For GreenState Credit Union, taking care of employees is the "North Star," says CEO Jeff Disterhoft.

"Our first priority is our employees. Most companies have shareholders, employees, customers. We always have felt like if we take care of our employees, they’re going to take care of our customers," Disterhoft says.

It's a philosophy that has been reflected time and time again in anonymous employee surveys conducted annually as part of the Des Moines Register's Iowa's Top Workplaces awards ― and a big part of the reason North Liberty-based GreenState has been named the No. 1 large employer in the competition in each of the past two years. Disterhoft, individually, has been a repeat recipient of the Top Workplaces Leadership Award.

"Jeff takes the time to let us know decisions he is making. He is transparent, open, and honest. I have no doubts in him," one employee wrote.

"The CEO includes us in important conversations and I feel like we are aware of anything big that might happen," another wrote. "We are not left in the dark."

The employee-centric approach is not without its challenges. Disterhoft says it's a constant effort, the hallmark of which is abundant and transparent communication in a variety of forms. That's especially important during a difficult time for financial institutions, when interest rates have risen to 40-year highs, driving down a mortgage business that was booming just a year ago. Sadly, it's led to layoffs at a number of financial institutions, including GreenState.

"There is a lot of angst and anxiety in the business world today," Disterhoft says. "It’s difficult time for a lot of lenders in U.S. these days. Recognizing that there is a lot of anxiety, we’ve tried to go over and above in communicating with our employees."

He says he wishes he could frequently talk to all of GreenState's 700-plus employees in person, but with branches spread from Chicago to Waukee, that's not possible. So he sends all employees a video each Friday titled "“The Week that Was," reflecting on some of most salient events in past week. He also sends an email called “Clarity" that he says is about mission values, interaction and "the value proposition."

Currently, he says, he and his leadership team are preparing a series of videos in which, interviewed by GreenState's mortgage lending chief, he answers the sort of questions he'd anticipate encountering in an open forum. In devising those questions about subjects like GreenState's future and expectations about the economy, he says, he consulted with company leaders who he knew would challenge him and question assumptions, "and they didn't disappoint."

The common thread of all those efforts, he says, is "the sheer level of transparency."

"To the extent we can err on the side of being more transparent, having full candor, the better," he says.

Disterhoft says the feedback from those efforts, as reflected in the Top Workplaces surveys, and the recognition bestowed by the awards, helps with another big challenge: recruiting and retaining employees. Especially during a period when almost all employers have been dealing with rapid turnover and labor shortages, it's a big plus to be able to point to recognition based on independent, anonymous employee surveys.

"It is indeed helpful for us," Disterhoft says. "It's always a challenge but it's made easier in part by the recognition we received."

Nominations for Iowa's top places to work in 2023 are open

Nominations for the 2023 Iowa's Top Workplaces awards are now open. Any Iowa organization — business, nonprofit or government — with 35 or more employees is eligible to participate.

The Register's partner in the awards, Energage, surveys employees at participating workplaces and then ranks the employers based on the results of those 24-question surveys. In 2022, 139 workplaces received recognition.

Awards are given in small-, medium- and large-workplace categories. Some 2,332 employers were invited to take part in the 2022 surveys, and 202 participated. Nearly 32,000 employees responded to the questionnaires.

It's free, although employers can gain invaluable information and further demonstrate their commitment to employee feedback by contracting with Energage for more detailed evaluations. The company conducts Top Workplaces surveys in 61 U.S. media markets and received responses from more than 2 million employees at more than 8,000 companies in the past year.

Anyone — an employer, employee or even a customer — may submit a nomination. It's easy to participate. Simply go to DesMoinesRegister.com/Nominate to get started, or call (515) 598-7192.

So, spread the word, and nominate your top workplace. The deadline is Feb. 17, 2023.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa's Top Workplace nominations are open for 2023