Hiring in 2021: How Mr. Cooper is Navigating Unprecedented Mortgage Demand and Growth Amid the Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on virtually every facet of life. From the way we think about health and entertainment to schooling and saving for tomorrow, many of the changes and developments brought about by the pandemic were unexpected. Others, however, were on their way, and the pandemic simply accelerated them. Examples include the use of remote technologies in workplaces and updating manual, in-person processes to automated ones.

Many of these changes have long been looked at as challenges, but at Mr. Cooper, one of the largest mortgage servicers in the US, these challenges have become opportunities. With surging mortgage demand and a booming housing market, Mr. Cooper has been able to proactively engage with professionals seeking employment in the home financing space, developing innovative solutions to create customer value, and ensuring that as the company grows, it does so responsibly and efficiently with diversity, inclusivity, and a long-term commitment to teams and new hires in mind.

Here are four ways Mr. Cooper has adapted to widespread, macroeconomic changes to improve hiring, diversity, inclusivity, performance, onboarding, and benchmarking so that the company can continue to thrive in 2021 and beyond.

1. Making clear our value proposition.

Mr. Cooper’s teams are at the center of everything the company does, and they are the drivers of corporate and customer value. By focusing on the three core values – being a champion for customers, challenging convention, and cheerleading its team – Mr. Cooper has been able to build trust, value, and collaboration at every step of the mortgage process. A key driver of building a corporate culture, the DNA of who a company is, is making sure to attract the right people. The best way to do that is to make a clear value proposition to attract the kinds of collaborators and partners.

To do this, Mr. Cooper strives to make clear what makes its teams special. By marketing its brand and corporate ethos, conducting team-building activities, posting about corporate benefits, and sharing team stories on social channels, Mr. Cooper has been able to reach thousands of potential candidates – all while sharing the company’s story with would-be hires and customers alike.

2. Developing worker and client communities.

With social interactions and a sense of community, Mr. Cooper has been able to encourage more effective collaboration between teams and friendly competition to consistently raise the bar in everything the company does. Virtual meetups, opportunities for professional development, social boards and posts, and groups such as the Working Parents group, the Women’s Network, and the Network of African American Coopers help Mr. Cooper teams with shared interests connect and build on mutual values and goals.

3. Providing leadership and support to new hires and managers.

Providing teams with the tools to be successful while working remotely has been critical to the success of businesses navigating the pandemic, and Mr. Cooper is no exception. So is the company’s commitment to making sure that new hires feel welcome, energized, and ready to hit the ground running when they first join the team. To strike the right balance, Mr. Cooper has provided managerial training on new hire onboarding, guidelines on roles and expectations, what to do and where to go when facing issues, and what teams can expect as they continue to work at Mr. Cooper.

Having clear roles – and providing the tools, resources, and training to those who need it to effectively perform in their roles – is the company’s recipe for success. By streamlining processes, avoiding ambiguity, and responding to worker needs – often before a need arises! – Mr. Cooper has been able to build teams and an environment of collaboration that cannot be bought or even built overnight. Getting this right requires the guidance, mentorship, and experience of seasoned professionals in leadership positions, which is what we discuss next.

4. Filling leadership roles with true leaders.

2020 was a watershed year in many ways. The pandemic struck, bringing with it long-lasting changes to life as we know it. Also, social reform and political issues took center stage in our national discourse, with calls for better equality, access, representation, and justice across every sphere of life.

For Mr. Cooper, there is strength in differences. The company’s teams are comprised of people from every personal, professional, religious, and socio-economic walk of life, and everyone brings with them unique ideas and perspectives – the very traits that make Mr. Cooper what it is. To help tap into and leverage the vast amount of diversity of mortgage and finance professionals in the country, Mr. Cooper recently named Leonard McLaughlin its new Chief Diversity Officer.

Mr. McLaughlin brings with him over 15 years of experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and he will help Mr. Cooper advance internal and external programs aimed at fostering inclusivity and equality at the workplace and out.

One of Mr. McLaughlin’s mandates is to lead Mr. Cooper’s ongoing efforts toward attracting, retaining, and growing diverse talent and inclusivity strategies that will enhance the experiences of employees and embed inclusivity in how Mr. Cooper operates with clients and vendors.

Mr. Cooper’s teams are the company’s greatest asset, and Mr. McLaughlin’s experience and DEI leadership will help improve employee engagement and satisfaction.

Final Thoughts

Companies today face unique challenges as work continues at home for many people and everyone collectively tries to navigate the uncertainty we all face. By investing in leadership, new hire onboarding, leader training, and inclusivity, Mr. Cooper has created a people-first culture where employees feel empowered to bring their authentic selves to work every day. This is the ultimate driver of success – for clients, employees, and the organization – and in the end, success for all is what Mr. Cooper strives for.

Interested in learning more? Visit https://careers.mrcooper.com/ to see what Mr. Cooper and a career in home financing and mortgages can do for you.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or the management of EconoTimes