Making sure your candidates feel the love

By Kate Maunder, consultant at TPP Not for Profit

The job market tends to be cyclical – lots of job openings tend to result in candidate shortages and candidates are plentiful when jobs are in short supply.  The recent economic downturn has kept the market stable for longer than normal – high levels of redundancy and unemployment have created huge pools of labour while cautious employers have been recruiting less.

However, all the signs indicate that we are now at a tipping point as the market recovers and unemployment drops.  According to the latest REC report on jobs, vacancy numbers are continuing to rise at a rapid pace but candidate availability is falling.  Commenting on these results, Bernard Brown, Head of Business Services at KPMG, said:  “Demand for staff may be up, but the number of individuals putting themselves on the market has dropped for the fifth consecutive month. Perhaps the pay on offer has to rise to encourage staff to ‘make the move’. If it doesn’t we could be about to witness a growing gap between what the employers need and what employees are prepared to do.”

At TPP, as well as a general increase in the number of vacancies in the not for profit sector, we have also noticed a general increase in candidates declining offers that have been made to them.  There are some skill sets that have always been in short supply, such as income generation, but other areas are now starting to see skill shortages, such as digital marketing.  The demand for candidates in general is increasing, which means they can be much more choosey.  Not for profit organisations should be placing more emphasis on candidate care and making sure they are kept happy and engaged throughout the recruitment process.

Below are TPP’s top tips to ensure your candidates feel loved:

1.    Ensure the offer package is right

Obviously you need to make sure your salary is as competitive as possible, which means you need to know what similar organisations are offering.  Salary is not the only thing to consider though, particularly for charity candidates, who are often looking for a better work-life balance.  Make sure you mention benefits and opportunities for flexible working, as these are often really powerful draws.

Some useful links:
Salary surveys
How to offer the right salary
Five ‘hidden’ employer benefits of flexible working

2.    Ensure there is potential for development

Candidates are often thinking about the long term when moving roles, and the opportunities for development are likely to play an important part in their decision.  Almost all roles offer employees the potential to learn and grow their abilities, even if they do not have a direct route for promotion.  The trick is to find the ways in which candidates would be able to make the most of the role and themselves and to make sure they are aware of them in the interview.

In these days of slashed training budgets, any promises of CPD you can offer are a great way to make your organisation stand out.  Remember, TPP give all fundraisers placed through us a £100 voucher to spend with the IoF on CPD.

3.    Don’t take too long to make a decision

This is probably the most common reason why organisations lose good candidates.  If they have great skills and experience, it’s likely that other organisations will want them as much as you do and candidates will not wait around if they receive another offer.  While we appreciate it can be hard to make decisions quickly in non-profit organisations, particularly if Trustees have to be involved, waiting for an offer can be a really negative recruitment experience for the candidate.

4.    Offer constant feedback and communication

On similar lines, one of the most common frustrations for candidates is a lack of communication and feedback.  Even if you are rejecting them, every candidate deserves to know they are not being taken forward and given a reason for that decision wherever possible.

Remember, the large crossover between potential employees, volunteers, advocates and donors make it especially important for charities to take good care of candidates.

Some useful links:
How to reject candidates without turning them off your brand
Lack of interview feedback can damage your donations


At TPP, we know that managing the offer process starts when we first meet the candidate.   We take the time to really understand why they are leaving their current job and their motivations and requirements for a new role.  We drill down into their key criteria, which is often very different to a candidate's stated motivations, to maximise the chances of a satisfactory recruitment process for all parties.

Part time workers can add value to your organisation

38% of voluntary sector employees are currently working part time (compared to the 27% national average) and this percentage is increasing.  Why are not for profit organisations increasingly choosing to employ staff on a part-time basis and how can you take advantage of this trend?

Typical part time workers


Part time staff are those who fewer hours per week than a full time employee. Jobs are generally classified as part time if they cover fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week.
 
There is a growing pool of jobseekers who are specifically looking for part time work, particularly women with young children wanting a job they can fit around childcare.  Typical part-timers also include the semi-retired, students balancing work with study and professionals looking to spend some time freelancing or volunteering.

Make cost savings

Obviously, employing part time staff helps to keep costs down in areas where you don’t yet need full time cover, particularly for smaller charities.  Employing a part timer to help out full time staff can also help save on overtime costs and reduce staff stress and absenteeism.

