Creating Good Jobs: Tools for Small Businesses

This module includes eight resources that help you learn what a good job actually is, why it is important and where you can get started.

By Northern Initiatives


A Good Job is a job that has a combination of features that contribute to employees’ economic stability, economic mobility, and dignity. Why should good jobs matter to you, the business owner?

  • They leave an impact. Good jobs can improve employees’ lives so they can thrive and give back to the community while bolstering your business’s reputation.
  • They build a competitive advantage. Offering good jobs opens doors for talented employees to stay and make your business more competitive.
  • They demonstrate your leadership as a business. Investing in job quality offers a way to build positive reputation in the community; and
  • They offer you both support and control. Good jobs improve your business operations, often resulting in lowered costs and a reliable loyal workforce.

With this in mind we offer these tools to help you to improve the quality of the jobs you offer. The module includes eight resources that help you learn what a good job actually is, why it is important and where you can get started.

1

Good Jobs, Great Returns: Strengthening Business, Home, and Community

Watch this brief video to learn how a good job benefits you and your community!

2

Good Job Inventory

Use this inventory to reflect on what features of a good job you currently have in place and which you can plan to add in the future.

3

Creating an Employee Onboarding Plan

Use this guide to help you define an onboarding plan that supports employee engagement and retention.

4

Building Trust: Creating Jobs People Want to Keep

Review these practical tips to help you build trust with your staff, an important step in relating to and understanding your employees.

5

Guide to Hiring: Do’s and Don’ts To Consider

Read this guide to help you address good job features throughout the hiring process.

6

New Hire Checklist: Supporting your Employees from the Start

Download this checklist to use as your road map for a new employee’s Orientation, an important feature of a good job.

7

Budgeting for Benefits Calculator

Enter your information to estimate the annual investment of benefits you plan to offer employees.

8

Developing your Employee Handbook

Use this template to help you create a thorough employee handbook.

These tools were developed by Northern Initiatives in partnership with the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program as part of the Shared Success demonstration. Learn more at as.pn/sharedsuccess.

About Shared Success

Shared Success, a project of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, shows how building better jobs can simultaneously uplift workers while also driving small business success.

About the Economic Opportunities Program

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

Join Our Mailing List

To receive occasional emails about our work — including new publications, commentary, events, fellowships, and more — join our mailing list.

Connect on Social Media

For news and updates every day, connect with us on the social media platform of your choice.

More from Shared Success

Skyscraper and sky, viewed from below
Publications

Building Shared Success: A Guide to Small Business Job Quality Advising for CDFIs

This tool offers guidance for business advisors at CDFIs on how to have conversations with small business owners on job quality improvements.

What is Shared Success?
Videos

What is Shared Success?

Video — Shared Success, a project of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, is grounded in the understanding that building better jobs and building stronger businesses go hand in hand.

Shared Success by the Numbers
Publications

Shared Success by the Numbers

This infographic shares statistics on impact of the Economic Opportunities Program’s Shared Success demonstration. Dive into a detailed breakdown of the diverse businesses and entrepreneurs involved in this work.

Photos of workers at small businesses by Barbara Magnoni
Publications

Shared Success Final Evaluation Reports

  • Tim Ogden
  • Barbara Magnoni
  • Tracy Cole
Investing in People, Investing in Success: How Internal Job Quality Can Strengthen Community Development Financial Institutions
Publications

Investing in People, Investing in Success: How Internal Job Quality Can Strengthen Community Development Financial Institutions

This brief shares key lessons and takeaways that could be used to implement internal job quality practices to strengthen CDFIs and other small business support organizations. 

How Understanding and Acting on Workers’ Perspectives Drives Small Business Success: Lessons From Shared Success CDFIs
Publications

How Understanding and Acting on Workers’ Perspectives Drives Small Business Success: Lessons From Shared Success CDFIs

Supporting small business owners in understanding and acting on workers’ perspectives is a promising practice for simultaneously advancing job quality and small business development organizations’ missions to promote economic resilience.

Shared Success Mid-Term Evaluation Report
Publications

Shared Success Mid-Term Evaluation Report

Comprehensive findings from qualitative and quantitative research on participating small business owners and workers conducted at the end of the demonstration will be released in spring 2026.

Shared Success Evaluation Presentation Deck
Publications

Shared Success Evaluation Presentation Deck

This endline evaluation of the Shared Success demonstration aims to understand the impact of the work of the 11 community lenders who integrated job quality programming into their small business support services.

  • Tim Ogden
  • Barbara Magnoni
  • Tracy Cole