February 3, 2014
As nonprofits look to improve their staffing levels in the coming year, it's important to stay abreast of new trends that help attract and retain new talent. Nonprofits struggle with attracting the best candidates because they often cannot match the price of competing offers.
Some trends could be positive for nonprofits
According to a forecast by leadership and development firm, Fierce, some notable changes to HR in the coming year will include a preference by employees for flexibility, a reduction in company titles and less annual performance reviews. Many of these changes are aimed at creating a work environment more appealing to the millennial workforce.
A key perk for many is the ability to work remotely
Flexibility is considered the most sought after perk, according to the forecast, and it has a number of different elements. Millennial workers are interested in the opportunity to work from home as well as the ability to alter their schedules. Many companies have been allowing employees to do this for a few years as it can improve the mood of employees and reduces costs. The technology required for employees to work remotely is not expensive in many industries, so there is little incentive not to allow it.
Schedules are not always as easy to negotiate, but depending on the business model and how independently the employee does their job, the option is sometimes available. If nonprofits can a find way to offer prospective candidates some of these perks, they can increase their chances of finding the best staff. With the increased amount of fundraising and communication that takes place over the Internet, remote employees could be a very real solution for many organizations.
Using team-building to tackle larger problems
While again very specific to the organization, some companies are finding it advantageous to reduce the number of titles that their organization has and instead rely on a group effort to make important decisions. For nonprofits that may find themselves with consistent vacancies in executive positions, organizing staff in a way that distributes authority more evenly can help the organization run effectively during periods of turnover. "Holacracy," as it's called, can also make employees feel like they play a larger and more important role in the company, which can lead to increased retention.
Content presented by First Nonprofit Companies, the leading provider of state unemployment insurance solutions for 501(c)(3) nonprofit employers.
Ready to chat? Get in touch today to request a no-obligation savings evaluation.
We’ve been a member of First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program since 2011 and highly recommend joining. The program is terrific and allows us to earn interest on our own funds while still meeting the state’s requirements on unemployment payments. In addition, the staff are great and always helpful sorting out any questions we may have. Thank you all!
CCSCT was approached by First NonProfit to discuss its Unemployment Savings Program and ways the program could significantly reduce the amount of unemployment taxes we were paying. At the time, our agency was paying approximately $80,000 per year. First NonProfit conducted an analysis to determine if making the switch would be in our best interest, and it clearly was based on our circumstances. The first year on the program, CCSCT saw a 70% reduction in its unemployment costs and each year, continues to experience further reductions as a result of having minimal claims. Some additional benefits of the program including having a fixed annual cost, an interest-baring reserve account, professional unemployment claims management and representation at all unemployment hearings. This has been one of the best decisions we have made.
We first started using First Nonprofit’s Unemployment Savings Program when we were a small startup nonprofit. We didn’t have an HR department and needed expertise in the event that an unemployment claim was made. We knew we were eligible to be a reimbursing employer, but weren’t sure how to navigate that process. They made it easy to set things up, plan for, and then manage claims when they came at a very reasonable cost. The amount of time and stress they’ve saved us dealing with all this has been worth way more than the cost. We’ve now grown to a large nonprofit and do have an HR department but have no plans to stop using their services. I highly recommend them to every nonprofit I come into contact with!
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
It has been our sincere pleasure to maintain a strong, vibrant business partnership with First Nonprofit. We greatly admire their strong industry knowledge, technical expertise, constant professionalism, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. They are always extremely responsive, personable and provide us with the necessary guidance and recommendations on a numerous variety of employment scenarios.
NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.