Happiness is a Valued Employee

Do you know what happens to companies that value their employees? They grow. They succeed. And their employees stay with them, working hard to make their customers happy.

At least, that’s how it is at Navy Federal Credit Union.

Navy Federal is the world’s largest member owned credit union, serving all Department of Defense military. And when they opened up their Florida contact center (formerly known as a call center) a few years ago, they wanted to make it a place where “employees would want to come to work,” says Jamie McDonald, Assistant Vice President, Projects and Analysis, Greater Pensacola Operations.

Their campus, which has since grown from one to four buildings (all LEED Gold certified), is on a beautiful site and offers all kinds of creature comforts, including, says Ms. McDonald “great furniture.”

Herman Miller’s Resolve system was selected for the first building, and it proved to be such an ideal solution that it was also chosen for the other three. As Ms. McDonald explains, “Aesthetically, it’s very appealing—open, contemporary, vibrant, and energetic—which is the feeling we wanted for our employees. And it’s very flexible; we’re constantly rearranging things because we’re growing so much.”

She says their employees deserve a lot credit for that growth. “When our employees are happy, our members are happy,” she states. In fact, the employees have become such great ambassadors for Navy Federal, enthusiastically telling friends and relatives what a great place it is work, the credit union gets about 1,000 applicants a month. “So we can choose the best of the best, which is a really nice situation to be in,” says Ms. McDonald. “Happiness just seems to be part of our culture now.”