Connecting with Youth

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Connecting with Youth

• Youth Engagement Strategies for Membership,
  Employees, and the Board of Directors

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Speakers

• Sonja Carrière, Ontario Co-operative Association
• Carlene Frimer, United Communities Credit Union
• Rachel Milan, Teachers Credit Union
• Joe Agro, Teachers Credit Union

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Overview

• Forums hosting similar discussions
• What young people want
• Youth Engagement Strategies Goals
• Membership
• Employees
• Board of Directors
• Discussion

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Forums hosting discussions

• Building Co-operative Futures Conference
• On Co-op AGM
• CCA Youth Forum
• CYL Panel Presentations
• CUMA Conference
• BYTES Group
• On Co-op Gala

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What impacts young people?

• Education
• Employment
• Empowerment
• (Identified in Youth and Co-operatives Report
  and Summary by Kathryn Foulds)

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What Young People Want

• To be heard and valued
• Opportunities for growth
• Increased use of technology and the web
• i.e. Facebook is a virtual form of networking
  very effective in targeting the Generation Y
  demographic

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CUDO Conference

• Attracting Young Members
• By Carlene Frimer

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• It stands to reason that if each individual
  credit union began to better live the principles
  of co-operation, it would propagate system wide.
• Even if credit unions take no more action than
  simply giving the principles thoughtful
  consideration during their decision-making
  process, weve accomplished what we set out to do
• make people think.
• -Co-operative Principles Do They Really
  Differentiate Us?
• National Young Leaders 2008

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• Building
• Youth
• Teen
• Engagement
• Systemwide

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• YOU choose
• YOU own
• YOU participate
• YOU are independent
• YOU learn
• YOU co-operate
• YOU help

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• The minute students get out of high school, the
  credit card offers come pouring in.
• Marketing Across the Generations Age 0 to 10
  offered by CUNA Affiliates, Inc.

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• The 18-25 age group is the credit union
  industrys forgotten market. Credit unions stop
  marketing when everyone else starts.
• Bryan Sims, Brass Media www.brassmedia.com

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• College age credit card holders are diving
  deeper into debt with high balances ranging
  between 3,000 and 7,000, up 61 since 2000.
• Bryan Sims, Brass Media www.brassmedia.com

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• In the 1950s young homeowners could make the
  monthly mortgage payment by using 14 of their
  income. Today it takes 40.
• Beyond Generation X by Claire Raines

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• Dont try to be cool for the sake of being
  cool, this generation looks for authenticity and
  you dont want to have a credit union go out
  there just using the latest lingo.
• Matt Dean, CEO Trabian Technology/OpensourceCU.com

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ONTARIO
Ontarios
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• Thank you.

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How to attract and retain young employees

• Rachel Milan

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WYCUP Program

• 2 people from the same CU won the prestigious
  WOCCU award to go to the 2009 event in Barcelona

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How did you win? And can we have a copy?
Under 35 World Youth Winners
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Young Leader Programs

• Why its important?

• It buys you time with these employees!
• Solidifies your belief in value of them
• Theyre less likely to leave when they know
  theyve been recognized and have a free trip on
  the horizon.

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Promote it and they will come

• Ask your executive team how they are promoting
  the CUCO and WOCCU scholarship programs.
• Set a goal for at least 2 under 35ers to apply
  in 2009
• If your employee(s) win shout it from the
  rooftops internally and externally
• TCU gained significant free media coverage from
  the win (Hamilton Spectator covered the story in
  the business section, national CU magazine, radio
  stations)
• Dont leave it to the winner(s) to promote
  it-commit your CEO to this initiative
• If it doesnt come from the top, momentum stops.

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Gen Xers

• Lets stop shying away from what makes Gen Xers
  different and capitalize on the opportunities
  they present as excellent employees and valuable
  members.

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Gen Xers Work Culture

• Align with their values such as
• Social Responsibility
• Flexible schedules
• Tele-commuting
• Physical activities
• Experiential learning
• Self-selected remuneration packages that offer a
  complement of options of equal value where they
  choose for the pieces that best apply to them.

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Myth Busters

• They lack loyalty
• Dont confuse our love of change with not being
  loyal. Remember, our parents worked like dogs at
  one company for decades, so we know loyalty. But
  dont expect us to hang around when the company
  stops adapting or suffocates growth.

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Myth Busters

• They want a six figure income after graduation
• Dont confuse our value of paid for performance
  with
• outrageous salary demands. Truly look at what
  they
• bring to the table and the level of
  accountability
• expected from them.
• Entry into the workforce does not equal entry
• level pay, or jobs.

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Myth Busters

• If you give them access to Facebook at work, no
  work
• will get done.
• In the 80s, managers struggled with staff making
  
• personal phone calls. Facebook is todays
  personal
• calls. But heres the thing Facebook, and
  other
• internet sites, help your company because of the
  tight
• networks created and the access to information.
• You did deals on the golf-coursewere doing
  deals on our networks.

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Keys to Youth Employee Success Easy Wins!

• Work outside the box
• Very few positions in a head office environment
  need to be physically present in the building.
  Embrace flexibility and alternative work
  environments for a big payback.

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Easy Wins

• Let technology work for you
• get cozy with blogs, share your opinion online
  where everyone can see it, find ways to make your
  CU work smarter, not harder.
• How do expect the under 35ers to become and stay
  engaged if executives and board members arent?
  e.g. have your photos and profiles on your
  website for all to see thats how you can build
  trust and engagement

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Easy Wins!

• Reach out and touch someone
• Let down your hair and interact with employees,
  especially the under 35 crowd
• We grew up with and embrace social and community
  networking-do the same. Personal contact is
  important.

