9 Oregon Credit Unions Team Up for Career Fair

Job opportunities at credit unions are plentiful, and when it comes to hiring, what matters most is attracting talent to the credit union movement – not competing with other credit unions for top candidates. At least that’s what nine credit unions with a presence in the Portland, Ore., metro area indicated on Friday, when they partnered together for a joint career fair.

Hosted at the Unitus Plaza in downtown Portland, the site of the $1.2 billion Unitus Community Credit Union’s headquarters, the career fair featured representatives from these eight credit unions in addition to Unitus: Advantis Credit Union ($1.4 billion, Clackamas, Ore.), Clackamas Community Federal Credit Union ($388 million, Milwaukie, Ore.), First Tech Credit Union ($12.1 billion, Beaverton, Ore.), IQ Credit Union ($1 billion, Vancouver, Wash.), Point West Credit Union ($106 million, Portland), Rivermark Community Credit Union ($854 million, Beaverton, Ore.), SELCO Community Credit Union ($1.6 billion, Eugene, Ore.) and Trailhead Credit Union ($120 million, Portland). Representatives spoke to job-seekers about a range of positions, and encouraged engagement among attendees by having them fill out a “passport” for a chance to win one of 10 gift baskets. The event also included a DJ and catered lunch.

Gayle Evans, chief human resources officer for Unitus, said Unitus President/CEO Steven Stapp suggested the idea of a joint credit union career fair about a year into his position, and the planning took off from there. One goal he had for the event, Evans said, was to recruit professionals away from big banks (the Unitus headquarters building neighbors both a Wells Fargo and KeyBank location). And that goal may be reached.

“We spoke with people from a bank just a block down the street,” Evans said when asked what types of job-seekers showed up, also noting, “When people come from a bank to work at a credit union, they’re surprised to find out they don’t have to meet sales quotas. Instead, they can sell to meet the member’s needs.” She added that another goal of the career fair was to help job-seekers realize that of all the financial services careers they could pursue, one with credit unions can be the most meaningful.

Evans said the “war for talent” is real, especially in Portland, and while people may assume credit unions fight over talent, they in fact do not discourage employees from hopping to another credit union to take a desired position. “At the end of the day, we’re all part of the movement,” she said.

To emphasize the concept of collaboration, the fair wasn’t branded as a Unitus event; each participating credit union received equal recognition. “This career fair was one way to showcase the industry’s culture, and the whole spirit of the cooperative movement,” Evans said.

Pre-event promotions led to about 150 online registrations, but the event itself attracted an even higher number of attendees, she added.