Best Places to Work 2007: BancorpSouth

Teamwork and the ability to earn based on performance attracted Adam Swenka to the mortgage-lending division of BancorpSouth.

“It comes right down to your production and efforts,” said Swenka, who began his banking career when he was a college student in his native Iowa.

“I just can’t believe how team-oriented it is, at least on the mortgage-banking side,” added Swenka, who joined BancorpSouth four months ago. “Things are continually changing with mortgage lending. You’ve got to have that team to bounce ideas off each other.”

Tupelo, Miss.-based BancorpSouth completed its acquisition of Springfield-based The Signature Bank on July 1, said Teresa Fletcher, regional human resources director. Bank officials reported to Springfield Business Journal at the time that the local operation had retained 100 percent of its staff. First announced Oct. 31, 2006, the months leading up to the merger saw local loans increase by more than $100 million and assets rise to just less than $1 billion.

Today, there is a one-year waiting period to participate in the 401(k) retirement plan, and BancorpSouth contributes between 1 percent and 9 percent, Fletcher said.

New, full-time hires receive at least 10 vacation days and three personal days; there is no waiting period to take those personal days.

At least nine sick days are available.

BancorpSouth pays more than 50 percent of health-insurance premiums for employees and between 31 percent and 50 percent for dependents.

Average salary increases for full-time employees are 3 percent or less, Fletcher said. Annual reviews cover job-related issues such as initiative, customer relations, cooperation, and quality and quantity of work.

Bonuses are available to all employees and are largely tied to the performance of each BancorpSouth division, she said.

New employees undergo two weeks of training. Ongoing training also is available.

“It is internal,” Fletcher said. “In the division … is where they get that training, but sometimes it requires that they go outside their division.”

BancorpSouth’s yearlong employee mentoring program is geared toward people who want to rise in management.

“They have to apply for the management-trainee program, and then they have so many hours they need to spend” learning various aspects of the company, Fletcher said.

Employee-satisfaction surveys are conducted every other year through a third party.

“With most of those surveys, it does talk about how management treats them,” Fletcher said. “It does talk about their facilities, policies and procedures, work environment, that sort of thing.”

BancorpSouth

Founded: 1876

Address: 4039 S. Kansas Expressway, Springfield, MO 65808

Phone: (417) 889-2600

Web: www.bancorpsouthonline.com

Employees: 155

Services: Banking institution[[In-content Ad]]