COLUMBUS, Ohio – First Merchants Bank was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business as one of the Best Employers across the entire state of Ohio in 2022. This achievement is based on strong scores for company policies and employee engagement as well as employee benefits and satisfaction.

In a state-wide research study, Crain’s partnered with the Best Companies Group and used surveys to capture the strengths and opportunities of organizations being considered for the Best Employers list. Organizations had to have received a minimum average positive response of 80% to the nine focus areas of the survey: leadership and planning, corporate culture and communications, role satisfaction, work environment, relationship with supervisor, training, development and resources, pay and benefits, and overall employee engagement.

“We believe that people deserve an employer who genuinely cares about their wellbeing. I am grateful for this recognition because it shows that the focus we’ve placed on caring for our employees is working,” said First Merchants CEO Mark Hardwick. “We work hard to create and maintain a positive and supportive workplace where our teammates are encouraged to bring their full and authentic selves to work. Doing this helps us attract and retain people who are genuinely focused on attentively helping our customers, communities and each other prosper.”

Companies participating in the survey throughout the entire state of Ohio had to exceed a 40% response rate from all employees who received the surveys. Bank employees were given a two-part survey. One part was the Employer Benefits and Policies Questionnaire, which accounted for 25% of the overall score. The other part was the Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey, which accounted for the remaining 75% of the score.

First Merchants Bank’s award for Best Employer is another achievement in a series of third-party recognitions for the company this year. First Merchants has been ranked among the top 20 banks by S&P Global Market Intelligence, as a Best Bank by Newsweek for the second year in a row, and as fourth in the list of the 2022 Great Employers to Work for in Indiana by Best Companies Group. First Merchants Bank was also recognized in June as a “Best-in-State” bank by Forbes for providing a superior customer experience across the following full range of key customer needs: branch services, digital services, financial advice, trustworthiness, overall customer services, general satisfaction, and terms and conditions. Most recently, the company was also recognized by Comparably for Best Leadership Team.

First Merchants Bank is the second-largest financial services institution based in Indiana. It holds assets of more than $18 billion and has over 100 banking centers across Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.

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About First Merchants Corporation
First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ: FRME), with assets of more than $18 billion and operating in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, is the parent company of First Merchants Bank. The Muncie, Indiana-based bank is committed to providing exceptional financial services while making meaningful contributions in each community it serves. First Merchants Bank promotes economic mobility through its five community pillars: Employee Empowerment, Community Investments and Charitable Giving, Financial Wellness, Community Home Lending, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The company has been honored for its excellence in banking by Forbes, Newsweek, and S&P Global Intelligence. The company attributes this recognition to a mission-driven team that is passionate about “helping you prosper” as its genuine approach to customer service. To see how First Merchants Bank is making a difference, go to (www.firstmerchants.com).