Nonprofit Leadership Podcast Summary

Title: Your Retention Starts with Your Recruitment Process
Host: Dr. Rob Harder
Guest: Maria, Charity Search Group (CSG)
Release Date: November 11, 2024

Introduction

In the latest episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, hosted by Dr. Rob Harder, the focus centers on the critical interplay between recruitment and retention within nonprofit organizations. Recognizing the persistent challenges nonprofits face in retaining talented staff, Dr. Harder welcomes Maria from Charity Search Group (CSG) to delve into effective strategies for enhancing both recruitment processes and employee retention.

Guest Background: Maria and Charity Search Group

Maria brings a wealth of experience from her extensive career in the nonprofit sector, having successfully raised over $20 million and navigated complex leadership transitions. Her journey into nonprofit recruitment was sparked by a passion for connecting organizations with top-tier leadership talent. Maria explains, “[...] I can find 10 development directors or 10 executive directors to advance 10 different missions” (02:22), illustrating her commitment to impacting multiple causes simultaneously.

Charity Search Group (CSG) specializes in aiding small to medium-sized nonprofits in finding the right leadership. Maria emphasizes their focus on organizations that may be overlooked by larger search firms, ensuring that even those with limited budgets or niche missions receive tailored recruitment support.

Evolving Recruitment Landscape Post-COVID

Maria discusses the significant shifts in the recruitment landscape, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlights the ongoing debate between hybrid, remote, and on-site work models, noting, “Every year I say it’s going to resolve itself next year and then it doesn't” (07:19). The pandemic accelerated the need for flexibility, but it also led to widespread burnout, with many nonprofit professionals unwilling to stay in roles that no longer meet their personal and professional needs.

Key points include:

• Burnout and Attrition: Increased burnout has led many employees to leave the sector entirely, not just their current roles.
• Scaling Challenges: Nonprofits that experienced rapid scaling during the pandemic now face growing pains, struggling to maintain their expanded operations.
• Talent Shortages: The surge in available positions, especially at the executive level, outpaces the available talent pool, making recruitment more competitive.

Retention Challenges: Understanding the Root Causes

Transitioning to retention, Maria identifies several core issues contributing to high turnover rates in nonprofits:

1. Stagnant Salaries:

   • Maria shares a personal anecdote about her first fundraising job, illustrating how salaries often lag behind market rates. She states, “[...] the market rate for that role had actually gone up a lot higher than that, more like five or seven” (10:53).
   • This salary stagnation incentivizes employees to seek better-paying opportunities elsewhere, exacerbating retention problems.

2. Increased Workloads:

   • When staff leave, their responsibilities often fall onto remaining employees, leading to burnout and subsequent departures. Maria explains, “Your colleague that was sitting next to you is now they're doing two people's job” (10:53).

3. Lack of Leadership Investment:

   • There is insufficient investment in leadership and management training within nonprofits. Maria notes, “[...] we don't invest enough in leadership and management training and nonprofit managers” (10:53).
   • Effective management is crucial for employee satisfaction and retention, yet many nonprofits prioritize fundraising over developing strong leadership skills.

Integrating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Recruitment

Maria underscores the importance of embedding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEI) into every step of the recruitment process. She outlines actionable strategies to ensure DEI is prioritized:

1. Inclusive Job Descriptions:

   • Maria advises, “Does it have enough call-in language?... If you don't know your values and if you can't appreciate lived experience the same way that you appreciate someone's fundraising results, we're not going to get very far” (14:47).
   • Avoiding biased language and unnecessary credentialing helps attract a diverse pool of candidates.

2. Proactive Outreach:

   • Utilizing platforms like LinkedIn, Maria emphasizes the need to reach out to diverse candidates actively, even when platforms may suggest imbalances. She humorously notes, “[...] LinkedIn recruits thinks of diversity, by the way” (14:47).

3. Bias-Free Recruitment Process:

   • Ensuring that all stages of recruitment are free from bias, Maria highlights the importance of having diverse representation in the hiring committee and ongoing evaluation of recruitment practices.

4. Effective Onboarding:

   • Proper onboarding is critical for retention. Maria points out, “Onboarding is an afterthought and folks are like, well, the person is already been gone for three months” (14:47).
   • Effective onboarding helps new hires integrate smoothly and feel valued from the start.

