Behind the Curtain: Cultivating Talent & Inclusion

This is the fourth blog post in a series featuring Community Foundation team members reflecting on their personal learning journeys and that of the Community Foundation overall.

A commitment to finding the best talent and providing a fair, accessible hiring process is central to the mission of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation. Ensuring hiring processes are thorough, inclusive, and focused on skills and qualifications is a key focus for Tara Berlingo, Vice President of People & Culture.

Redesigning Hiring for Excellence

Six years ago, FCCF began rethinking its hiring practices to ensure opportunities were truly accessible to all candidates and that the most qualified individuals were identified for organizational roles. One key change was implementing a blind resume review process, where demographic information—including names, addresses, educational institutions, and current employers—are removed before resumes are reviewed.

“This approach helps us focus on skills and qualifications rather than external factors that could influence decision-making,” Berlingo explains.

Additionally, all candidates—regardless of role—complete a job-relevant project as part of the hiring process.

“These short, real-world assignments help ensure we’re evaluating people based on their work, not just their interview presence,” says Berlingo. “It also gives candidates a sense of the kind of work we do.”

Fostering Personal & Professional Growth

Staff training and development are also a high priority for FCCF. Leadership discussions, training opportunities, and strategic planning are all part of the organization’s approach to ensure team members are supported in their growth. A key tool in this process is the nine-cell matrix, a framework often used by HR professionals and talent managers to visually map both team members’ current performance and their potential for growth, with the goal of investing in future leaders.

“By assessing employees as a leadership team, we bring multiple perspectives into the conversation and ensure fair and balanced evaluations,” says Berlingo.

FCCF’s holistic view of talent and potential, she adds, has  enriched both her professional and personal journey.

“I came from a corporate HR background where hiring was largely about compliance and efficiency,” says Berlingo. “Learning new approaches has changed the way I think about everything—from hiring to everyday workplace interactions.”

Bumps in the road are to be expected when managing human talent in dynamic social and economic conditions. But for both Berlingo and the organization as a whole, improving hiring practices and supporting staff development remains a core commitment.

Read the prior post in the series: Behind the Curtain: Harnessing Partnerships to Increase DEI.