Plenty of companies say they listen to their employees. Far fewer can prove it, and fewer still can show that the listening actually changed something.
WESTconsin Credit Union just got outside confirmation that it falls into that last group. McLean & Company, a leading HR research and advisory firm, named WESTconsin a winner of its 2026 Excellence Awards in the Employee Listening Excellence category.
The field was crowded. Winners were chosen from hundreds of eligible organizations, and the judging looked at results rather than good intentions. Specifically, McLean & Company weighed measurable progress in strengthening people practices and building lasting organizational impact. Collecting feedback wasn’t enough. The feedback had to lead somewhere.
Jamie Gower, WESTconsin’s Vice President of Human Resources, says the award reflects the credit union’s employee engagement achievements. “Our engagement scores continue to be exceptionally strong and significantly exceed both global and industry benchmarks,” Gower said. Those benchmarks matter because they give the numbers context. Strong scores in a vacuum are nice, but scores that beat both global and industry averages tell a clearer story.
Gower also pointed to what makes the recognition feel different from a typical trophy. “What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it reflects the experience of our employees,” she said. She thanked staff for their hard work, their dedication to members, the way they support one another, and their commitment to making WESTconsin a place where people want to work and grow.
As for what comes next, the interesting thing to watch is whether WESTconsin can keep those engagement scores ahead of the benchmarks in future surveys. Staying on top is harder than getting there, and the credit union’s next round of results will show whether the listening habits are built to last.