Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim Rauschl returned to the corporate Marine Credit Union office for the first time in over a year and a half for a meeting and his Heart of MCU interview. He said it was a temporary visit, though, and still works remotely from home in the La Crosse area. He said he really enjoyed the visit to the corporate office; “Today has been really fun to connect with people.” That said, Tim said he enjoys working remotely from home. “It goes with the flow of how life is supposed to be.”
Tim serves at MCU as a Human Resource Recruiter. He shared that he is a bit introverted. So how did he find himself working with people in a HR position? “You’re not going to gain energy by being alone and I don’t want to be selfish with my time,” he shared. “I like people. I need to connect.”
For each interview he conducts he said he, “shares about 45 minutes with candidates building a bridge; looking to get to the heart of the issues.”
His current work in HR, he said, is different than the experience he gained starting at MCU in member services. “As a recruiter, they need to convince me (they are right for the job). I like it because I am able to be more candid then.”
He said candidates often ask about the culture of MCU. “We are a very human organization. We understand people have lives, kids and dogs.” He said prospective employees want to know that they are cared about as individuals. “I admire that we hire adults who can make their own decisions,” Tim said. “Work isn’t always the priority. It’s about the work/life balance.”
“At MCU, we have always provided a great experience for our members,” Tim shared. He said the culture at MCU has went through some changes and there is a better focus on providing a great working environment now, too.
When hiring “cooled down” at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Tim said they were able to study employee retention and how to better understand the psychology of why a person leaves their job. “One of the biggest things we found was that employees leave because of unmet expectations.”
Tim said he prides himself in being authentic and not being afraid to talk about the negatives. “People do business with people they like and trust,” he said.
When considering candidates to work at MCU, Tim said they look for “someone who aligns with our culture (the 4 Cs of collaboration, compassion, commitment and courage) and MCU’s mission of giving back to the community.”
Tim and his wife Maggie have been living in the La Crosse area for seven years. They have two children – Tova and Judah. They have their own e-commerce business, enjoy hiking and both he and his wife are “avid readers.” He said he reads a lot about personal development, growth and people skills.
One of his favorite reads is “Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great,” by Joshua Medcalf and the Bible – “There’s a lot of good stuff in there.”
“Success is a journey, not a destination,” Tim shared. “We all have limited resources,” he added. “It’s good to ask what we can do to get better and bring more value to society.” Tim also talked about leadership and connection. “Having compassion,” Tim said, “is an aspect of being a great example and great leader; and that comes from self-development.”
