Gate City Bank

An approach to hiring new employees

What’s the best way you’ve found to let prospective employees learn about openings?

and their communities For a Better Way of Life.® We’re also interested in having candidates who are engaged in the interview and hiring process, and who are asking questions and providing ideas.

What leadership skills are most important for a new hire to bring on board?

Heather Rye Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Development

Gate City Bank, Fargo, N.D..

Gate City Bank is a local community bank, so we believe in hiring within our footprint. We have such talented individuals in our area, and we’ve been able to recruit that talent locally. We also have a very successful team member referral program. On average, over half of our new hires are from our referral program.

What does your company’s hiring process entail?

We provide the same level of personal service and attention to our potential hires that we do with our customers. Our hiring process doesn’t necessarily begin when a position opens up; we’re proactive and always on the lookout for talent before positions open. We do this by connecting with the community, attending job fairs and networking at events. We also have “Join Our Team” business cards, so when we see talent or excellent customer service, we give individuals a card right on the spot.

Are there new strategies you plan to use when hiring in a post-pandemic world?

There are so many uncertainties right now, but we know we can’t continue to do things the same way as we did before. As we change to more remote work for our corporate positions, it creates more opportunities. We will continue to heavily invest in technology, allowing team members to work from home and stay connected successfully.

Important skills and attributes

What are the most important attributes and/or skills you look for in a potential new hire?

We’re looking for team members who are passionate, innovative and driven – all key traits that align with our Principles of High Standards. We also want people who are involved in the community. Most importantly, we want to find team members who believe in our mission of providing a welcoming atmosphere and commitment to making the lives of our customers and team members better by investing in them

We’re looking for leaders who embrace data and innovation, and who have a sense of urgency. We want leaders who lead with curiosity and are willing to experiment with new ideas. Our ideal candidates are servant leaders who put customers, communities and team members first.

How does the company train or encourage internal candidates to prepare for executive roles?

Gate City Bank provides several leadership and development programs for team members, such as our Emerging Leaders Leadership Program, Reality-Based Leadership Program, mentorships, job shadowing, leadership coaching, assessments and sabbaticals, all of which provide opportunities for team members to have on-the-job training as they take on leadership responsibilities. We also have each leader develop a succession plan that entails how we get team members to the next level and help them develop their leadership skills.

Highlights of your company

What’s the company’s philosophy on work-life balance?

We encourage a healthy work-life balance. This has especially been a focus during the pandemic as many team members began engaging in remote work. We’ve embraced flexible scheduling and have increased our focus on mental health and wellness. We started a daily two-minute video series with different topics addressing everything from avoiding burnout to encouraging team members to make themselves a priority with self-care. Another focus has been training leaders how to lead a remote team and assure team members are not blurring the lines between “work” and “home.” This has encouraged team members to designate a workspace and set boundaries.

What’s the best thing about working for your company?

We live our mission every day to provide a better way of life for our customers, communities and team members. We invest in professional development and seek opportunities for team members to grow. And we celebrate – a lot! Whether we’re recognizing a team member’s accomplishments, a milestone at the bank or just having fun with one another during one of our regular fun days, we believe in celebrating.

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