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Berger talks importance of hiring, staff development on leadership podcast
On a new episode of SEE YOU LEAD podcast, NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger joined host Glynn Frechette to talk leadership strategies, culture, employee support, and more.
Berger gave insights into his background in lobbying, financial services, and the credit union industry. He discussed how NAFCU’s management team prioritizes member needs and several years ago refocused the association’s efforts on advocacy – what was member’s top demand – compliance assistance, and education and training.
“We work extremely hard on our culture. We are far from perfect, but we work on it every day,” Berger said, adding that the association makes an intentional effort to celebrate wins – big and small. “I genuinely believe staff, my colleagues, are our most valuable asset at NAFCU."
In response to a comment by Frechette about cultivating talent, Berger said that starts with hiring at NAFCU, where attitude – with passion for service and the credit union industry – along with aptitude are paramount. The association offers training throughout the year, on an individual basis to support employees’ personal and professional goals, as well as all-staff opportunities.
“To your point, you have to provide the training,” Berger emphasized. “It has to be consistent, and I think that’s the most important part. You can’t just dibble and dabble in it, you have to be consistent with that message that you genuinely love and care for your employees and colleagues. And I think that comes across with how they treat your members and how they do their jobs and tasks at hand.”