Case Study: United Bay Community Credit Union achieves a cohesive, values-driven culture and improved employee retention with Kudos

Ubay Builds Exceptional Culture with Kudos

United Bay Community Credit Union (Ubay), a 51–200‑employee, member‑owned credit union in Bay City, Michigan, set out to build a cohesion culture that would support growth and address recruitment and retention challenges. To make its updated mission, vision and core values (Belonging, Value, Mutual Commitment) tangible across the organization, Ubay partnered with Kudos and implemented the Kudos Recognition + Rewards platform.

Kudos enabled values‑based recognition—tying every acknowledgement to a core value—and supported programs like Motivational Mondays, Wellness Wednesday Spaces, diversity calendars and automated anniversary announcements, while giving leaders visibility across branches. The result: 100% enrollment on Kudos, a significant rise in recognition frequency, improved retention and performance, a stronger employer brand that aids recruitment, and business recognition including the 2022 Best Consumer Lending Experience award, demonstrating measurable impact from the Kudos program.

United Bay Community Credit Union

Michelle LaClair-Ziembo

Human Resources Manager