Putting Employees at the Heart of Success: GoWest Awards 2026 Employee Experience Finalists

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on August 12, 2026

This year’s Recognition Advisory Group for the GoWest Awards at MAXX 2026 faced the challenging task of evaluating more than 80 submissions in the five credit union award categories.

Across the region, credit unions raised the bar, delivering exceptional programs for their employees, members, and communities. Choosing finalists and winners from such a strong field was no easy feat.

The 2026 GoWest Awards honor excellence across nine categories, recognizing both individual leaders and innovative credit union initiatives: Employee Experience, Member Program, Community Impact, Cooperation in Action, Storytelling with Purpose, Young Professional, Distinguished Director, Summit Advocate, and Summit Icon.

As we count down to the MAXX 2026 Awards Dinner and Gala in Denver, we’re excited to spotlight this year’s finalists — beginning with the Employee Experience category. This award celebrates credit unions that are building strong internal cultures through intentional professional development, supportive environments, and meaningful career growth opportunities.

Congratulations to the finalists in the Employee Experience category!

iQ Credit Union, Washington — Campus Branches: Interns/Professional Day

iQ Credit Union’s core values — Financial Growth Advocates, Enthusiastic Educators, Community Builders, and Peace of Mind Providers — shape how employees serve members, support one another, and define success. These values are intentionally woven into daily behaviors, programs, and decision-making, with the role of Enthusiastic Educators coming to life through iQ’s campus branches, internship program, and Professional Development days. Together, these initiatives promote financial literacy, develop emerging professionals, and create opportunities for employees, students, and members to grow.

A pioneer in high school campus branches since the 1990s, iQ now operates eight locations with nearly 160 students participating each year. During lunch periods, students run real credit union branches while gaining hands-on experience in financial services, including financial literacy, member service, marketing and operations. Campus branch students can then apply for paid internships at iQ’s 17 community branches, deepening their skills and understanding of the credit union industry.

The impact extends well beyond the classroom. Many former campus branch students and interns have gone on to build careers at iQ. Today, 14 current employees began through the internship program and have accumulated more than 150 years of combined tenure — a testament to the program’s ability to develop talent, create career pathways, and support long-term growth.

On Tap Credit Union, Colorado — Policies & Brew-cedures

At On Tap Credit Union, their culture is grounded in the “K.E.G. of Excellence” — being Kind, Engaged, and Genuine in every interaction. This culture led directly to the “Policies & Brew-cedures” initiative. Through the K.E.G. of Excellence, employees felt empowered to speak up when something was not working, sharing frustration with inconsistent processes, siloed knowledge, and difficulty accessing information.

Rather than addressing individual issues on a case-by-case basis, On Tap focused on a sustainable solution: identifying the critical 20% of procedures that drive 80% of daily work and making them easy to find, understand, and apply.

What followed was a focused 12-month initiative to centralize, standardize, and elevate how work gets done across the organization using the K.E.G. of Excellence model. This led to the creation of an AI-searchable repository, powered by NAVEX and reimagined through our brand as Policies & Brew-cedures, a name selected through employee voting.

Policies & Brew-cedures has delivered measurable impact across employee engagement with a strong adoption rate, a more consistent member experience, and a scalable foundation for growth within the organization.

Seattle Credit Union, Washington — Fixed-Term Assignments (FTAs)

Seattle Credit Union prioritizes promoting from within, using external hiring only when necessary. Recognizing that adult learners often gain more from hands-on experience than traditional classroom training, the credit union developed its Fixed-Term Assignment (FTA) program to address temporary staffing needs while creating meaningful development opportunities for employees. When a temporary need arises — typically for three to six months due to a leave of absence, seasonal workload or special project — the opportunity is opened exclusively to internal candidates through a formal interview process. Selected employees step into the stretch role while retaining a guaranteed return to their original position.

The FTA program provides employees with authentic, on-the-job learning that builds skills, confidence and exposure to new departments and functions while addressing genuine business needs. At the same time, it eliminates the cost and disruption associated with external contingent staffing. Employees gain opportunities to explore new career paths and expand their capabilities, while managers benefit from motivated, trained employees who already understand the credit union’s culture and systems.

The program has become a powerful tool for retention, engagement and workforce development. By investing in employees through meaningful real-world experiences, Seattle Credit Union has created a win-win-win: employees grow their careers, managers gain access to internal talent, and the organization meets temporary staffing needs while reducing turnover, accelerating onboarding and strengthening employee engagement.

Winners in all categories will be announced at the GoWest Awards Dinner & Gala on Oct. 9 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver.

Posted in Colorado, MAXX, Regional Member News, Top Headlines, Washington.