Team Member Engagement

Talent Development and Engagement

We actively promote an environment that fosters honest, good-faith communication about matters related to our business activities. We regularly conduct company-wide team member surveys to assess and measure engagement, identify what is working, and where opportunities exist for improvement.

Training and Development

Synovus is committed to enabling our team members to reach their full potential by providing access to effective learning and development. All team members are encouraged to learn continuously and develop their talents to meet their personal goals and the strategic goals of the Company. Synovus enables team members by providing access to in-person, virtual instructor-led, on demand and curated learning opportunities to support skill development. This includes, but is not limited to, New Hire Orientation, role-based training programs, technical training, and professional and leadership development. Synovus also encourages team member to use MyTime, which allocates one hour a week for professional development to team members.

Synovus believes in the importance of equipping leaders and has invested in developing leaders at every level through leadership development. Front line leaders complete Ignite Leadership Development program and Sr. Leaders complete Catalyst, the Sr. Leadership Development program. These programs equip leaders with the skills and capabilities to build, develop and lead their teams. Synovus invites its team members to complete Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to personalize development actions for their current and future roles and provide insight into future aspirations. Synovus also supports team members participating in external development. Synovus offers a tuition assistance program for team members seeking qualified undergraduate and graduate degrees and other continuing education programs. We also provide 100% tuition coverage for high potential team members selected for specialty banking schools

In 2023, Synovus won three Brandon Hall HCM Learning Excellence awards – a Silver Award the Best Development Program for Frontline leaders for Ignite, a Silver award for Best Advance in Senior Manager Development for Catalyst and a Gold award for Best Unique or Innovative Learning and Development Program for Customer Care Heroes in Training.

Performance Enablement and Retention

Our approach to performance enablement is year-round, with clear goals and priorities aligned behind business objectives and strategies. Team members and their managers mutually agree on performance and developmental goals, which are supported by development conversations held regularly throughout the year, and which factor into formal mid-year and year-end performance evaluations.

Internal promotions are prioritized, with 31% of new positions filled by existing team members. Approximately 13% of our work force received a promotion in 2023, consisting of 67% women and 36% people of color.

Our commitment to our team members has resulted in a long-term work force, with an average tenure of eight years of service.

We attribute our ability to attract and retain talent to several factors, including impactful work that affects the communities in which our employees live, strong leadership, availability of career advancement opportunities and competitive and equitable total rewards. Our voluntary turnover rate for 2023 was 12%1.

Team Member Engagement

Our most recent engagement score was 91%, representing top quartile scoring compared to financial services benchmark, which is an average based on 500 organizations representing more than 17.4 million employees in a wide range of industries and from over 183 countries.

At the division and department levels, a cross-functional action team defines top areas of focus companywide based on survey results. The team develops recommended solutions and helps ensure company accountability and resource availability for follow-up actions. The team also ensures clear tracking, measurement, and progress reporting to leadership and the full team.

The results from the 2023 survey show we’re in a healthy range regarding perceptions across all survey categories. The most favorable items included remote work, with a favorability score of 96%; ethics, with a favorability score of 91%; and manager relationships and pride in the company both with a favorability score of 90%. The data also revealed team members continue to place a high value on the relationships they have with each other, their managers, and clients.

Previous survey results helped establish specific initiatives to improve the career experience at Synovus, including identifying growth opportunities, delivering career development training, making training more accessible, improving onboarding, and creating a sense of value among team members. By listening to our team members and acting on their feedback, we saw top quartile engagement scores in our latest survey process.

Following our 2023 survey, we have formed a Voice of the Team Member action team, a cross-functional team that will develop a range of actions and solutions to address the top areas of opportunity—empowerment, continuous improvement, and teamwork.