That retention rate for Arvest Bank compares with the national average of four years, according U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2020. “The culture here is a tangible thing,” says Laura Andress, chief people officer at Arvest. “We’re trying to improve the lives of everyone around us, including our associates, customers and communities. We care deeply. When people understand they're cared for in that way, they don’t want to leave.”
Constant communication with employees is a key factor in why they stick around. “If you were to talk to our teammates, they would say they get surveyed too much,” Andress says. “We ask their opinion all the time, and then we act on that. That’s what a lot of companies fail to do: they ask and there’s no action.”