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Many attributes that make an organization a great place to work can get overlooked in the job hunt and interview process. We’ve rounded up a few of the details that make us unique. We’re pretty proud of them, too!
DID YOU KNOW
1. We’ve been recognized since 2007 as one of the Top 200 Community Banks. That’s right! American Banker (D.C. based trade magazine for the U.S. banking industry) reviews and publishes a list of the best performing community banks in the country based on a three-year average return on equity.
2. We have ranked consecutively in the Best Banks to work. Each year, American Banker surveys employees at community banks nationwide about their workplace practices and policies. We’re proud to have earned a spot on the list since 2013—and in 2024, we were the only Virginia bank recognized.
3. Our employees like it so much they stay. We have approximately 300 employees, and a third of them have remained with us for more than ten years, over the industry average of 4.8% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Check out the breakdown:
- 83 employees have worked here 10+ years
- 54 employees – 15+ years
- 39 employees – 20+ years
4. Our entire staff comes together four times a year for alternating business and social events.
- In January, we meet for our “kick-off” where we review our performance for the previous year and goals for the year ahead.
- A picnic occurs over the summer. To celebrate our 125th anniversary, we invited all employees and their families to a Richmond Squirrels baseball game for a night of fun, connection, and community. Check out the highlight video here. A standout moment? Unveiling the world’s largest crab cake — a delicious and memorable way to mark this milestone year! Click here to reveal some exciting highlights on the blog.
- Each October, we have an all-day training on Columbus Day. Attendance is required by all employees but a floating holiday is given in its place for use any time within the calendar year.
- Our last get-together is a Christmas party that alternates “employee only” and “employee plus one” every other year.
5. We have three other lines of business that are not typical for banks. This is important because they contribute to the bottom line and our success. They also expand the services we offer our community and opportunities for you to explore.
- Flexent offers alternative lending solutions to businesses that can fund receivables and inventory; helping businesses grow.
- Chesapeake Payment Systems, ‘CPS’ as we call it, offers merchant services that include a full range of debit and credit card processing solutions including mobile, countertop solutions, e-commerce along with point-of-sale systems.
- Chesapeake Wealth Management includes a variety of expertise regarding investment, estate management, and in-house portfolio management, analysis and review.
6. We believe in training. As HR director, Amanda Sumiel says, “We would rather invest in training an employee that ends up moving on, than not training and developing those that stay with us.” We want you to learn and grow because when you grow, we grow. It’s a win-win.
That’s why we partner with Virginia Bankers Association, American Bankers Association, Center for Creative Leadership, LSU Graduate School of Banking, and other organizations to provide advanced opportunities specific to the banking industry.
7. We offer a management trainee program and internships. We kicked off our management trainee program in 2015. This program allows recent college graduates with a business or related degree to rotate through all departments and lines of business within a year. Successful completion of the program leads to a full-time position in our organization.
We also offer summer internships for college students. Employees from both of these programs write about their experiences on our blog. Interested applicants for either program should check back during early spring.
8. We want our employees to be stakeholders in our organization and our community. As a result, we pay up to 16 hours of paid time per year so that our employees can volunteer at organizations that matter to them.
We’re also intentional about soliciting feedback from our employees and creating internal teams that shape the initiatives in our organization. We want everyone to have a voice and to feel as though we reflect the diverse markets that we serve.
9. We prefer to promote our own people. Employees are encouraged to have conversations with their supervisors about where they’d like to go within the organization. Together they will create a career track and define goals. Coaching conversations and evaluations are held throughout the year to discuss performance and to measure it against those goals.
10. Not only do we remain a community bank, we’ve been here longer than our peers. In 2025 we celebrated our 125th anniversary! We were originally chartered as Lancaster National Bank in 1900. We joined forces with Chesapeake Banking Co. of Lively in 1968 to become Chesapeake National Bank. In 1994, we dropped “national” from our name. In 2019 we passed the $1-billion mark in assets.
If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to connect. Chesapeake Bank Careers. Please visit our website to learn more about training, benefits, and current openings. APPLY NOW.
You may also enjoy hearing from other bankers about their careers in this campaign from the American Bankers Association. #AmericasBanks
