Best Community Banks to Work For 2026

Methodology

Banks with a minimum participation rate of 40% are eligible to be evaluated for the award. The survey consists of scaled responses where positive responses earn the most points.

For example, a bank whose employees select only the most positive responses would receive an index score of 100%. After sorting banks into five asset size categories, those with the highest index scores in each category are selected as the winners.

All nominated banks will be contacted via email on or about the week of July 31st, 2026. At that time, information will be shared with the bank’s point-of-contact for further dissemination to employees of the nominated bank.

It is the responsibility of the bank to ask employees to complete the comprehensive workplace survey. Employees will have from August 1-31, 2026 to complete the survey. Potential winners will be contacted by ICBA personnel via phone and/or email on or about the week of October 5th, 2026.

Survey Criteria

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on July 2nd, 2026. Following the acceptance of their nomination, the chosen community banks will go through the award evaluation process.

Full-time employees of each bank will be invited to complete a survey, hosted by the independent research agency Avannis, on areas of the bank including:

• Communication
• Training and Education
• Performance Standards
• Recognition
• Compensation and Benefits

• Leadership
• Working Environment
• Culture
• Hiring and Retention

Eligibility

• Must be an ICBA-member bank in good standing.
• ICBA Executive Committee and Board Member (Parent and Subsidiaries) banks are eligible to participate but are not eligible to win.
• Winning banks from previous years are eligible to participate in the employee survey; however, these winning banks will not be eligible to win the top honors and be featured in consecutive years. There must be at least five years between awards.
• The March 31, 2026 Call Report date will be used to determine asset size of the bank.
• Independent Banker Magazine reserves the right to modify winning category thresholds based on nominations received.
• Other eligibility requirements may apply. ICBA and Independent Banker have sole discretion to determine whether entries are eligible.
• By submitting a nomination and completing the survey, each entrant hereby irrevocably grants ICBA and Independent Banker the rights to use, publish, reproduce, edit, market, and store the award information in perpetuity for editorial, commercial, promotional and all other purposes.

General Rules

• Winning banks and entrants agree to release and hold harmless Independent Banker Magazine and the ICBA from and against any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons or property which may be sustained in connection with creation of or submitting a nomination or otherwise participating in or preparing for any aspect of the award contest, the receipt, ownership, possession and/or use or misuse of any award or any typographical or other error in these rules or the announcement or offering of the award or for any claims or causes of action based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy.

• Acceptance of award constitutes permission to the Independent Banker Magazine and the ICBA to use winning banks’ names and shared survey/interview information for promotional purposes (including any possible public relations opportunities) and in any/all media.

Winning Bank Recognition

Winning banks will be recognized in the December 2026 issue of Independent Banker Magazine, the 2027 ICBA LIVE annual convention, and through other ICBA social and media channels. Winning banks may be asked to share photos with Independent Banker and ICBA for further promotion and recognition.