05/25/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/25/2021 08:35
Nonprofits have an interesting challenge when it comes to recruiting and hiring.
If you're in nonprofit HR management, you may be resource constrained - meaning you don't have:
Also, many times the compensation you can offer candidates is less than what someone in a similar role could earn at a for-profit institution.
So, how should you go about recruiting?
Let's look at some nonprofit recruiting strategies that can help you work through these challenges, including:
Recognize your hiring advantage as a nonprofit
At your organization, you may not have the ability to offer competitive benefits and pay. But let's isolate all compensation factors for now.
Beyond total compensation, as a nonprofit, you have something to offer that is very desirable to many job seekers - the possibility of waking up every day and doing something that makes a difference.
This should be the key value proposition you present to potential employees.
Because your organization provides its employees with the opportunity to make a unique impact, your recruiting efforts should highlight that.
If you take your mission statement and put the words 'opportunity to' in front of it, you've found your specific employer value proposition.
When you acknowledge the extraordinary value of doing meaningful work as a career and emphasize it, then:
Weave your mission through your hiring process
Once you know your employer value proposition as a nonprofit, it's important to put it front and center in as many steps of your hiring process as possible.
1. Employer branding
This transparency should start with your employer branding.
Think of places candidates might be looking online where you can highlight your opportunity to make an impact:
For example, let's pretend you work for a bee conservancy organization.
At the top of your employment webpage, your headline reads: Together we can empower underserved communities through the power of bees.
From there, you:
Remember, these digital spaces may be the first place potential employees' interact with your organization.
To incorporate your employer value proposition and mission further into your nonprofit hiring process, your managers may need training on:
2. Sourcing and vetting candidates
It goes without saying that many job seekers are motivated by a huge salary.
Yet, others are mission-oriented people who would love the opportunity to make a difference every day at work. As a member of nonprofit HR management, you might need to look beyond the traditional talent pool to find them.
For example, you may be able to connect with passive candidates on networking sites and forums related to the space you work in as a nonprofit. Engage with the people who seem to share your values and invite them to learn more about your opportunity.
Volunteers and board members might know of prospects who share values that align well with your mission, too. As brand ambassadors, they can help widen the pool either through informal social media mentions our more direct actions, such as reaching out to people and inviting them to apply.
Once you begin receiving applications, look for resumes that point to interest in your cause. Sometimes college choice, major or an internship experience will suggest a candidate's passions align with your mission.
3. Interviews
During interviews, your goal should be to have mission-centered conversations that generate excitement about your job opportunity and gauge a candidate's commitment to your cause.
Here's how you can do that:
Be ready to overcome common obstacles
While pay and benefits are common roadblocks, nonprofits sometimes lose out on good talent for other reasons:
It's tough to look into the reasons why someone wouldn't want to work for you, but it helps to plan ahead before hearing one of these objections first-hand from a candidate.
Get insight into the particular concerns your potential hires may have by:
With a bit of probing and brainstorming, there may be creative solutions to the obstacles you uncover that aren't very difficult to implement.
For example:
Leap of faith
In nonprofit HR management and recruiting, the key is to lead with your heart - right up front - to capture the interest of your candidates and draw out their passion for your mission.
When you find candidates who are on fire for your cause just like you are, you find people who may be ready to take a leap of faith and pursue a career based on personal fulfillment rather than financial gain.
For more hiring strategies that help you recruit the talent you need to fulfill your mission, download our free magazine: Building a better team: How to attract, recruit and hire top talent.