NFPs typically face a number of challenges when it comes to recruiting the staff that they need. A lack of funding is often at the root of most recruiting difficulties.

Nonprofits are typically unable to offer salary and compensation packages that are equivalent to those offered by for-profit businesses. Budget constraints also limit the ability of nonprofits to properly advertise open positions, and funding issues also reduce the amount of time that nonprofits can spend on the hiring process.

To successfully overcome these challenges, nonprofits must be proactive, and apply “out-of-the-box” thinking to come up with inventive ways to attract top talent, despite this lack of resources. The following strategies can help your nonprofit to increase the efficiency of its hiring processes and reduce recruitment risks.

Reduce Hiring Costs

Budget constraints can make it hard to be able to afford to widely advertise for key positions. In a similar vein, many small to mid-sized nonprofits simply are not able to justify the expense of enlisting the services of a job placement company or other corporate recruiter.

Nonprofits should use all of their social media channels to get the word out when there are positions that are open and that need to be filled. If the budget allows, use software to find and target top talent.

Focus on simplifying your hiring process and make the switch to an online application process. Once your applications are online, you can quickly organise and search applicants based on specific skills via keywords and other targeted searches.

Don’t forget about the power of networking. Look for ways to leverage your internal and external contacts to identify and connect with potential applicants.

Convince Top Talent to Join Your Team

Focus on conveying the importance of your mission, and the good work that your nonprofit does in your service community to attract skilled team members that also share your nonprofit’s values and passion. Offer flexibility and autonomy to provide greater control over the way that work is completed. This way your team members will have an easier time achieving a healthy work-life balance.

Look for ways that your nonprofit can offer continuing education and other opportunities for skill acquisition and career development.

Consider an alliance with outside third parties to share resources so that more funding is available for compensation packages. Offer recognition, rewards and other perks to highly qualified applicants that join your staff.

Make Better Hiring Decisions and Focus on Retention

Rather than making hiring decisions off the cuff, create and write down your nonprofit’s formal recruitment, training and retention guidelines and policies to ensure that you are holding each applicant to the same standards. Implement a multi-step candidate review process where likely candidates are screened before they are interviewed.

Consider holding more than one interview before making a job offer, with at least one of the interviews conducted in person, and invite other members of the team that will be working with the recruit to sit in on the process and offer their input to increase harmony and respect on your team.

Focus on developing and retaining your current staff to reduce the high costs associated with turnover and the expenses related to recruiting and training new staff members. Offer training throughout the recruit’s tenure with your nonprofit, as well as provide opportunities to share job duties, so that team members are cross trained in more than one department so that you have greater scheduling flexibility.

As part of your training, offer tips for conflict management and resolution, and be certain that your nonprofit has formal guidelines and policies designed to reduce workplace stress, as well as conflicts and disputes. Clearly, communicate the process for resolving disputes to recruits and ensure that they have a thorough understanding of their duties and responsibilities as well as the behaviour that is expected of them when they join your team.