Hiring is always a challenge but nonprofit organizations face additional hurdles when searching for great employees. According to the “2016 Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey,” while private sector growth remains stagnant, the nonprofit sector continues to project significant job growth. In this survey, 54% of nonprofits did not have a formal recruitment strategy and 71% did not have a formal recruitment budget. Since nonprofits often have fewer resources, workers have to wear many hats as generalist employees. Individuals hired by nonprofits usually look for candidates who care about mission and see work as more than a job.
The Balance suggests using the following ideas to develop your candidate pool:
- Look first at in-house candidates
May boost employee morale.
2. Be known as a great employer
Offer strong benefits, create a positive work culture
3. Involve your employees in the hiring process in various ways
Allow them to participate in Case Studies and be receptive to their feedback
4. Pay better than your competition
This might not always be feasible but will definitely attract stronger candidates
5. Use your benefits to your advantage in recruiting employees
Consider offering a gym membership or Work From Home options to employees
6. Use your website for recruiting
Make it aesthetically appealing and easy to use
7. Check references when recruiting employees
A great way to get strong candidates is through your strong employees. Consider a referral bonus if the candidate is hired
In addition to these tips to develop your candidate pool, it is important to remember:
- Passion trumps knowledge and skills
- Work and life experiences matter
- Be cautiously open minded to transitioning professionals
- Ensure they understand everything that goes into being an employee in your organization
Recruiting employees is important to the candidate’s personal success and your potential job longevity. A good long-term hire is worth its weight in gold. A bad hire will only give you sleepless nights. Have a recruiting plan and seek resources that will enable you to succeed in this endeavor.
Sources: https://www.nonprofitpro.com/post/the-importance-of-nonprofit-recruiting/; https://recruiterbox.com/blog/how-nonprofits-npos-can-hire-great-employees