Elevating Job Quality — How to Talk About Job Quality with Small Businesses

Doing job quality work requires CDFI business advisors to broaden the conversations they have with business owners to include topics related to human resources (HR), employee management, and business operations and strategy. Lauren Starks, Director of Good Companies/Good Jobs at the Economic Opportunities Program, recently sat down with three Shared Success grantees—Tabin Tangila Mesu Kamba, Program Developer, Workforce Solutions at Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Dionne McGee, Consultant at Institute Capital, and Israel Flores, Business Services Director at Northern Initiatives—to discuss how their CDFIs advise small businesses on how investing in employees can allow for increased productivity and innovation, as well as business stabilization or growth. About Shared Success⁠Shared Success⁠, a project of the Economic Opportunities Program, works with community lenders to integrate job quality programming into their small business support services, demonstrating that improved job quality can support the needs of employees while helping small businesses succeed.About the Economic Opportunities ProgramThe Aspen Institute ⁠Economic Opportunities Program⁠ hosts a variety of discussions to advance strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. To learn about upcoming events and webinars, ⁠join our mailing list⁠ and ⁠follow us on social media⁠.