12-11-2022 Top Workplaces - Flipbook - Page 14
WINNER LARGE BUSINESS
LEADER
DANIEL J. SCHRIDER
SANDY SPRING BANK
Caring about the company, employees and communities
D
aniel J. Schrider must be doing something right.
For the second time in three years,
the president and CEO of Sandy
Spring Bank, won Baltimore Sun Media’s Top
Workplaces leadership honor for large businesses.
Schrider has been the bank’s top executive
since 2009, steering the Olney-based bank,
whose branches sprawl from Baltimore to
Washington, D.C., through the financial crisis,
the Great Recession and the coronavirus
pandemic.
“Dan is genuine. He truly cares about the
company, the employees and the communities
we serve,” said one employee asked about his
leadership.
Another said they appreciated “his transparency, inspiring messaging, positivity and faithfilled leadership.”
Schrider took some time to answer a few
questions about leadership and Sandy Spring’s
work culture:
How did the pandemic change Sandy
Spring Bank as a workplace?
Hybrid work was not on our radar before
the pandemic. We surveyed employees and
managers and learned that remote work was a
top priority.
In 2021, we introduced a hybrid approach
[three days in the office, two days remote] that
balances employee flexibility and in-person
collaboration but never compromises client
service. We are still learning and adjusting,
but this is how we do business now, so we will
always look for ways to improve.
To that end, I must acknowledge the
hundreds of employees who work in our
branches or have other positions that require
them to come into an office.
These individuals are critical to our operations and delivering exceptional client service.
I am incredibly grateful for the role they play
in our company. We can’t succeed without
every person — regardless of whether you are
fully remote, hybrid or in an office — working
together in lockstep.
What makes Sandy Spring Bank a good
place to work?
Our people make Sandy Spring Bank a great
place to work; I was recently reminded of this
by one of our new employees. Each month, we
host a two-day orientation for new hires, and
I get to spend time with the group and have
lunch with them.
In October, I sat next to a woman who had
just started working at our Fulton branch in
Howard County. I asked her how she liked the
bank, and her response made me proud to work
here. “The people here are real,” she said.
To me, this is the highest compliment we can
get.
Colleagues across the bank genuinely care
about how you are doing and what is going on
in your life. It’s not an act but genuine interest
and concern. If we can continue to put people
first, this will continue to be a great place to
work for generations to come.
What is a leader’s role in establishing a
Top Workplace?
Leaders at every level of an organization
need to listen to their employees. It is easy
to become isolated, especially when your
company is geographically spread out or has
remote work.
Instead, leaders need to stay in front of their
teams, ask questions, request feedback and
keep a pulse on how people are feeling, what is
important to them and what they need. Keep
open lines of communication and let people
know how you will respond to what they have
told you.
Leadership takes time, but the payoff is
worth it for your people and the company.
Daniel J. Schrider, president and CEO of Sandy Spring Bank, won Baltimore Sun Media’s Top Workplaces
leadership honor for large businesses for the second time in three years. PHOTO BY KARL MERTON FERRON
14 | 2022 | TOPWORKPLACES