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Easy Wins!

• Helping Others to Help Themselves
• Make community activism accessible and encouraged
  such as company volunteer programs, adopting a
  school, neighbourhood clean-up days.
• Employees under 35 value emotional connectivity
  to their workplace
• Does your CU pay for staff to volunteer during
  the workday? Do your executives lead by example?

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Easy Wins!

• Promote the National Young Leaders Program
• Its free!
• Its easy!
• Its dependent on your leadership team to promote
  and talk it up at every chance

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• Thank you.

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Directors Forum

• Attracting Young Board Members
• By Joe Agro

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Overview

• At your next board meeting, take an honest look
  around the table.
• Do you see a lot of directors who look an awful
  lot like you?
• OR

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Life Stages

• Do your board members represent an array of
• Life stages
• Races
• Professional backgrounds
• Experience
• Gender

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• A board needs to keep diversified in every way,
  including age, so it can best represent the
  diversity of the credit union's members
• Goliath Business News

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My Board Experience

• Currently serving on a Board for the Credit Union
  Services Association (CUSA). Serving 40 credit
  unions on the same banking platform (CGI) in
  Ontario.
• Learning Experience
• Scenario / Strategic planning
• Review of financial statements
• Group Buys
• Project lead special group projects
• Interpersonal skills by dealing with the board
  and various credit union senior management
• Role Model to Youth in the system
• My board service has proven extremely valuable

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Ideas

• Increase Diversity
• Create a Youth Advisory Board
• Create a scholarship program
• Promote community involvement
• Potential to increase youth membership
• CYL Camp Snack Shack

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Ideas - Increase Diversity

• Increase diversity by recruiting "young"
  enthusiastic members into the "experienced" board
  mix.
• The perspective of a young board member would
  bring is important.
• These members are getting their
• First job
• Getting married
• Buying their first house
• Having kids
• It's a completely different place than where many
  board members are at, but it's a place many
  members are at.
• Youth Board Members help recognize that
  perspective.

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Ideas - Youth Advisory Board

• Create a Youth Advisory Board charged with
  bringing the youth members' perspective to the
  table and can represent these strategies
• Marketing (the Youth way!)
• Convenience (24/7)
• Technology (that the youth are looking for and
  ideas on how to implement the new initiatives)
• Members of this Board would play an important
  leadership role in creating and overseeing a
  service-learning initiative which will address
  pressing issues of importance to Credit Unions.
• Young people must be empowered as leaders and
  decision-makers to address real issues and
  problems.
• Providing this opportunity to young people can
  have structured opportunities to make change in
  their credit union while at the same time become
  better prepared for college, the workforce, and
  active community involvement.

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Ideas Scholarship Program
Denver Community Credit Union
Our scholarship program is attached to
participation in our youth advisory board - if
students complete their term of service and a
portfolio showing how they contributed to the
board, they will receive a 500 scholarship.
This year will be our first year disbursing
funds, as this is the first youth advisory board
we've had.
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Ideas - Promote Community Involvement

• "Young people are typically very eager to learn
  and a lot of young people really respect their
  volunteer aspect and social mission. They're
  looking at giving back to their communities
• Push involvement in communities, participation in
  advisory groups

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Ideas - Potential to increase youth memberships

• If you have younger directors-and promote it-it
  can drive up membership among the younger
  population because younger members and potential
  members will perceive a board that better
  understands their needs.
• NOT AN EASY TASK
• It's getting harder to recruit younger people
  because meetings and continuing education take a
  lot of time and young people lead busy lives.
• But there are advantages to serving that can
  counter the "too-busy" argument. They can learn
  more about how credit unions work and become
  credit union advocates. It is all in the approach
  and Idea you use!

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CYL Snack Shack

• Program helps participants learn about
  co-operatives, each CYL session organizes and
  operates a co-op store, called the Snack Shack.
• As a co-operative, the Snack Shack holds member
  meetings, runs elections, and determines product
  selection and prices.
• At the end of every week, the membership decides
  what to do with any surplus.  Sometimes the funds
  go towards the Friday night banquet, or are
  directed to a charity. 

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Surveyed Young Board Members in the System

• If Credit Unions were to introduce a youth
  advisory board do you think it would be endorsed?
• How do you think we can attract more younger
  board members?
• Do you think that young members are not running
  for the board because they think they will never
  be voted in?
• Do you think CUs should have a mandatory board
  seat that is between the age of 18-25?
• Do you feel intimidated being on a board that is
  older?
• Do you feel that the board listens to your ideas?

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Recommendations Take away

• Selection
• Put a notice in credit union newsletters
• Post an announcement
• Consult with a local volunteer center
• Ask people already familiar with the credit union
  and/or sponsor group
• Pay attention to your community. The new business
  in town may be seeking to place its executives on
  local nonprofit boards
• Once Selected
• Consider providing perks and/or benefits as extra
  incentive to serve
• Create a Board Mentorship program
• Ensure there are no in crowds with current board
• Send youth board members to Credit Union
  conferences
• Involve board members at the World Council of
  Credit Unions (WOCCU) conference
• Create a scenario like the CYL Camp Snack Shack
• Create advisory board which deals with
  Marketing, Technology, Convenience

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Questions?

• Sonja Carrière, Ontario Co-operative
  Associationscarriere_at_ontario.coop
• Carlene Frimer, United Communities Credit
  UnionCarlene.Frimer_at_myunited.ca
• Rachel Milan, Teachers Credit Unionrmilan_at_teacher
  scu.on.ca
• Joe Agro, Teachers Credit Unionjagro_at_teacherscu.o
  n.ca