Royal Credit Union has a lot going for it as a community institution and an employer: a growing service area in western Wisconsin and Minnesota, new branches popping up on its home turf in the Chippewa Valley, and a beautiful corporate office overlooking Phoenix Park in downtown Eau Claire.

But what really makes Royal attractive as an employer is its culture, explains Joe Underwood, an organizational talent advisor for the Eau Claire-based credit union. In that role, he recruits new employees and works with existing team members across Royal’s service area in the Chippewa Valley, the St. Croix Valley, the Twin Cities, and beyond.

Joe Underwood

Organization Talent Advisor at Royal Credit Union

 

“The culture makes it very easy for me to get excited about Royal and for careers at Royal,” Underwood explained.

“If you break it down to the fundamentals of the business operation, or the model of being a cooperative, (Royal) is truly laser-focused on our core values and core purpose,” he said. “That aligns very well with our day-to-day decisions that are made within the organization as well as the actions that we take as team members and the impact that we can make on the communities in which we serve.”

Royal’s core values are as simple as they are fundamental: Make a difference. Make it easy. Do the right thing. Be caring. Take ownership. Be friendly, nice, and respectful.

When Underwood himself joined the organization about eight years ago, he was initially surprised by the centrality of those core values to the operation, and the kind of people Royal looked to hire. While applicants’ experience, knowledge, and education are valuable, “The No. 1 most important thing that we look for in team members at Royal is their alignment with our core values.” Underwood said. “Throughout the recruiting process, there are questions that directly highlight if there’s alignment with that person and our core values or not.”

And there has been a continual need to find new team members with those values as Royal has steadily expanded in recent years. It now serves a quarter of a million members in 26 counties in western Wisconsin and 16 counties in Minnesota. Right here in the Chippewa Valley, a new branch opened in June at 455 E. Madison St., Eau Claire, and a ribbon-cutting will be held July 19 at another new office at 1159 Blazing Star Blvd., Altoona. And last year, Royal merged with or acquired two other financial institutions and bought a branch from yet another bank in the suburban Twin Cities.

At any given time, there are 40 to 50 open positions in the organization at all levels, Underwood said, ranging from member account representatives to senior commercial loan officers.

At any given time, there are 40 to 50 open positions in the organization at all levels, Underwood said, ranging from member account representatives to senior commercial loan officers. In addition to competitive wages, Royal offers a full range of benefits, from health, dental, and vision insurance and retirement benefits to child care reimbursement and student loan repayment assistance.

In addition, Underwood said, Royal puts a “tremendous amount of investment” into developing employees, especially as leaders within the organization. There are always opportunities for advancement and improvement, he said: Last year alone, approximately 140 employees were promoted within the organization or moved internally.

“Really, the sky’s the limit as far as where you want to take your career,” Underwood said.

“It’s an organization that does incredible things, not only for our team members, but specifically our members and the communities in which we serve.”

For more information on employment opportunities at Royal Credit Union, visit www.rcu.org/careers.

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