Running a nonprofit in Canada today is not as easy as it used to be. Post-pandemic, reports showed a 12% decline in charitable giving in Canada. Therefore, more than ever, nonprofits need to secure talented people who will channel their talents and skills in the nonprofit sector.
Many nonprofit CEOs are worried about the retention of their staff in 2022. Reports from the Canadian Survey of Business Conditions (CSBC) showed that 33% of nonprofit CEOs think retaining skilled post-pandemic staff will be an obstacle. In comparison, 38% are concerned about being able to recruit qualified staff.
Top talents know their worth and are more determined to work for nothing less. As a charitable organization, there are specific ways to hire this talent and ensure that they remain. However, a good salary is no longer enough to keep people in organizations. People want to stay where they are valued and in places with goals and a culture that aligns with their vision. Therefore, employers need to step up their game to meet the rising demands of top talent.
What Do Top Talents Want from Organizations in 2022?
Healthy Working Culture
A 2021 report has shown that leaders see organizational culture as a powerful ally. For example, 67% of workers and CEOs think culture is more important than the organization’s strategy or operations. People need to feel emotionally safe in their work environment, and if the work environment is toxic and unhealthy, they will be unable to function correctly. In addition, the attitude of the existing hires can easily influence new hires.
Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity does not just mean different ages, grades, genders, and tribes; it also means different views, opinions, experiences, backgrounds, and beliefs. The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion understands the importance of these factors in nonprofits which is why they create awareness and help to instill these attributes in organizations in Canada. Employees want to know how you can infuse the differences in a way that blends and gives people their uniqueness without attaching any form of stereotype.
Job Security
Top talents want to feel physically safe in the event of another pandemic or an unforeseen circumstance. In addition, they want to believe that you value them and will not lay them off when things get difficult.
Manageable Workloads
Burnouts can be catastrophic, and an overload of duties is a definite way to burn your team out. Employees need to work at their own pace with a manageable workload that they can complete while dealing with other equally important aspects of their lives.
Implementation of Technological Methods and Hybrid Options
The pandemic opened the eyes of employers and employees to a whole different horizon of work. As a result, most employees now enjoy a healthy hybrid option to work from home occasionally. However, they also require implementing current technological systems that make working easier.
Here Are Some Suggestions for How to Attract and Retain Top Talents
Promote Meaningful Missions
Top talents do not want to waste their insights in places that lack vision. They need to know what problems the organization is working to remove from nonprofits, and they need to know the solutions-focused strategies that the organization intends to articulate. If you want to hire and retain top talents, give them a measurable vision. Then, they can track their progress and keep moving towards the goal.
Provide an Attractive Salary and Benefits Package
Nobody wants to work with insufficient compensation. Even if they are willing to work in such places, they often look for better opportunities. Then, the moment they find one, they will leave your organization. People have bills, and if they spend a long time working in your organization and are still unable to pay their bills, they will eventually have to find better payment options. Offering bonus packages and compensations for company wins is also an effective method of retaining employees.
Develop a Strong Team Community
Having sub-teams in an organization builds a bond and effective communication that will keep employees. Each team should have leaders who model the values expected of every team member.
How do you leverage the shared experience of your team in your work functions and emphasize roles for them that help them draw on personal strengths and abilities? What events together will build community? Nothing boosts commitment like engagement and participation. Get each member to feel among, and they will take the organization’s needs personally and treat them accordingly.
Support an Excellent Work Experience
There should be tangible benefits to working with your organization. What unique benefits are unique to working with your organization? How will your projects improve staff skills and make them more valuable in the market? Top talents want to keep improving, and if the projects they embark on do not build their skills and capacities, they will soon get bored and leave.
Final Thoughts
It has been said, a great vision attracts good people to an organization, but a poor leader drives them away. Therefore, while striving to attract and retain top talents, you must also instill the attribute of outstanding leadership in your organization.
For the success of a nonprofit organization in Canada, top talents are essential. Having exceptional leaders in your organization that invest in the organization’s cause will aid the effective running of the business and motivate top talents to remain.
