Crossbridge Community Bank Elevates Its Employee Onboarding Experience

First impressions can have a lasting impact, especially when someone is starting a new job. Crossbridge Community Bank is making sure its first steps with new hires are the right ones. 

In 2023, the $210 million-asset community bank in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, revamped its onboarding process, based on employee feedback, to better welcome and prepare new hires for success from day one. 

“It’s about how we make [new employees] feel, and how they’re welcomed,” says PJ Childers, president of Crossbridge Community Bank. “Onboarding should be teaching them about your bank and your culture and your values. It’s your first shot with an employee to tell your bank’s story, who you are and what you do.”

Listening to employees

A 2022 employee survey conducted at Crossbridge Community Bank revealed that most staff members believed the onboarding process needed improvement. 

Staff members described the process as impersonal. At that time, it consisted mainly of being given a workspace and a copy of the company policies. “[New employees] never felt like they had that warm touch, and they never felt super welcomed when they were here,” says Childers. “They were just another employee here doing their job.”

Basic details, like what to wear, where to park and what doors to use, were also unclear to new hires. “I’m almost embarrassed to admit that, because you think those things would have come naturally when we were hiring somebody,” Childers adds. “I think we’ve been working here for so long that we assume people know things, but people don’t know what they don’t know.”

“[The new onboarding process] helps to teach new employees that we are all human, and we all work here together, and nobody’s job is bigger than or better than the next.”

—PJ Childers, Crossbridge Community Bank

Taking action on onboarding

As a member of the bank’s leadership, Childers saw the results of the employee survey and deemed them unacceptable. 

“I’m super customer service oriented, so as the president of the bank, I’m saying we can’t have our employees feeling that way,” she says. “I want everyone to walk into the store and feel like they’re an asset and they’re a part of the team. We can’t wait until month three, four or five to make them feel that way.”

Childers joined a Wisconsin Bankers Association committee in 2023 to develop onboarding best practices. She used these insights to guide Crossbridge Community Bank’s onboarding improvements. By fall 2024, the fully revamped onboarding system was mostly in place. 

Crossbridge Community Bank’s updated onboarding process starts well before new employees arrive on their first day. New hires are now sent a welcome packet with important details to know before day one. Bank managers now also follow an onboarding checklist to ensure nothing is forgotten. 

The onboarding process includes a workplace tour, introductions to key team members and a one-on-one lunch with the new hire’s supervisor. When schedules allow, Childers also attends these lunches.

“We’re really trying to get to know you before we throw you into a job,” she says. “I know it’s intimidating when you start a new job. This helps to teach new employees that we are all human, and we all work here together, and nobody’s job is bigger than or better than the next.” 

New hires also receive a brand book outlining the bank’s story, mission and values. New employees watch a video and meet with the marketing director to explore the bank’s history and culture. 

As of January 2025, each new employee is also paired with a peer mentor to help ease the transition. They provide guidance on day-to-day tasks, answer questions, encourage participation in events and offer general support throughout the new hire’s first year of employment. 

A valuable change

Initial feedback has been positive, and Childers thinks the current onboarding process is right where it should be. “The little feedback we’ve received so far in the past six months has been super positive. We have not had to change anything since fall, which gives me a good feeling about where we’re at,” Childers says. “I think we’ve got it to where it needs to be. But life is about changes, so changes will come at some point.”

The plan is working

Katie Pierce, a universal banker at Crossbridge Community Bank, had her first day on March 3, 2025, and says she had a good experience with the new onboarding process.

“I liked how informational it was from the beginning. I kind of knew what I was walking into,” Pierce says. “I also liked how other employees welcomed me in. It wasn’t like starting a new job [feeling] unsure if they liked me. Everyone was so welcoming.”

Dee Tesch, another universal banker from Crossbridge Community Bank, started working at the bank in September 2024 and expressed similar sentiments. 

“I love it here,” Tesch says. “The process is great, but I think, more importantly, the people in this company are amazing. Everyone makes you feel so welcome, from the Merrill office to Tomahawk and from the CEO to the front line. I really, really love that.”

Childers remains eager to gather more feedback, ensuring the bank continues to provide new hires with the best possible experience. 

“I’m super proud of it. I think it’s working. I can’t wait to get better feedback in another six months to a year to see further,” she says. “Employees love the way they feel on day one, and then we continue that relationship and [maintaining] how they feel at work from here on out.”