DENVER— Colorado’s credit unions are reporting “overwhelming” response to a virtual job resource center and resume bank that was created earlier this year by the GoWest Credit Union Association to offer potential employment at credit unions in the state to the nearly 1,000 employees of FirstBank who were told they would be let go following an acquisition by PNC Financial Services.
As the CU Daily first reported here, the GoWest association said many credit unions in the state have been actively hiring for roles that align closely with the experience and expertise of affected workers. The CU Daily also had coverage of the job cuts here.
Below, Katie March, VP of legislative affairs with the GoWest Association, shares an update with the CU Daily on what has taken place since the Job Resource Center was launched.
The CU Daily: What was the response to the Virtual Job Resource Center and Resume Bank?
March: The response has been overwhelming. What started as conversation on what credit unions could do to help FirstBank employees when they were inevitably laid off due to the merger, has now become a significant, collective effort across the Colorado credit union movement reaching a large part of the displaced FirstBank employees.
Both the willingness of credit unions to step forward to support people in their communities and the appetite for acquiring the many talented people that were cast off by their employer has been incredible. And the response from FirstBank employees was dramatic. The more we put the word out, the more we received interest from FirstBank employees across the full range of job titles and levels of experience.
The CU Daily: How many resumes were received?
March: To date, we have received 137 resumes but more come in every week. We don’t have numbers on how many resumes have been received by the 22 credit unions listed as hiring on the resource center, but we can confirm that they have also been receiving resumes.
The CU Daily: How did GoWest spread the word that it had been created?
March: GoWest launched an initial press release featuring Colorado credit unions’ work to create the resource center. Through media appearances and direct local outreach, we’ve been able to reach enough FirstBank employees to generate resumes from more than 130 of the 777 FirstBank employees that have been laid off.
The CU Daily: How many credit unions looked to leverage the available candidates?
March: Every credit union in Colorado has received the resumes we’ve collected. For the job resource center, 22 credit unions asked to list their hiring opportunities, and more have followed up to distribute the resumes across their organizations. It has been a Colorado-wide effort to connect with these workers and bring them into the credit union movement.
The CU Daily: Was there a particular skillset or experience credit unions were seeking from the candidates?
March: No. The jobs and skillsets have run the full spectrum of specialties and seniority levels. Personal bankers, senior home lending officers, IT specialists, and more have been featured in the jobs listed and resumes acquired.
The CU Daily: What was the feedback from credit unions themselves in terms of the candidates they were seeing?
March: Recruiters shared with us that they have been impressed with the quality of talent that has come through the job resource center. Credit unions told us how highly they regarded the previously local institution and noted how the laid-off employees they’ve encountered embody the community spirit that used to define FirstBank. Colorado credit unions welcome the opportunity to provide these local applicants the chance to continue using their skills to serve the community.
It’s a big part of why there was such a strong response from both credit unions looking to hire talented financial service workers and the displaced employees hoping to continue operating at a high level in their career with a locally focused institution.
While the sale of this local financial institution is incredibly unfortunate for the communities it served, credit unions are doing what they can to help these high-caliber employees continue delivering great financial services to Coloradans. It is very important to the credit unions involved that we keep talented Coloradans in Colorado.
The CU Daily: Did GoWest hear from any of those who have lost jobs?
March: We have and hope to share their stories in the future once they have settled into the next step in their careers. We’ve maintained privacy considerations throughout our part in their career transition but will be following up with them on their journey to allow them the opportunity to share their story at a later time.
The CU Daily: Has anyone been hired?
March: Yes! We look forward to sharing in the future their stories about joining the credit union movement after the FirstBank upheaval.
The CU Daily: Will the Job Bank/Resume Center remain in place?
March: Yes. We expect more layoffs to come from the PNC-FirstBank merger based on recent branch closures, historical data, and experience with similar out-of-state bank mergers. The overwhelming interest in these resources from both credit unions and displaced workers also indicates this is a much-needed support for many talented workers facing a career disruption they didn’t deserve.
Colorado credit unions are proud to stand with these displaced FirstBank employees and are excited to be the place they bring their talent and experience for the next phase of their careers. This is an incredible opportunity for credit unions to empower talented financial services professionals who are already as committed to Colorado as we are.
