Associate Engagement
A fundamental component of building the best team is understanding what parts of our culture drive associates to be engaged and motivated. Engaged associates are our greatest resource, and the enthusiasm and dedication they bring to work every day makes life better for their fellow associates, customers, our shareholders and the communities we serve.
Regions measures associate engagement and analyzes how it impacts our success. The results help us understand how we can improve and strengthen our culture and fulfill our mission as a company. Regions has received recognition for our efforts in engaging associates and building a strong culture through industry awards, including Gallup's Great Workplace Award and the Forbes Best Employers List. Since an annual survey can't capture everything there is to know about our associates and our culture, we empower our leaders to create impact at the team level. This process helps us understand how engagement impacts associates, teamwork and our overall performance.
Regions' Reputation Reflects Associate Engagement and Culture
The advisory firm Reputation Institute and the American Banker Magazine released survey results in July 2015 indicating Regions has the highest reputation among banks in the United States. Scores based on surveys of U.S. consumers' perceptions of 32 banks provide a detailed analysis of the components that form corporate reputations as well as how different banks rate on those measures. Highlights from the results include:
- Regions has the highest overall score of the 32 banks included. We're first among our customers and eighth among non-customers.
- Regions is one of eight banks with an “excellent” reputation among our customers.
- Among the seven “dimensions” of reputation, customers ranked Regions first in the Performance, Leadership and Workplace categories and among the top five in the Products & Services and Governance categories.
- Our two areas of most improvement from 2014 were Governance and Citizenship. The Reputation Institute attributes this improvement to the ongoing “Doing More” corporate social responsibility initiative we launched last year.
This recognition reflects our culture built on a foundation of creating shared value and how well-aligned that approach is to the desires of our customers and communities.
The Better Life Award
Regions' top associate honor is the Better Life Award. Each month, the award is presented to one associate who lives our mission and values, both personally and professionally. The award recognizes and rewards individuals who are dedicated to their fellow associates, our customers and the community.
Winners receive $2,000 in cash, an extra week of vacation and a crystal trophy. They also help create shared value by selecting a community organization to receive a $1,000 donation from Regions on their behalf. Recognizing associates through the Better Life Award is one way we help make life better and thank associates for their commitment. Watch video profiles of past Better Life Award winners on the Regions YouTube channel.
The High Five Award
The High Five Associate Recognition Program recognizes individuals who demonstrate our strong risk culture by adhering to Regions' corporate values, its Risk Appetite Statement, and the continuous improvement cycle of identify, measure, monitor, mitigate, and report.
With the Risk Ownership and Awareness (ROA) emphasis on building a strong risk culture and shared accountability for risk, any Regions associate may be recognized as a risk management champion. Two levels of the award are given: the High Five award, in which the winning associate is nominated by any Regions associate and given the award with the manager's approval; and the Top Performer distinction, a quarterly selection of associates who have received the High Five award.
Professional Development Opportunities
As an extension of our strategic priority to Build the Best Team, we offer associates an opportunity to grow professionally through our training programs. Associates have the option to develop a variety of skills that will help them grow in their current job role or prepare them for other roles that may interest them. Our training programs are designed to enhance the talent levels of Regions associates by delivering impactful, timely, and cost-effective learning solutions which contribute to building the best teams and the company's growth.
Compensation Philosophy
Regions is committed to providing associates a comprehensive and competitive compensation package, including financial programs to support their retirement plans. As part of our compensation philosophy, we offer a complete benefits program that includes medical and dental coverage, life and accidental death and disability insurance, a wellness program and other benefits to help associates achieve balance in their lives at work and at home.
As part of our pay for performance compensation philosophy, we reward and motivate performance through our Chairman's Club program. Being named to Chairman's Club is the most prestigious recognition our customer-facing associates can receive for their sales and service success. It's an annual recognition of the ‘best of the best' and rewards those who take the Regions360 approach to relationship banking. Chairman's Club winners are invited to a celebration event and receive a crystal trophy and lapel pin to distinguish their performance.
Diversity & Inclusion
We all benefit from the diversity of our associates, and at Regions, we have a broad view of diversity. We believe that diversity encompasses race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, age, culture, education, religion and other factors that make each of us unique.
Our approach to diversity and inclusion supports our mission and values as we incorporate it into who we are and how we work, and our diversity efforts help make life better for our associates, customers and communities.
Regions' diversity and inclusion initiatives and activities include:
- HBCU – Regions Partnership: Regions initiated a partnership with six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The partnership supports financial education, student and alumni engagement and athletics.
- INROADS: For more than 25 years, Regions has sponsored INROADS, a non-profit international career development organization for talented diverse youth. Our long-time relationship is one way we meet diverse talent needs within the bank.
- Management Associate Program: Regions works to include diversity in talent pools at all management levels through our Management Associate Program. High-potential college graduates are recruited to participate in a training curriculum that includes an organizational overview, financial industry knowledge, leadership development, team-building and community service projects to foster career development.
- Minority Capital Markets: We recognize the role minority-owned investment banking firms play in their communities. For years, Regions has worked with these firms in capital markets transactions, recognizing these important relationships.
- Regions Diversity Advisory Council: The council is made up of academic, community and business leaders who provide Regions with an objective, outside perspective and advice on diversity issues.
- Regions Diversity Network: The network is made up of associates from a variety of departments across the bank who share information and collaborate as they work together to help advance Regions' diversity and inclusion strategy and improve our ability to identify diversity-related opportunities and risks.
- Regions Riding Forward Scholarships: Regions offers scholarships to eligible high school seniors and college undergraduates who live in the 15 states where Regions does business.
- Supplier Diversity: Regions is committed to building strong business relationships with a variety of high-quality supply partners.
- UNCF-Regions Strategic Partnership: Regions and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) are partners who work together to provide scholarships and financial education at historically black colleges and universities.
