveys. You will never know what you don’t know until you regularly ask these hot-button questions.
Finding ways to engage employees is equally important. Plan social events such as company happy hours and group gatherings to keep morale high and employees engaged with each other and the company.
What do you predict will be the biggest gaps between what employers are willing to offer and what employees expect as we move forward? And what strategies would you offer about how to reconcile those gaps?
The gap between what employers are willing to offer and what employees expect has been primarily influenced by the younger generations entering the workforce. As a result, the demands for work-life balance, which relates to pay and free time, has grown.
The strategies I would suggest reconciling these gaps are developing comp plans and intentional recruitment marketing to reach these generations. Offer growth opportunities in the company, such as stock or options to reinvest in the company. It is now more critical than ever for companies to redefine their attraction and retention strategies and build a value proposition that takes employees’ whole lives into account.
We simultaneously joined a global experiment together last year called “Working From Home.” How will this experience influence the future of work?
Again, this experience has had a tremendous effect on the current remote work and hybrid work structures we see throughout the workforce. In fact, because of this, we adopted a “Remote Work Policy” at Texas Security Bank. We assessed employees and their positions to see the types of remote work and hybrid structures we could adapt for them.
It has also pushed us to continually search for creative ways to collaborate and inspire the team in ways that uplift our culture and core values. We have led the charge with this thru our designated Culture and Value Team here at Texas Security Bank.
We’ve all read the headlines about how the pandemic reshaped the workforce. What societal changes do you foresee as necessary to support a future of work that works for everyone?
Employers and hiring managers should realize not all candidates and job positions require a college degree; work experience and accomplishments, personal strengths, and leadership qualities should be recognized as equally valuable for certain positions. Additionally, organizations should strive to employ a diverse team of people reflective of the society in which it exists and operates.
What is your greatest source of optimism about the future of work?
The Great Resignation has brought the workforce the opportunity to build a dynamic team of individuals that want to grow themselves and your organization.
Our collective mental health and wellbeing are now considered collateral as we consider the future of work. What innovative strategies do you see employers offering to help improve and optimize their employee’s mental health and wellbeing?
A great strategy to improve the wellbeing of your employees is by offering creative incentives that promote work-life balance. By providing flexible hours, versus just your standard eight to five, which can be more feasible for the employee and is typically very easy to accommodate as an employer. We have had an exceptional response from this at Texas Security Bank, in addition to after-hours gatherings to promote engagement, camaraderie, and mental wellbeing amongst the team.
It seems like there’s a new headline every day. ‘The Great Resignation’. ‘The Great Reconfiguration’. And now the ‘Great Reevaluation’. What are the most important messages leaders need to hear from these headlines? How do company cultures need to evolve?
The message all leaders need to hear from these headlines are that The People are seeking positive change for the better. As employees evaluate their work experience to their work goals, employers should learn to listen more effectively. Stop for a moment and listen to what your people are telling you; you might find some changes that need to be implemented. Additionally, it’s vital to keep them engaged and keep them growing.
Let’s get more specific. What are your “Top 5 Trends To Track In the Future of Work?”
- Retention — Employee Experience
Tracking the employee experience at your company is pertinent. The utilization of workplace surveys can help you stay in touch with how your employees are doing. By listening to our employee feedback from the surveys, Texas Security Bank has increased its employee scores every year for the last three years.
2. Technology — Applicant Tracking System
Staying ahead of the curve in technology is a significant way to improve your workforce and workflow. Implementing a new HR system can be a total game-changer; some offer an applicant tracking system that can help alleviate the burden on hiring managers and talent acquisitions teams.
3. Hiring and Recruiting — Rise of Social Recruiting & Expansive Hiring Criteria
Using social media in your recruitment efforts is the way of the future and the future is now. Be sure to share any workplace accolades and awards received by your organization on social to help attract new talent.
4. Compensation Trends
You have to monitor the compensation trends in your industry and market continually. You can do everything right in your employee experience and engagement, but If you don’t stay competitive in your compensation, you could lose a great employee.
5. Predictive Analysis — Behavior Assessments
Invest in either a behavioral analyst or a behavioral assessment for your team. These help in recruitment, allowing you to see if they are a fit for your team and culture, but it also assists in retention. We have done these assessments on internal teams and have found that a few may be better aligned in another position or department, which, in turn, improves the employee experience.
I keep quotes on my desk and on scraps of paper to stay inspired. What’s your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? And how has this quote shaped your perspective?
“People quit their boss — not their leader.”
There are a ton of people that can be a boss, but if you’re not a good leader, you will lose your team. I have always had the mindset that I would not ask anyone to do something that I would not do myself. I aspire to teach the people around me everything I know to help them become more successful.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He, she, or they might just see this if we tag them.
There are 2 that come to mind:
George Strait. I admire George for his military service, long marriage to his high school sweetheart Norma, dedication to his family and his love and passion for God and country music!
Magic Johnson. I always admired Magic for his sincere love of the game, not the fame or money. He had a true passion for the sport that he was able to share with his fans and the next generation. Whether its athletes or actors, someone who is willing to invest their time and energy with the fans and give back to the community, should be admired.
Our readers often like to continue the conversation with our featured interviewees. How can they best connect with you and stay current on what you’re discovering?
Follow @texassecuritybank and @lynneminter https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynne-minter-phr-0718b232/
Thank you for sharing your insights and predictions. We appreciate the gift of your time and wish you continued success and good health.
You are very welcome! I am always happy to share my insight and it was an absolute pleasure talking through this topic with you. I wish you all the best.