May 1, 2014
Investing in human resources could go a long way for nonprofit organizations facing challenges in attracting, hiring and retaining top-notch employees.
Despite these challenges, the nonprofit sector plans to hire new staff members this year. Yet, most organizations don't set aside money for recruitment. Only 15 percent of nonprofits actually have a formal annual budget, according to the 2014 Nonprofit Employment Practices (NEP) Survey from Nonprofit HR. The average annual budget for those that do have funding is $8,500.
With such a limited budget, social media recruitment comes in handy. However, 89 percent of nonprofits don't have a social media recruitment strategy, according to Associations Now. Social media allows nonprofits to take initiative in their search for employees, as they can find, research and identify the most qualified individuals.
Once these new hires are found, it can be difficult to keep them on board. High turnover is a challenge for 1 out of 5 nonprofits, according to the NEP Survey. Coming up with a formal retention strategy plays a huge role in employee satisfaction. Nonprofit HR Solutions President and CEO Lisa Brown Morton says investing in talent acquisition is just as important in fulfilling the organization's mission as financially supporting a program.
"There is a general sentiment in the sector that we can get away with giving HR to anybody who's willing to do it, as opposed to thinking thoughtfully and strategically and intentionally around hiring people who are qualified and experienced and who can help drive a mission forward," Morton said.
Nonprofits can greatly benefit from carefully assessing their HR department and investing in effective, innovative HR strategies.
Content presented by First Nonprofit Group, the leading provider of state unemployment insurance solutions for 501(c)(3) nonprofit employers.
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