A guest post by Jennifer Loftus, Astron Solutions
If your nonprofit is facing recruitment challenges, you’re not alone. According to the 2023 Nonprofit Workforce Survey, three of four nonprofits reported job vacancies. Filling open positions quickly is critical so your organization can continue providing services and working toward its mission effectively.
However, you shouldn’t just hire the first candidate who walks in the door. Recruiting employees for your nonprofit’s team requires a strategic approach to attract candidates who are passionate about your organization’s mission and committed to making a difference.
Your organization’s internal culture and infrastructure are integral to your success. Therefore, you must recruit motivated employees who can quickly ease into your workflow while offering diverse perspectives to improve your strategies and optimize your results. This is especially important if your nonprofit is gearing up to launch a major initiative, such as a capital campaign.
Use these best practices to recruit talented individuals to your organization’s team.
Clearly define the role and responsibilities
Finding the right candidates for your nonprofit’s open positions requires communicating clearly through every step of the hiring process.
Start by clearly defining the role’s responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations. Astron Solutions recommends crafting a compelling job description with these key elements:
- A job title that accurately reflects the nature of the position
- A summary of the position that outlines core duties and responsibilities
- Relevant logistics, such as expected hours of work, format (remote, in-person, or hybrid), typical schedule, and the location of the position
- Organization overview, including your nonprofit’s history, mission, goals, and culture
- A detailed list of specific duties, including daily tasks
- The qualifications you’re looking for, like education, experience, certifications, and skills
- Relationships and information about where the position falls in your organization’s hierarchy (include who the role reports to, for example)
- A salary range for the position, particularly where required by law
- Benefits, such as paid time off, healthcare benefits, and retirement plans
- Additional statements as needed, such as an equal opportunity policy statement, at-will employment statement, or a statement about providing reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities
The more specific and descriptive you are, the easier it will be to attract talented recruits whose interests, skills, and experience align with your needs.
Your nonprofit’s mission statement is a particularly powerful recruiting tool. Highlight the meaningful work that employees will be contributing to and the difference they can make in the community.
This helps attract candidates who are aligned with your organization’s purpose and passionate about its cause.
Avoid job description “red flags”
Today’s job seekers have become increasingly discerning, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic altered expectations surrounding remote work and work-life balance. Recruits are more attuned to potential “red flags” to look for in job descriptions. We recommend avoiding the following cliche or “red flag” descriptors in your job postings:
- Providing an extremely wide salary range. This could make the requirements you’re looking for seem ambiguous or arbitrary. For example, the responsibilities of a $40,000 per year role can vary widely from a $100,000 per year role.
- Using urgency language like “fast-paced environment.” This signals to potential employees that an organization may not respect work-life boundaries or may expect unreasonable working hours.
- Describing your workplace as a “family.” This familiar, casual language also tends to be a red flag for job seekers, as they often interpret this to mean a workplace has loose boundaries between personal and professional lives.
About half of all nonprofit professionals are experiencing high levels of burnout. Job seekers are looking for positions that won’t ask them to sacrifice a healthy life balance to work for a charitable cause. Ensure your job postings acknowledge that reality by avoiding these common red flags.
Use multiple recruitment channels
Cast a wide net by utilizing multiple recruitment channels to reach potential candidates. This may include posting job openings on:
- Your nonprofit’s website
- Job boards and newsletters, including nonprofit-specific boards
- Social media platforms like LinkedIn
- University and college job sites, newsletters, or text chains
Seek ways to make your hiring process more inclusive and recruit candidates from a variety of backgrounds. Diversify your job search to include job fairs, networking events, and newsletters targeted at connecting underrepresented groups with job opportunities. For example, work with a university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office to share open roles on their newsletter or job board.
Engage current staff and supporters
Engaging with your existing nonprofit community can help you reach candidates who are already passionate about your cause. Tap into your network of staff, volunteers, donors, and supporters for referrals and recommendations. Ask these individuals to think about people in their lives who would be interested in your open positions and well-suited to the roles.
Provide materials or talking points to your network to help them promote your open positions. For example, make sure they have a link to your job posting on your website or LinkedIn. Also, encourage them to share about their experience at your organization to help determine whether the role would be a good fit.
Encourage current employees to share job openings with their networks and consider offering referral bonuses as incentives. Double the Donation also recommends spotlighting employees who go above and beyond in the recruitment process using recognition tools like eCards or loyalty awards. Use these tools to show employees your gratitude for helping to create a successful hiring process.
Offer competitive benefits and compensation
72% of respondents to the 2023 Nonprofit Workforce Survey said salary competition affects their ability to recruit and retain employees, followed by budget constraints and insufficient funds.
While financial constraints mean that nonprofits may not always be able to offer salaries as high as those in the for-profit sector, you can still seek to make your compensation and benefits packages as competitive as possible.
Communicate your compensation strategy clearly in your job posting, including information about:
- Direct compensation, such as salary, bonuses, and overtime pay
- Indirect compensation, including health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid time off
- Unique benefits, such as flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, or a supportive work culture
This holistic approach to compensation is defined as the “total rewards approach,” depicted in this graphic:
A total rewards approach is effective for nonprofits that may not be able to compete against for-profit organizations based on salary alone. Clearly outlining your compensation information gives prospective employees a clear idea of what working at your organization would mean for their financial and professional goals. This allows recruits to determine if your position aligns with their vision for the future.
These tips will help kickstart your employee recruitment efforts, but if you need more support throughout the process, consider working with a nonprofit human resources consultant to help attract top talent. These professionals can offer guidance on your compensation and recruitment strategies based on their experience and industry best practices.
If you decide to work with a consultant, find a firm that has experience working with similar organizations and respects your organization’s culture and vision. The right partner can help manage not only your hiring process but also implement employee retention strategies that keep your nonprofit’s staff happy and energized.
Author: Jennifer C. Loftus, MBA, SPHR, PHRca, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, CCP, CBP, GRP
Jennifer C. Loftus is a Founding Partner of and National Director for Astron Solutions, a compensation consulting firm. Jennifer has 23 years of experience garnered at organizations including the Hay Group, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Eagle Electric Manufacturing Company, and Harcourt General.
Jennifer has held volunteer leadership roles with SHRM, New York City SHRM, and WorldatWork. She serves as a subject matter expert to the SHRM Learning System and as a SHRM instructor. Jennifer is a sought-after speaker for local & national conferences and media outlets.
Jennifer has an MBA in Human Resource Management with highest honors from Pace University and a BS in Accounting summa cum laude from Rutgers University. Jennifer holds Adjunct Professor roles with Pace University, Long Island University, and LIM College.
Jennifer received the 2014 Gotham Comedy Foundation’s Lifetime Ambassador of Laughter Award.
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