The tide is turning.
As the economy stabilizes and hiring increases, employers of all kinds are losing the hiring advantage they’ve had since 2008. For 8+ years, it was a buyer’s market. Employers, including non-profits, became very picky about who they hired. Hiring processes lengthened, the hurdles faced by candidates increased, and the search for A players became the norm.
This unrealistic selectivity could not last, and it won’t. There is growing competition for the best employees.
How can a non-profit compete with private sector employers? By remembering that compensation is just one part of what a person wants from their work, and constructing an organization that delivers on the other elements of job satisfaction.
When I ask my clients what they must have in a job in order to do their best work – and therefore deliver high value to an employer – here are their top answers.
- Having clear opportunities for learning, skill development, and growth
- Being appreciated
- Being respected
- Having an impact on an important issue
- Working with smart, motivated people
- Gaining ownership of a project and having the freedom to run with things
- Having a reasonable regular schedule (with the odd emergency, of course)
- Being trusted to do their best work
- Having fun
- Using their core skills and abilities
- Knowing the expectations for their position
- Clear communication
These answers mirror much of what is in the literature about employee motivation. “A” players want to work in organizations where they can actually play their “A” game.
Here are some ways non-profit leaders can make their organization an “A” team.
- Cultivate a culture of appreciation. Catch people doing something right. Deliver 3 “attagirls” for each “let’s fix this.” Create employee appreciation mechanisms, especially those that allow employees to recognize their peers.
- Train managers to delegate. Stop the micro-management. Build leaders among the ranks. Ask your managers how they manage someone’s work. Get into the weeds with them to help them get out of the weeds with their staff, while clearly communicating expectations.
- Offer free or low-cost training opportunities. Ask your staff what they want to learn and figure out how to deliver it. Is there a local training center? On-line courses? Don’t forget conferences – a great way for people to build skills and develop useful connections.
- Develop and use a strategic plan to provide a clear vision and guidance for everyone’s work. Link job deliverables to strategic plan goals so everyone can see how their job contributes to achieve the overall mission. Create annual plans tied to the strategic plan, and tailor individual job goals to fit into the plan.
- Build a culture of regular, constructive feedback. Use the “sandwich” method: praise, criticism, praise. Get training for your managers in how to do this. Role play with them until they feel comfortable.
- Communicate more. Let staff know what’s really going on with program, fundraising, financial management, the Board, visibility – everything. In the absence of information comes rumor, and that can be really damaging. Take the time to explain what the information means, why it’s important. When people have information and know how to use it, they often become “owners” highly invested in the organization’s work. Those are the people who stick around.
These are basic elements of building a high-performing organization that produces real impact for your cause and constituency.
All of this takes time, trial-and-error, hard work, commitment, and above all, good will. It’s worth it because A teams attract A players via word-of-mouth and success. A players want to be part of a winning team, and when you are aligned as a high-performing organization, you will rack up many wins.
