Credit Union of America reignites employee engagement and achieves 98% platform adoption with Bucketlist Rewards

Credit Union of America (CUA) transformed recognition from a low-volume, manual process into a high-engagement cultural habit using Bucketlist Rewards. Within months, CUA saw a 10x+ increase in recognition volume, 87–90% engagement scores, and 98% monthly participation.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Credit Union of America (CUA) is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative serving communities across Kansas through branches and modern digital banking. CUA supports roughly 80,000 members with just under $2B in assets and a team of about 310 employees, providing checking, savings, loans, and financial guidance while reinvesting value back into its member community.

For CUA, a community-focused financial institution built on the principle of “people helping people,” the pandemic created an unexpected crisis — not with members, but with their own team.

Cody Blasi, who has dedicated nearly two decades to CUA, remembers that period vividly: “People were exhausted. Morale was low. There was turnover everywhere. We were trying to figure out how to make employees’ lives a little better.”

The reality was reflected in the numbers. Employee engagement scores, previously hovering around 90%, had crashed to 50–60% depending on the department. Recognition had become a casualty of disconnection and outdated technology.

Cumbersome Process

The process was so cumbersome that even when employees wanted to acknowledge great work, they often skipped the formal system entirely. Brian himself admitted: “I can think of a time where two people were really instrumental in helping me succeed, and I was so stressed out by the process of recognizing them that I just sent them emails instead.”

For an organization serving over 80,000 members with nearly $2 billion in assets, the message was clear: to deliver exceptional member experiences, they first needed to re-energize the 310 employees behind every interaction.

In early 2022, Brian began exploring modern recognition solutions by attending HR webinars. After evaluating multiple platforms, Bucketlist Rewards immediately stood out. Brian was impressed by its simplicity, flexibility, and people-centric approach during a presentation and promptly reached out. He recalls this as one of the smoothest vendor experiences his team had ever encountered.

A Launch That Set the Tone

In July 2022, CUA didn’t just implement a new tool — they celebrated it. The launch featured a company-wide party with snacks, raffles, and live demonstrations. Every employee received starter points to both give and spend, ensuring immediate, hands-on participation.

Brian explained the launch with these words: “It was contagious. That energy came back overnight. The culture flipped from quiet appreciation to visible gratitude.”

Building a Holistic Recognition Ecosystem

CUA’s approach went beyond basic peer-to-peer recognition. They created an integrated system that connects appreciation with wellness and belonging:

Centralizing Wellness Programs

At the heart of CUA’s culture are five employee-led wellness committees that bring people together around shared experiences and genuine connection. Each committee focuses on a different dimension of wellbeing — physical, financial, community, DEI, and social wellness — ensuring there’s something meaningful for everyone.

These committees have become the pulse of in-person culture. The physical wellness team might host gym sessions, cooking classes, or lunchtime walks. The financial wellness committee runs workshops on budgeting and planning for the future. The community wellness group organizes volunteer drives and local giving initiatives. The DEI team fosters inclusion through cultural celebrations and learning events, while the social wellness group keeps things light and fun — from park picnics to trivia nights to quick “desk-friendly” activities that brighten a busy day.

The Bucketlist platform serves as a central hub where employees can explore upcoming events from all five committees, RSVP, and earn recognition points for participating. Before adopting Bucketlist, each committee managed its own events and attendance separately, making it hard to keep engagement high. Now, everything lives in one intuitive space — simplifying event management, boosting participation, and creating a clear view of all the great things happening across the company.

Metric	Before	After	Change
Recognition Volume	10–15/month	Hundreds/month	10x+ increase
Engagement Score	50–60%	87–90%	+30–40 points
Monthly Participation	<20%	98%	5x increase
Weekly Platform Usage	Minimal	75%	Breakthrough adoption
Retention	Declining	Improved & stable	Reversed trend
Recognition Satisfaction	50–60%	90–95%	Back to pre-pandemic levels

The Cultural Shift

Beyond the metrics, something fundamental changed in how CUA operates daily.

“When I walk around, I see Bucketlist on one screen and our member tools on the other,” Brian observes. “Even when people aren’t sending recognitions, they’re scrolling the feed. They want to see who’s being celebrated.”

The platform has become woven into the fabric of daily work. Employees regularly say, “I’ll send you some Bucketlist points,” after positive interactions. New hires consistently report being “blown away” by the culture they experience.

Recognition That Creates Real Impact

At CUA’s annual staff development day, where all 310 employees gather, people share stories about how they used their milestone awards — family trips, holiday groceries, meaningful purchases for loved ones.

“It’s amazing to hear how those points turn into memories,” Brian reflects. “People post their stories so others can see the impact. It’s not just a perk — it’s connection.”