“We have a fundamental belief that our single most important asset is our people,” Jones said in a recent interview. “If you think about the industry, and assets and liabilities, it’s all about maintaining risk. For us that means developing a culture where we’re so focused on making sure they have all the right tools to do their jobs.”
If I gave a quiz and asked you the industry spokesperson who said this you would probably say a head of HR or maybe a CEO. What if I told you the truth teller was a banker, albeit a CEO? What if I also told you he positioned employee satisfaction as a “risk management” issue?
He also said, “I go back to the basic tenet that you need to make sure people are always viewed as your most important asset,” says Bob Jones, chairman and CEO of Old National Bancorp. “Don’t take them for granted.”
What advice would you give to organizations about benefits?
Steal as many good ideas as you can. I go back to the basic tenet that you need to make sure people are always viewed as your most important asset. Don’t take them for granted. We use the analogy that when you’re dating someone you do those nice things in the beginning but sometimes when you’re married for a long time you forget to do them. But as you’re thinking about your associates, you have to remember the little things make a big difference, like picking up a phone and telling someone, “Thank you.”
HENRY KOTULA 