Live Oak Bank has once again topped a national list for employee-friendly banks.
 
Industry publication American Banker named the Wilmington-based company No. 1 on its “Best Banks to Work For” list, posted online this week.
 
This is the third, consecutive year Live Oak came in at the top spot.
 
With 341 employees and $1.2 billion in assets, according to the list, Live Oak offers employees a continuing education program called Live Oak U, which the publication highlighted.
 
“Today, more than 20 courses are offered on topics such as managerial effectiveness, credit underwriting and banking fundamentals,” the American Banker item stated. “Live Oak partners with the nearby University of North Carolina at Wilmington to offer courses, but [bank chairman and CEO Chip Mahan] teaches one of the most popular ones: ‘Live Oak Culture 101,’ which provides an overview of the bank's history, tradition, work life and values.”
 
More than 75 percent of bank employees have taken at least one class, which are free and open to everyone in the company, according to the article.
 
“Live Oak Bank is committed to the goal of becoming a teaching organization and a learning organization,” Mahan said in the list profile. “The ultimate goal is that all employees at the bank have access to any career path they choose.”
 
Raleigh-based Paragon Bank came in at No. 9 on the list.

To compile the annual list, American Banker works with Best Companies Group, which performs an analysis through employee surveys about workplace policies and practices.