We’ve made some key observations based on what we’ve heard from the hundreds of nonprofits we consult and the talented candidates we interview each year. With that insight, we’re highlighting three ways nonprofits can be the kind of employer that talent is seeking right now. Let us know if you agree!
1. Keep the pedal to the metal on DEI work. Make sure you’re going from “Awake to Woke to Work” (a publication by Equity in the Center, a nonprofit organization that works to shift mindsets, practices and systems in the social sector to center race equity and build a Race Equity Culture) in your commitment to shift organizational culture and create systems for race equity. According to Future Forum, only 3% of Black knowledge workers want to return to full-time work at the office, compared to 21% of white knowledge workers in the U.S., shedding light on the fact that remote work has “reduced the need for ‘code switching’ among Black knowledge workers, reduced certain instances of microagressions and discrimination, and improved Black employees’ ability to ‘bounce back’ from incidents.”
What’s more, Millennials and Gen Zers want employers who demonstrate an authentic commitment to DEI. According to the Washington Post, “This includes hiring a more diverse workforce, helping employees of color advance through the ranks, giving them more decision-making power and facilitating uncomfortable conversations about systemic racism.”
Don’t let up on your DEI work, even for a second. And if you have no idea what we are talking about, Anti-Racism Daily just launched a weekly newsletter focused on the workplace that you should definitely subscribe to.
2. Find a way to pay better--or give better benefits. Yes, you can do it, and we’ll be here to help! This fall we’ve teamed up with the Center for Nonprofit Management to co-author and launch the first-ever Equitable Nonprofit Workplace Report (ENWR) as a resource for the nonprofit sector in Southern California. Building from the strengths of the Center for Nonprofit Management’s annual Compensation & Benefits Report, the ENWR will provide analysis on innovative workplace benefits that professionals are seeking, as well as more robust data to disrupt systems of inequity within the nonprofit sector.
In the short-term, this rich data can help you adapt to changes taking place in the hiring market and ensure you have the talent to effectively carry out your mission. Over time, you can identify and work to address the pay and leadership gaps that exist based on race, gender and other demographics. Choosing to work in the nonprofit sector should be met with more reward, not less. If you’re a nonprofit in Southern California, please look out for your survey this fall!
3. Welcome a diversity of perspectives. In fact, hire for it. With millions of professionals re-evaluating their purpose and career paths, nonprofits have a unique opportunity to recruit talent from a wide range of industries, potentially bringing different viewpoints to your organization. That means different ways of looking at your organization’s challenges and opportunities, different ways of improving operations, different ways of talking about your mission. How much conversation has your organization had about the diversity of resumés arriving in your inboxes every day? How are you evaluating your needs and the opportunities that lie in front of you?
Mission-eager professionals are ready to explore how they can bring value to your organization. Is the nonprofit sector ready?