Press
Mazuma Finds Interview Fair Success and Candidates to Match Culture
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Tues., Dec. 18, 2012) – Mazuma Credit Union experienced unique success in their search for new job candidates that will not only bring the right talents and skills to the workplace, but also a desire to bring a can-do spirit to a credit union culture of fun, teamwork, and positive attitudes. Using a concerted social media push including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Mazuma’s website, along with printed flyers and posters, interested candidates were invited to Mazuma’s December 14, 2012 Interview Fair, at the credit union’s main office, and encouraged to “Make Friday Count,” by dressing to impress for on-the-spot interviews and spending an hour to start a career.
Mazuma’s Interview Fair was a great success, with over 125 candidates showing up for interviews during the five hour event. Mazuma intends to fill nine full-time and part-time open positions as quickly as possible; ranging from member relationship guides (tellers) and member care advisors to loan officers and financial analysts. Among the twelve Mazuma leaders that conducted group interviews, five were hiring managers.
“Make Friday Count” handouts and posters were utilized through nine branch locations and disseminated at local Kansas City area colleges and universities. In addition, Mazuma utilized their website with a special “Make Friday Count” online banner which redirected online visitors and members to a special careers landing page. Mazuma’s Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts also promoted the event to followers and friends of the credit union.
“One of our objectives with the Interview Fair was not only to meet potential Team Members, but also to give those candidates a clear picture of who we are at Mazuma,” explained Matt Monge, chief culture officer at Mazuma, and a recently selected member of the Filene Research Institute’s i3 group. “Too many job fairs turn into a one-way sales pitch. We look at them differently. It’s just as important for candidates to figure out if Mazuma is a good fit for them as it is for Mazuma to get a feel for whether they’d be a great fit for us. If either one of those is off, it’s a recipe for a less than ideal work experience for all involved.”
“With that in mind, we tried to look at each piece of the Interview Fair to be sure those pieces spoke to our unique culture. After all, we’re definitely not your typical banking workplace environment. We wanted it to be clear, from the candidates’ experience, what Mazuma stands for and what’s important to us. None of the same old job fair cookie-cutter stuff. For us, the Interview Fair was an opportunity for the candidates to actually experience the Mazuma culture instead of just hearing about it. We want a positive, fun culture; so we had several elements that would encourage the candidates to have fun together, from music, to games, to the interview itself. Dozens of candidates said it was the first interview they’d been to that was actually fun while still helping them learn about Mazuma. That’s exactly what we wanted to happen.”
Interview questions focused on eliciting responses that match up with Mazuma’s new cultural core values, including having a positive attitude, creating a fun atmosphere in the workplace, teamwork, creativity and innovation, plus on-going learning and professional development. The culture-driven interview questions, such as, “Give us an example of a time you’ve helped a co-worker get better at something” also elicited responses that gave Mazuma leaders insight into a candidates past work experience.
“We are intentionally and proactively looking for people whose core values match ours. We want people who demonstrate a fun, positive attitude. We’re looking for potential Team Members who truly embrace the concept of serving others through teamwork. These aren’t ‘nice-to-haves’ anymore,” said Monge. “If candidates’ attitudes and actions in the selection process don’t mirror our culture of ‘Positive Awesomeness,’ we’re not going to hire them, both for our good and theirs. We want to work with people who exude our cultural values, and almost every element of the Interview Fair, from the moment candidates walked in the front door, was essentially part of the interview. Mazuma works very hard to make our members’ banking experience extraordinary in every way. This can only be achieved by fielding a team of people who truly love coming to work and who share in this same great experience.”
While the Interview Fair was different, unique, and even fun, it was by no means just random events strung together haphazardly. It was specifically designed to help Mazuma understand and get to know the candidates, and vice versa, so that everyone can determine if they are likely to be a technical fit and a cultural fit. Mazuma is being very intentional with the culture development process, and the Interview Fair was another piece of that developmental success.
About Mazuma Credit Union
Established in 1948, Mazuma Credit Union serves more than 52,500 Members and has more than $475 million in assets. Mazuma is open to membership for those living or working in Cass, Clay and Jackson Counties in Missouri. For more information about the Credit Union that’s “all about you,” visit Mazuma’s Web site at www.mazuma.org, or contact Andy Dickhut at adickhut@beyondmarketingllc.com.