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With the prospect of an economic downturn looming ― and the number of nonprofit layoffs on the rise ― many leaders are coping with a jittery work force and new pressures to keep staff motivated.
These new developments come on top of one of the most challenging staff recruitment landscapes in recent memory, after COVID changed how and where work gets done.
To figure out some solutions, Stacy Palmer, CEO of the Chronicle and host of Nonprofits Now: Leading Today, talked to two leaders who have found ways to attract and retain outstanding employees.
Jordan Shenker is CEO of the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, in Foster City, Calif., and Keena Friday is COO of the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee. Friday just earned a Ph.D. in social work and wrote a dissertation exploring ways to foster a sense of belonging among employees, a crucial ingredient in retention. Tune in to hear their advice.
Among their suggestions:
Don’t rush to fill open positions. Shenker says it’s smart to figure out just what you’re missing when a position is vacant ― and that means job descriptions often need retooling before you start a search. He sometimes finds that only about half of an old description is relevant to the search for a new employee.
Salary isn’t the only lure. Shenker emphasizes that taking a job at his organization allows workers to change lives every day ― something that is hard for companies to compete with. And he commits to ensuring that everyone who gets hired will have access to professional development and growth opportunities. Shenker leads some of those professional development sessions himself, often holding training sessions with people who are not his direct reports so everyone will see the high priority he puts on helping staff members grow.
Remote work options matter. Offer as much flexibility about in-office work as the organization can handle. For some jobs, it’s not possible to work remotely all the time ― but even allowing a few days a week when staff members can work from wherever they want is key to retention, Friday says. Her organization also benefits from promoting itself as a family-friendly workplace, which has been important for recruiting and keeping parents and soon-to be parents.
As the economy and federal policy shift, communicate what you know as often as possible. Friday says a colleague told her CEO that knowing she could count on regular updates “allowed me to focus on my work and not multitask by checking for news headlines.”
For more resources from the Chronicle about how to keep and retain talent in tumultuous times, see these articles:
And for more leadership insights, turn to our special report, Leadership at the Crossroads.
Nonprofits Now: Leading Today is produced by Emily Haynes and Reasonable Volume, with editorial direction from Margie Fleming Glennon and support from Kyle Johnson.
