Fox Communities Credit Union

Our team members are active participants in our culture and our future – and they stay with us to see that future become a reality. Through transparent communication from leadership, regular town halls, internal podcasts, and strategic plan updates, team members understand how their work contributes to our mission and strategic goals. The CEO is visible, accessible, and helps connect our Fox future with all teams throughout annual branch and team visits – ensuring he spends time with every team throughout the organization. Our team members feel connected as a result. Our team members also see their future as part of our Fox future because we are investing in them. Through our Coaching for Development model, team members are asked to share more about their hopes and dreams, their career aspirations, and how we can help support them on a path to make that a reality. Through our tuition reimbursement and leadership development opportunities, we encourage our team members to think about what is ahead for them here at Fox. We feel so great about the future because we are also celebrating the path that’s getting us there. Recognition programs like “PROPS To You!” and the “Jackie Johnson Living It Award” celebrates values alignment where team members are not only recognized by leaders, but by their peers. Team members feel seen, valued, and celebrated for their contributions, providing a strong foundation for the future.

Our Guiding Principles (purpose, mission, vision, and values) were created through the voice of our team members. We see our intentional culture and values come to life through culture-centric participation in committees and opportunities (examples: Volunteer Ambassadors, Plan for Fun Committee, Pay it Forward Community Volunteering Day Committee). Our intentional culture uses language that matters. We call the people who work at Fox “team members” and not “employees” to reflect mutual respect and belonging. The words we use in our values are more than just plaques on a wall – they are lived, spoken in meetings and written in messages. From our tellers through our CEO, it’s expected to hear phrases about “owning the request,” “providing exceptional member experiences,” and “sharing our time and talents to make a difference,” among others – all phrases from our values that drive our shared language and the action that support it.

For our team members, it starts at the very beginning. Chris Allen, CEO, meets with every group of new team members on day one of orientation. The new team members’ first day at Fox starts with the CEO speaking to our purpose, mission, vision, and values. In fact, it was Chris’ idea to use the phrase “loved, valued, and respected” in our vision statement when describing how he wants our people to feel as being a part of the team! Chris then constantly celebrates our team members. From Town Halls, where he calls attention (by name!) to all work anniversaries, promotions, career moves, and professional accomplishments. He also sends a personal work anniversary card to every team member who celebrates a milestone anniversary. All team members experience Chris’ authenticity, humility, and passion for supporting the team he leads. Whether through transparent communication, active participation in leader workshops, volunteering alongside our team members, or personal recognition of team members, our CEO consistently demonstrates our values in action. They are visible, accessible, and deeply committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels seen and valued.

We offer multiple feedback channels, ensuring the voice of our team members is heard. Annually, we conduct our Gallup engagement survey, our primary tool that captures team member satisfaction and gathers feedback through freeform questions. The organization-wide Town Hall provides a bi-monthly company update for all team members. Every Town Hall, the CEO celebrates team member anniversaries, promotions, team member career moves within the organization, and professional development accomplishments, like degrees earned or certifications achieved. All team members have an opportunity to submit questions or topics in advance of the meeting, and can chat questions directly and live during the meeting, as the chat is open for all to both enter comments and for all to see all comments. The CEO also encourages team members to chat him directly if they are more comfortable in submitting their questions that way. An important part of our leadership training is focused on meaningful check-in’s and 1-on-1’s with team members. These connection points go beyond routine meetings – they are intentional, supportive conversations that build trust while allowing our team members opportunity to share their opinions and make sure their voice is heard. Additionally, our leaders are trained on how to seek out feedback and engage their team members, holding space for listening with empathy and creating a space for honest dialogue.

Through our shared purpose, team members feel a strong connection to Fox and to one another. They are active participants in what’s happening throughout Fox and are surveyed multiple times throughout the year to ensure there is a formal opportunity to have their voices heard. Team members participate in cross-functional committees, including ones centered around internal communications, automation and AI, and culture-centric initiatives, including the Volunteer Ambassadors, the Plan for Fun Committee, and the Community Volunteering Day Committee. These cross-functional committees keep our connections strong, with more than 500 team members spanning over 20 locations throughout Wisconsin. Fox’s leaders are core collaborators with their team members through our Daily Performance Coaching and Coaching for Development, modeling open, respectful, and timely communication. Through the replacement of traditional performance reviews, we foster a collaborative approach by providing real-time feedback and regular career goal conversations. These active conversations and career planning lead to opportunities within Fox for our team members. From a personal engagement perspective, team members connect through Engage, Microsoft’s internal social media platform. This is also where the PROPS To You! recognition program is housed – a powerful program that shows collaboration, support, recognition, and values lived all in action. Additionally, leaders model collaboration by co-creating solutions and celebrating team wins, while team members are empowered to share ideas and feedback through surveys, workshops, and recognition programs. A sub-group of leaders is also involved as Engagement Champions, providing a strong leadership collaboration, representing various departments and locations.