By Jordan Quigley, North American Vice President, Robert Half
As the end of the fiscal year nears for many nonprofits, we at Robert Half advise our clients in this sector to intensify their hiring efforts in the final push to June 30.
When the annual budget cycle ends, donors and funders expect nonprofits to have fully utilized their allocated budgets, so investing surplus funds into flexible talent solutions can head off potential budget cuts the following year while setting a firm foundation for next year’s initiatives.
The end of the nonprofit year is also marked by increased financial reporting, audits and grant applications — another good reason to leverage full-time or contract staff to distribute the workload, prevent employee burnout and complete essential end-of-year tasks.
It’s also a time for strategic planning, when organizations work on future program expansions, fundraising preparation and leadership succession. It’s a natural time to identify areas where more staff can be deployed.
With low unemployment and almost 11 million job openings in the United States, hiring new team members has become one of the toughest tasks organizations face. And nonprofits have their own particular staffing obstacles.
These include tight budgets that can lead to relatively low pay, small teams swamped with extra work due to staffing shortages and competition for talent from the private sector.
Plus, with limited resources for recruiting, open positions might stay unstaffed, which puts even more stress on your current team and can oftentimes lead to higher turnover.
But nonprofits also have several recruiting advantages. Candidates are often attracted to these organizations because they offer a few notable benefits:
- Opportunities to learn and master new skillsets, which can allow transitions into new and exciting roles
- Faster track to leadership than in larger, for-profit organizations
- Unique perks not found in the private sector, like student loan forgiveness through programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
- Serving a personal interest or passion
- Teaming with like-minded coworkers who share the desire to make a difference
Ready to start hiring? Here’s a checklist to make the most of your organization’s unique advantages and fashion a winning nonprofit recruiting strategy:
1. Get creative with perks and benefits
If you can’t compete with the private sector on salaries, go the extra mile with perks and benefits. These can include discounted memberships at local gyms, access to first-rate professional development opportunities and student loan forgiveness.
But there’s one perk that really stands out today: remote and hybrid work options. The ability to decide where and when they work is now highly prized by many employees and is a top consideration for job candidates. Flexible schedules demonstrate your organization’s adaptability and understanding of employees’ individual needs and supports work-life balance, well-being and productivity.
2. Invest in HR
If your managers are operating at full capacity, they’ll need support to meet your year-end hiring and recruiting targets. Invest more resources into your HR team to ensure they have the tools and time to provide that support. This might mean hiring additional staff to handle increased workloads or even bringing on specialists, such as recruiters or talent acquisition managers.
Investing in recruiting software, like applicant tracking systems, can help streamline the process and improve the candidate experience. More training for your HR team can also enhance their skills in areas like interviewing and employer branding — key ingredients to attracting and keeping top talent.
3. Empower employees with mission-focused training
Give your team a chance to grow professionally by investing in skills that matter to your cause. Think about workshops on advocacy communication, grant writing courses or sessions on community engagement.
This kind of skill-building makes your employees more effective and fosters a strong connection to your organization’s cause. When people feel passionate about their work and see themselves making a difference, they’re more likely to stick around and continue contributing to your mission and vision.
4. Fill staffing gaps with contract talent
When work is overwhelming, but the budget doesn’t allow for full-time hires, consider working with a talent solutions company to bring on contract professionals as needed.
These workers provide critical support for seasonal demands and act as a pressure relief valve for your current staff. You’ll save time and money — and limit frustration — while giving your team room to breathe and reducing stress and burnout.
5. Explore untapped talent pools
It’s easy to zero in on candidates who check all the right boxes in terms of skills and experience. But don’t miss untapped, diverse pools of talent that could benefit your organization. Consider candidates re-entering the workforce, such as veterans and homemakers, as well as retired workers with a desire to give back.
Another potentially valuable pool is workers without college degrees. Often, these individuals are eager for practical work experience and are willing and enthusiastic, creating a hiring opportunity that is sometimes missed by larger, for-profit companies.
6. Nurture a positive workplace culture
Nonprofits have the reputation of being less rigid and more collegial than corporate environments, so if this is your organization, make it a selling point.
Go even further by formalizing ways to really listen to your employees to find out what you’re doing well as an employer and where you could improve. When interviewing candidates, let them know how you’ve worked to build a culture where everyone feels valued and respected.
7. Connect staff to the cause
Nonprofit work is often challenging and sometimes thankless. You can boost morale by opening discussions about the impact of their work. Arrange for both back- and front-office staff to meet with the community partners they’re benefitting so they can put faces behind the tasks they perform daily.
While nonprofits can face unique staffing challenges, they also have an ace in the hole: Supporting worthwhile causes is high on the list of many jobseekers today, driving employee satisfaction and the desire to stay.
Perhaps more than anything else, exceptional talent is drawn to a work environment where passion and purpose can flourish.
Follow Jordan Quigley on LinkedIn.
