Prestigious National Award Recognizes UFCU’s HR Innovation

Austin, TEXAS, May 6, 2022 — UFCU, Austin’s largest locally owned financial institution, has received yet another honor for its people-first commitment. The credit union received HRD’s Innovative HR Teams 2022 Award, one of only nine companies nationwide—and the only credit union—to receive the prestigious award.

The HRD Innovative HR Teams 2022 Awards recognize organizations that are breaking boundaries to move the HR profession forward with progressive approaches to HR strategy. Award recipients were evaluated on talent management, diversity and inclusion, health and wellness, and their use of HR technology. Winners demonstrated innovations in recruitment, retention, and recognition of their employees.

In selecting UFCU, HRD highlighted its unrelenting commitment to nurturing employees’ emotional well-being through the challenges of 2021. In particular, HRD noted its more than 100 check-in calls to employees and weekly CEO video messages acknowledging their efforts. In addition, UFCU expanded its employee assistance program to offer more virtual options, constructed “Zen rooms” at the office, gave gift cards to employees facing challenges, hosted drive-thru celebrations, offered employees access to a wellness app, and even rolled out pet insurance to the delight of employees who had recently adopted a pet to keep them company during the pandemic.

Despite more than 47 million Americans quitting their jobs last year, UFCU only had a 5 percent employee turnover in 2021, as a result of its employee-first commitment.

“We are honored by this recognition, because focusing on our UFCU team members is an intentional part of what we are all about,” said UFCU Vice President Rhonda Hall. “Our mantra is to consistently lead first with empathy and secondly with flexibility. As long as you lead with empathy and flexibility, people know they matter and the job will get done.”

About UFCU
As a Member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative, UFCU is passionate about changing lives and strengthening communities. With more than 347,000 Members in Central Texas and Galveston County and total assets (under management and serviced*) exceeding $7.8 billion, UFCU offers a variety of products, services, and education programs to empower Members in achieving financial health.

*Total Assets ($3.980 billion) + Assets Under Management by UFCU Investment Services ($0.616 billion) + Real Estate Loans Sold with Servicing Retained ($3.284 billion)