Ana Margarita Velásquez, Director, ROFÉ Foundation

I think that the fundamental thing that we have worked on is surrounding ourselves with people who believe in our cause. To think about having an expert who is well-versed in a subject, but who is not connected to the cause, is just unfeasible. And I believe that our team's growth has relied greatly on having that connection to what we are doing and the reasons why we are doing it.

Integrate the mission into the recruiting and onboarding processes

For us, the definition of the mission, vision and values of ROFÉ Foundation is something we have given a great deal of importance from day zero. Before we go out to do something to generate social impact, we work on having our mission, vision and values well defined.

Even from the recruitment process, from the interview process, we seek to find how the connection feels with potential candidates, with respect to their connection to our mission and vision. Once they join the team, that's the first thing we do. We have a well-structured onboarding, where we talk about the ROFÉ manifesto, about those things that identify us. We share the vision, the mission and, above all, the values, which is what we are really going to see reflected in the day-to-day.

It has always been a priority for me to clarify that ROFÉ Foundation's space is a space for everyone. That people have a clear description of their role, their responsibilities, and a clear definition of the activities to be carried out in order to meet these objectives. So, I think that has helped people a lot, from their individual point of view, that they are always working to achieve an objective that is aligned with ROFÉ Foundation's mission and vision.

Incentivize continuous learning

I have always thought that when we take some kind of training, course, or take part in a workshop, it should not be seen as something that we are doing for the good of the entity or organization. At the end of the day, these are all tools that we can take with us for our lives. And that's why always, even from onboarding and the ROFÉ's manifesto, we are encouraging our collaborators to seek out training opportunities and to continue to nurture themselves.

It is something that I have very much marked in my DNA, in my philosophy of life, and the truth is that I am always inciting the team to develop themselves and seeking that those opportunities that come our way can be distributed in an equitable manner.

Key takeaways 

• Build a team around the organizations’ mission, vision and values

• Ensure a structured onboarding process to the team, with clear roles and responsibilities

• Encourage team members to seek professional and personal development opportunities