Bank of America announced this week that they are accelerating the implementation of a new higher minimum wage to $20 per hour at the end of the first quarter 2020.
This equates to a full time salary of $41,000. In explaining this one year speed up of the increase, CEO Brian Moynihan also explained that the bank had reduced the cost of health insurance by half all with a goal of making Bank of America a great place to work.
The action also speaks to the increasingly competitive labor market at full unemployment described in my blog How Tight is Today’s Labor Market.
What Makes a Great Place to Work?
Starting salaries certainly matter, especially for a first job. But is salary sufficient to retain the people an organization relies upon to build a sustainable future?
Successful credit unions also create cultures in which people feel good about their work carrying out the organization’s purpose, what they do for and with members, and expanding career challenges.
Financial rewards are only one aspect of a dynamic and leading organization. Necessary, but not sufficient.