Collaboration for Greater Impact

Maria elaborates on CSG’s collaborative approach, emphasizing partnerships with organizations that align with their mission and values. CSG works nationally, with significant engagement in states like Texas and Arizona, which are booming with nonprofits scaling their operations.

Key aspects of their collaboration include:

• Mission Alignment: Ensuring that clients’ missions resonate with CSG’s values, leading to long-term partnerships.
• Support for Overlooked Nonprofits: Assisting smaller organizations or those intimidated by larger firms, providing personalized recruitment support.
• Advancing Diversity: Actively working to bridge gaps for marginalized communities by promoting fundraising professionals who bring cultural awareness and expertise to their roles.

Maria shares, “We get into a groove of talking to you every other week and now all of a sudden we don't anymore” (21:29), highlighting the strong, ongoing relationships CSG builds with their clients.

The Critical Role of Board Leadership in Recruitment

Board leadership is pivotal in the successful recruitment and retention of nonprofit leaders. Maria provides insights into how boards can effectively engage in the recruitment process:

1. Active Participation:

   • Boards must be present and engaged throughout the recruitment process. Maria warns against delegating the process entirely, stating, “If you're not engaged in the process and you just want to delegate it, like the worst kind of recruitment” (24:36).

2. Education and Empowerment:

   • Since most board members are not nonprofit professionals, there is a need for educating them about the unique challenges and requirements of nonprofit leadership. Maria emphasizes, “Nonprofit professionals have to take the responsibility for educating them” (24:36).

3. Addressing Compensation Myths:

   • Boards often undervalue nonprofit roles by perpetuating the myth that these positions are purely passion-driven without adequate compensation. Maria asserts, “We can't continue to perpetuate that myth that nonprofit professionals are not as... should not be as well compensated” (24:36).

4. Power Dynamics:

   • Acknowledging the power dynamics between nonprofit professionals and board members, Maria highlights the necessity of setting clear expectations and ensuring that board members understand their role in supporting leadership effectively.

Connecting with Charity Search Group

For nonprofits seeking expert assistance in recruitment and retention, Maria encourages connecting through LinkedIn. She emphasizes the importance of engaging in ongoing dialogues to enhance the nonprofit profession. Interested organizations can follow Maria and CSG on LinkedIn to stay updated on their work and opportunities.

Maria concludes, “I want to make sure that we're continuing to have these discussions because if we don't talk about it, we're not going to change minds” (28:08).

Conclusion

This episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast sheds light on the intrinsic link between effective recruitment processes and employee retention in the nonprofit sector. With Maria’s expert insights, nonprofits are equipped with strategies to enhance their recruitment practices, foster inclusive and supportive work environments, and ultimately retain the talented individuals necessary to further their missions.

Notable Quotes

• Maria on the power of recruitment impact:
  “I can find 10 development directors or 10 executive directors to advance 10 different missions.” (02:22)

• On the evolving recruitment landscape post-COVID:
  “We're seeing a lot of that and it took a little bit of time to show itself on people's resumes and whatnot.” (07:19)

• Addressing stagnant salaries:
  “If I had stayed in it, I would make more money down the street than I would if I stayed.” (10:53)

• Importance of DEI in job descriptions:
  “If you don't know your values and if you can't appreciate lived experience the same way that you appreciate someone's fundraising results, we're not going to get very far.” (14:47)

• On board engagement:
  “The most important job a board has is to hire an executive director or CEO.” (24:36)

• Challenging compensation myths:
  “We can't continue to perpetuate that myth that nonprofit professionals are not as... should not be as well compensated.” (24:36)

Time References:

• 02:22 – Maria’s background and inspiration for nonprofit recruitment
• 07:19 – Evolution of recruitment post-COVID
• 10:53 – Retention challenges due to stagnant salaries
• 14:47 – Integrating DEI in recruitment
• 21:29 – Collaboration strategies
• 24:36 – Role of board leadership
• 28:08 – Connecting with Charity Search Group

By addressing both recruitment and retention strategies, and emphasizing the importance of DEI and effective board involvement, this episode provides invaluable guidance for nonprofit leaders striving to build and maintain strong, dedicated teams.