Human resource executives would like to think that job applicants are enthusiastic about working in the nonprofit sector and that the people they hire are excited about working for their charitable organization.
But that might not always be the case, Karl Ahlrichs, a national speaker and author, and Peter Petesch, an attorney specializing in employment issues, told participants at a recent Not- for-Profit Industry Conference of the American Institute for CPAs.
While the economy is heating up and businesses are expanding, surveys show a disturbing trend of employee dissatisfaction. Jobs are available as human resource departments step up the pace of hiring but for many new employees the positions they fill are viewed as a job and not a career opportunity.
Ahlrichs and Petesch pointed out that a Gallup survey conducted in June 2013 found that only 30 percent of American workers feel a strong connection to their company and more than half of all employees are “not engaged” in their work.
Retaining workers is also a problem, according to Ahlrichs and Peterch. A survey by the Corporate Executive Board discovered that nearly 25 percent of all new hires leave their company within a year. Hiring managers reported they wished they had not made a job offer to one of every five new employees.
With those kinds of numbers, nonprofit organizations could see a constant turnover in their workforce and the inability to maintain continuity while interacting with their clientele. This could have a negative impact on fundraising and providing services.
So while human resource departments are filling more job positions, the chance of finding a long-term employee is a roll of the dice. Nonprofit organizations need to step up efforts to boost employee morale, provide clear avenues for career advancement and show a genuine concern for their employees’ well being in order to retain their best workers.
