On this page, there are various tools, templates, and tips for hiring and onboaring new employees. Resources can help recruiters or managers decide what they need in a new employee, mitigate bias during the hiring process, create a recruiting strategy, and properly onboard new hires. All resources can be downloaded and include estimate reading times. This page also includes links to paid training from the Management Center for social justice and educational equity leaders. All the other free resources on this page, however, can be helpful for HR professionals, recruiters, or managers in any industry.

Announcements of a big employer moving to town, or a large infrastructure project, can often spark excitement. Local communities see the potential for big benefits, including new and better jobs and other investment in community needs. Too often, however, these benefits do not materialize. Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), binding agreements created between community groups and organizations like real estate developers or large employers, are a powerful alternative that ensure people have a real say in shaping the outcomes these new investments will create for their communities.

Jobs to Move America (JMA) is a national leader in leveraging CBAs to improve jobs and provide opportunities for historically disadvantaged communities and workers. CBAs have allowed JMA to build consensus between affected workers and employers on policies that would benefit the community — from reformed hiring practices to improved training and protecting workers from discrimination. In this webinar, co-hosted by JMA and the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP), we’ll hear from experts and practitioners about their experiences implementing CBAs and leveraging them to improve job quality in their communities. This event is part of EOP’s Job Quality in Practice series, which examines the strategies and approaches practitioners are using to improve job quality and expand economic opportunity.

This guide outlines how employers can create an onboarding process that gives employees all the information they need to be productive. The guide draws from HR experts and provides additional resources on creating on onboarding program and an optimal first day for new employees. It also details how human resource teams and upper management can evaluate the onboarding process and shift to employee retention and satisfaction. This guide is intended for employers, human resource leaders, and managers across industries looking to hire new employees for the first time or who are revamping existing onboarding processes.

This guide was prepared as part of the Shared Success project, through which the Aspen Economic Opportunities Program has been working with a cohort of 11 community development financial institutions (CDFIs) on strategies to advance good jobs. Through this work, have consistently heard that small businesses are facing ongoing hurdles navigating and staying up to date on relevant compliance requirements at the local, state, and federal levels.

This resource guide is intended to help spur ideas for how small businesses can overcome compliance hurdles and navigate quickly evolving regulatory landscapes. The guide is also designed to help advisors or entities working with small business owners, such as CDFIs, facilitate access to potential partners to help their clients effectively address these matters in a more timely, high-quality, and consistent manner. This document is not meant to be legal advice or an exhaustive list of organizations, but rather a snapshot of potential regional and national resources where organizations could seek guidance and further partnership or support.

This brief set of 13 tips for managers and supervisors offers a framework by which to address scheduling flexibility. Each tip provides useful considerations to keep in mind when discussing flexible remote work options with employees. HR professionals, managers, and supervisors interested in creating work environments that support flexible working schedules may find this resource helpful. Additionally, workforce development and worker advocacy professionals may find it helpful to send this set of tips to employers with whom they work.

This guide contains frameworks and case studies designed to help employers support mental health in the workplace. Included are checklists to assess workplace practices, develop a workplace ecosystem that supports mental health, and implement new initiatives focused on mental health. There is also a case study focused on implementing mental health days for employees. Although written for employers, those who partner with employers may also find it beneficial to use or share this tool. Visitors can download the guide by scrolling down and filling out a brief sign-up form.

This website includes resources to support pregnant and breastfeeding workers. Resources are designed to educate employees about their workplace rights, for employers to adopt family-friendly policies and ensure compliance with state and federal laws, and for policymakers and advocates to support pregnant and breastfeeding employees. Tools include a model policy that reflects current legal requirements, a webinar for employee training, and a chart of workplace accommodations for common pregnancy-related conditions. In addition to workers, employers, and policymakers, workforce development professionals who support workers may also find this resource guide useful.

This training curriculum supports direct care supervisors to strengthen communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Curriculum content includes improving active listening, learning how to ask questions, and giving and receiving feedback. While designed for direct care organizations, this curriculum has applications for practitioners across fields seeking to encourage supportive supervisory practices that are critical to job quality.

This employer toolkit is designed to engage employers in building pathways and opportunities to support career progression for workers, including by creating a supportive work environment through job redesign and supportive management. The toolkit includes information that can help employers make a business case, as well as embedded tools and case studies highlighting employer efforts. This toolkit is well suited for businesses, in particular HR professionals or other stakeholders involved in building internal career ladders. It also has applications for practitioners supporting employer practice change.

The Management Center created this library of tools related to equity and inclusion aimed at addressing internal practices and management approaches of organizations. Included are worksheets, resources, and case studies that have applications for organizations seeking further equitable opportunities and outcomes.