It is essential for your nonprofit organization’s staff to include talented individuals with high skills. According to the 2017 Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey, competition for talent in the nonprofit sector has increased. Nowadays, talented individuals who previously were drawn to the nonprofit space are more inclined to work in social enterprises.

To address this phenomenon and succeed in attracting talent to the nonprofit sector, all organizations must strive to achieve “sustainability of talent” by aligning their strategies with their missions.

Organizations that focus on talent are the most sustainable

One might ask: how can sustainability be defined when it comes to nonprofit organizations, and why should you strive for it? In fact, sustainability is defined in various ways, including:

– “The sustainability of nonprofit organizations lies at the intersection of exceptional impact and financial viability,” as stated by Jean Bel and Steve Zimmerman in their book “Sustainability Thinking.”

– “The term ‘sustainability’ is often used in nonprofits and charities to describe an organization that can withstand the long term, contributing to its ongoing ability to fulfill its mission,” according to Megan Kallidge who works for “Community Health Partners.”

– According to Neil Edgington, who heads the management consulting company “Social Velocity,” “Nonprofit organizations can maintain their sustainability when they generate enough funds to employ them effectively.”

Financial resources contribute to the sustainability of nonprofit organizations, but having talent is also essential in the nonprofit sector. Human resource management in nonprofits defines sustainability as follows: “A nonprofit organization can achieve sustainability by raising sufficient funds and investing them effectively and recruiting the necessary people to ensure its continuity; helping it achieve its long-term goals.

When your nonprofit organization staff is rich in talent, you will be able to continue your work in the long term. Your organization will have a greater impact on the communities it serves and will be able to maintain that impact. Additionally, building a strong team can make a significant difference in relation to donations. For example, “GlobalGiving” received donations four times more after investing in the development of its employees' skills.

There are three types of nonprofit organizations, classified according to their degree of focus on talent recruitment strategy: organizations that disregard the value of talent, organizations that are aware of the value of talent, and organizations that focus entirely on attracting skills.

First, organizations that disregard the value of talent dedicate few resources to attracting, developing, or even retaining talent. As such, hiring, development, and retention practices are often ineffective and absent from the plans of this type of organization. This is attributed to leadership's focus on fundraising and financing programs.

Second, organizations that are aware of the value of talent try to allocate the necessary resources to attract, develop, and retain talent. These programs are usually adopted by organizations that recognize the importance of talent but do not consider it essential to ensure their sustainability. As a result, investments in hiring, development, and retention are inconsistent, and there is no advance planning for talent management. If talent management planning occurs, it is not integrated with the overall strategic plan of the organization.

Third, organizations that focus on attracting talent have the gold standard for talent management in nonprofit organizations. In this type of organization, resource allocation for attracting, developing, and retaining talent is planned. It is also regarded as necessary to ensure the organization's success at the operational level. The hiring, development, and retention plan of employees is a priority for this type of organization, as it integrates talent management with the overall strategic plan of the organization.

How can your organization become focused on attracting talent?

Recognizing the benefits of focusing on talent is the start toward achieving this goal and practically applying it in your organization. To achieve good performance and results and maintain the sustainability of your nonprofit organization, you should aim to:

Set a specific goal

You must recognize that your organization’s impact on donors is related to how much priority you give to attracting talent. Talent is also among the assets that need to be managed, nurtured, and invested wisely.

Strategy

You should develop a talent management strategy and ensure it aligns with the overall organizational strategy, goals, and outcomes. You should also set metrics that help you measure the benefits of talent management. For example, you can clarify that for every ten thousand Riyals invested in talent development, your organization experienced higher engagement rates and better organizational performance.

Integration

To make your organization more focused on attracting talent, integrate the organizational strategy with the talent management strategy. To achieve this, consider hiring a high-level human resources staff member, such as a Chief Human Resources Officer or Chief Talent Officer, to ensure better collaboration between the leadership team and prioritize this management.

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Source: Nonprofit HR