| Staff Retention Is Top Goal for Non-Profits...a | | | | applicant's likely success on the job? |
| Campaign for Success | | | | 2. Wages and benefits need to be competitive. If |
| A recent poll released on August 23 by the | | | | your compensation package is more than 20% |
| Mercadian Group, an accounting and financial | | | | below comparable organizations in your |
| planning firm predicted a tough year ahead for | | | | community, you will always be training staff for |
| non-profits. Of the 68 non-profits who participated | | | | other people to "steal". |
| in the survey, 75% anticipated a drop in revenues | | | | 3. Say "thanks". Acknowledge good work. I have |
| during the coming months. Most expected | | | | never heard someone say that their boss |
| employment opportunities to remain flat while | | | | compliments them too much. What is more likely |
| 19% actually anticipated a drop in employment. All | | | | is the complaint that they never get to talk with |
| of this pessimism seemed to stem from the | | | | their supervisor unless they have made a mistake. |
| perceived current poor state of the economy, | | | | 4. Listen to employee opinion about what it's like |
| the Mercadian report concluded. Three quarters of | | | | to work at your place and follow-up. You can do |
| those in the survey felt that finding and retaining | | | | this in a number of ways. As John Maxwell says, |
| good people was their top goal. The report went | | | | you can "walk slowly down the halls" paying |
| on to talk about the anticipated talent drain from | | | | attention to what you hear. Or you can actually |
| non-profits as the economy turns upward. "Those | | | | conduct regular employee satisfaction surveys. |
| who feel under-rewarded will be the first ones to | | | | One word of caution, if you don't plan to follow up |
| leave, taking with them institutional knowledge, | | | | on the information you receive from this process, |
| which most non-profits call ill-afford to lose." The | | | | don't bother to listen. Listening with no follow-up |
| report recommended better incentive pay. Other | | | | will be a disaster. But on the other hand, if you |
| important recommendations mentioned in the | | | | are committed to improvement then the |
| survey conclusions were: improved financial | | | | information you get from listening will be invaluable |
| performance; better planning and execution. | | | | to your success. Otherwise you will just be |
| What is the experience of your non-profit in | | | | guessing what people think. |
| coping with the bad economy and what is your | | | | 5. Train and develop your staff, especially |
| view of the future? Do you agree with | | | | supervisors. It's been said that "people don't leave |
| Mercadian's conclusions and recommendations? | | | | organizations, they leave supervisors." Far too |
| There is an air of pessimism within the halls of | | | | many supervisors lack the people skills they need |
| some of our non-profit clients. The usual array of | | | | to be successful and further, they do not |
| government assistance has been significantly | | | | understand their role as problem solvers. They |
| decreased. Private dollars are staying flat or are | | | | are better at complaining and finger-pointing; |
| also decreasing. Even though they have | | | | usually at administration or some other part of |
| experienced lower turnover..."people are just glad | | | | the organization that they feel "doesn't |
| to have a job", there are suspicions that just | | | | understand." The good news is that these |
| because people are not leaving, does not mean | | | | supervisory deficits can be corrected through |
| that they are happy in their jobs. And their worry | | | | training, development and mentoring. |
| may be understandable because other workforce | | | | 6. Don't forget to delegate. Learn the skills and |
| studies are suggesting that there is a pent-up | | | | interests of your subordinates and challenge them |
| demand for what employees hope will be jobs | | | | by giving them additional responsibilities from time |
| with improved opportunity. So, yes, Mercadian is | | | | to time. Some tasks they are not prepared for |
| likely to be proven correct that many non-profits | | | | and those should not be delegated. But take a |
| will be coping with staff retention issues in the | | | | little of the load off your own shoulders by |
| near future. Where we disagree with Mercadian is | | | | delegating a task that can be handled by |
| that "better incentive pay" could help retain staff. | | | | someone else and one which will contribute to |
| Who could argue with better pay? Nobody! Indeed | | | | their own sense of personal competence. |
| many non-profit employees make little more than | | | | 7. Make sure staff know the mission and vision of |
| minimum wage; most could do better with fast | | | | the organization. Talk about it a lot. Do everything |
| food jobs. They can't afford to live on their own | | | | you can to help people feel that the satisfactory |
| and are often "doubled up" with friends or | | | | completion of their job is directly connected to |
| relatives. This has got to change. So, more | | | | whether or not the organization accomplishes its |
| money is always better, but it has very little to | | | | mission. Some staff may need to hear specifically |
| do with staff retention or with on-the-job | | | | what they need to do to contribute; others will |
| performance for that matter. Most of the | | | | grasp that concept more easily. |
| productivity research that has been done indicates | | | | 8. Evaluate. Know what your turnover and |
| that higher pay influences job satisfaction for | | | | retention rates are at any given point in time, |
| about ten days. People who felt over-worked and | | | | using industry accepted formulas. Pinpoint what it |
| underappreciated before they got a raise, felt a | | | | costs you to replace someone who leaves. That's |
| little more positive when they saw that first | | | | the only way to know whether or not you are |
| higher paycheck. However, within two weeks | | | | making progress. You will still have hunches, |
| they were back to again feeling over-worked and | | | | opinions and guesstimates, but buttress them with |
| underappreciated. Hang on, it gets worse or at | | | | numbers. |
| least more confusing. The work place researchers | | | | Finally, understand that this is not a leisurely, |
| now know that productivity can actually suffer as | | | | haphazard process. If you are resigned to the |
| a result of incentive pay, especially if there is | | | | idea that turnover is part of the cost of doing |
| even minimal cognitive ability involved in the | | | | business, then you have wasted your time |
| satisfactory performance of the job. Don't believe | | | | reading this article. On the other hand, if you |
| me? Check it out for yourself; do a Google | | | | believe, as we do, that staff retention is key to |
| search on "employee productivity." | | | | your success as an organization, then you will |
| So if you have also concluded that it is crucial to | | | | need to address the issue with focus, energy and |
| your success that your non-profit be able to | | | | a positive attitude. Your success will be related to |
| retain your most skilled and dedicated employees, | | | | how well you can address all eight success keys I |
| what do you do to maximize your chances of | | | | have outlined. Just doing one at a time will yield |
| being able to hang on to them? | | | | only minimally positive results. Yes, some may be |
| Everyone has their own collection of tips for | | | | more important than others; that depends on the |
| retention. But in the end they all boil down to eight | | | | recent history of your organization. But if and |
| areas which need to be addressed in order to | | | | when you find yourself with a rapidly improving |
| retain qualified and dedicated staff. | | | | program and notice that your recruitment |
| 1. Hire right. A recent Harvard study said that | | | | expenses are dropping dramatically, chances are |
| 80% of employee turnover can be attributed to | | | | you are addressing all eight keys. Good luck and |
| mistakes made during the hiring process. How do | | | | best wishes with your campaign. Your clients will |
| you know that what you heard in the interview | | | | thank you. |
| has any predictive value in terms of the | | | | |