FHLBank Topeka | Enticing Employees
By KIM GRONNIGER | Photos by BRIAN PETERS
When it opened in 2018, FHLBank Topeka’s state-of-the-art building included a full-service café, fitness center, game room and collaborative workspaces with floor-to-ceiling windows — perks that continue to enjoy post-pandemic allure.
Designed by SDG Architecture + Interiors, the prairie-modern building is LEED Gold certified and each desk is within sight of a window.
Amanda Kiefer, senior vice president and chief people and inclusion officer, said business partners, as FHLBank Topeka employees are called, “provided input into the final design and feel real ownership in the space.”
During construction of the building, business partner committees focused on all aspects of the work environment, including artwork, collaborative spaces, work areas, the café and fitness area.
“I love the posts our business partners make about capturing sunsets or some other aspect of our surroundings on social media,” she said.
While the company’s 17-member leadership team is onsite each day, business partners can work from home up to two days a week at the discretion of their department head.
Kiefer said employee engagement has always been a focal point of the bank’s culture but since the pandemic, additional efforts have been made to “provide opportunities for us to be in community together.”
A volunteer community affairs committee hosts fun fundraisers to help support a local housing nonprofit each year and “business partners can pitch in to paint, power wash, pour cement or do whatever else is needed on designated workdays,” Kiefer said.
Other business partner committees include the IDEA Council, which focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging events and awareness and the CARE committee, which supports United Way and another charity selected by business partners.
Another onsite advantage for employees is the ability to have books and movies delivered to the bank through the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library’s TSCPL@Work program.
Ping pong and foosball tournaments put on hold during the pandemic are back along with a fundraising airplane toss toward prize targets and a mini-golf competition. For the latter, departments build mini-golf holes using non-perishable food items that business partners play through. Last year’s challenge resulted in 10 barrels of food donated to Project Topeka.
The bank recently implemented a summer theme, “Around the World,” which has included origami and cricket demonstrations, a Stuff the Bus school supply collection for Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka and “A Proper British Bash” that explored slang, cuisine and music from across the pond.
“We schedule activities on days when most of our employees are onsite to be good stewards of our culture,” Kiefer said. “Our business partners want to be together to volunteer and celebrate, whether it’s for a development or learning event or a milestone accomplishment.”
Kiefer said younger business partners and interns “especially felt a gap in connection during the pandemic and they participate as much as they can.”
The numerous collaborative spaces in the building not only facilitate connection but also fast track communications during a crisis.
“If there is an urgent issue, we are able to use our collaborative spaces to set up war rooms so teams can respond quickly,” Kiefer said. “That’s the beauty of our building.”
Kiefer said after the pandemic, the bank invested in technology upgrades for meeting spaces that improve experiences for all participants, whether they’re working onsite or remotely.
From a recruiting and retention standpoint, Kiefer believes the hybrid model is an advantage. “We didn’t think a full-time remote or full-time onsite approach was right for us,” she said. “Having three days in the office and two at home works.”
A recent business partner engagement survey supports Kiefer’s conclusion.
President and CEO Jeff Kuzbel believes the results support that conclusion as well.
“We have 260 business partners and we had a 98% engagement survey response rate,” Kuzbel said. “That in and of itself shows how much we all care about culture and our work environment and living our values to meet our mission. Our employee retention rate is really strong compared to market data, signifying our people are proud to work here. We will work together to continue that trajectory.”
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