CDFIs have been successful at generating impact in historically disinvested communities across the nation for the past 50 years because of their staff. CDFI employees are the heartbeat of the industry: they are mission-minded, innovative, and dedicated to the pursuit of economic and social justice. As a result, hiring employees who 1) have earned or know how to earn community trust, 2) understand the importance of buildingrelationships, and 3) can connect with the values behind CDFI lending is critical to helping CDFIs achieve their mission.
OFN’s talent recruitment, retention, and management toolkit aims to assist CDFIs with finding the right people, with the right skills, at the right time for the organization; supporting equitable hiring, retention, and advancement practices; providing insights into staffing trends; and offering actionable examples that make it easy to implement the leading practices shared.
The toolkit is comprised of a series of resources on various related topics that OFN will release and update on a continual basis. We intend for these resources and toolkits to be living documents as we recognize that leading practices may need to be revised over time in response to changes in standards, industry requirements, and advancements in technology.
As of March 2023, this toolkit has a resource on writing effective job descriptions. It includes leading practices as well as sample language you can use to develop job descriptions for various functions at your CDFI.
OFN plans to release additional resources for this toolkit focused on the topics of Compensation; Managing Four Generations in the Workplace; the Hybrid Work Environment; DEI Hiring Practices, and others throughout 2023, so keep an eye out for more to come!