Using part time employees can also give your organisation greater flexibility to cover busy periods or areas of growth.

Bring in new skills

Hiring a part time employee can also add real value to your organisation, as you can look at more senior staff then you could otherwise afford.  These employees have often had a variety of jobs and can bring more knowledge and experience to your organisation and are used to handling stress and juggling lots of different tasks.

Employers often combine specialist skills in order to create one full time vacancy, such as fundraising and marketing or finance and IT.  However, it can be better to hire two part time specialists, rather than one full time employee who has to wear two different hats.

Part timers can also be used to bring in a specific skill currently lacking in your current employees.  This enables your organisation to grow without necessarily investing a substantial amount of money.

Widen your pool of candidates

Recruiting for part time staff has another big advantage of giving you a wider pool of candidates.  Part time roles are still greatly in demand, as people wanting to work part time greatly outnumber the jobs available, meaning you have your pick of candidates.

This is particularly true when hiring for positions where good candidates are in short supply.  If you’re unable to find suitably qualified candidates at the right salary, extending your search to part timers can give you access to a huge army of well qualified people looking for flexible work.

Offering the option to work part time also allows you to retain talented staff, eg after maternity leave.

Increase productivity

A rewarding side effect of employing part time staff is that it can help boost morale, productiveness and retention.  Part timers usually value their jobs greatly and combined with the increased job satisfaction that flexible working traditionally brings, this is reflected in their productivity.  In fact, it is not uncommon for part-time workers to do as much in their shorter day or week than a full-time worker on the same staff.

Part timers also tend to fit the rest of their life in the time that they are not at work, so require less time off for dentist’s or doctor’s appointments and have lower absenteeism and sickness rates than full time employees.

Young part timers, such as students, can bring energy and enthusiasm to an organisation, as well as a willingness to learn and take on new tasks and responsibilities.

Demonstrate diversity

Employing part time staff also helps to demonstrate that your organisation has a diverse workforce and ethical employment practices.  This is particularly important for charities that champion those sectors of society which have a high percentage of potential part time workers, eg those dealing with women’s rights, parenting or ageism.

Recruiting for part time staff

The next time you are recruiting for a job requiring a high level of skill but with a low salary, or for one spanning several disciplines, consider employing one or more part timer instead of a full time employee.  Even if you do decide to advertise the role as full time, don’t automatically discount CVs from part time candidates, as they might be just the solution your organisation needs.

Unlike some recruitment consultancies, who don’t like recruiting for part-time positions as it results in lower fees for them, TPP are always happy to fill part-time roles and always encourage our clients to consider what option will give them the best value for money.  In fact, 13% of TPP’s own workforce are part time employees.

5 ways to engage remote workers

It is increasingly common for employees to wish to work from home on the odd occasion, eg in cases like transport strikes or last year’s snowy weather, or on a permanent basis to give them a better work-life balance.  Many not for profit managers also have to manage ground staff based overseas or in distant locations.

This means that enabling and managing remote working is becoming increasingly important to not for profit organisations - 86% of third sector decision makers say it is their key technical challenge.

But remote working can lead to employees feeling isolated and demotivated, as well as leaving their line managers in the dark about progress.  How can you manage remote staff to make them an effective part of a team?

Why use remote workers?

One of the most common reasons for employees choosing to work from home is to improve their work-life balance, eg giving them time to pick their kids up from school.  Flexible working is one of the key benefits that attracts staff to a third sector organisation (as shown in TPP’s fundraising recruitment survey), so being able to offer remote working is a definite advantage in sourcing top-quality employees.

Working remotely is also traditionally perceived to improve efficiency, as employees are happier and less stressed.  BT claim that flexible employees who choose remote working are 20% more productive than their office-based counterparts, while absenteeism has been reduced by 60%.   Allowing primarily office-based employees to work from home on the odd occasion can also greatly improve morale and therefore productivity.

Remote working also opens up opportunities for people living with disabilities, who might find it hard to work if they had to travel to an office, helping to improve your organisation’s diversity and giving you a wider pool of potential employees.

Many not for profit organisations, particularly those working in international development, prefer to employ local staff who are native speakers to run their programmes overseas.  However, these employees are often ultimately managed from the UK.

Enabling employees to work from home can also allow money-conscious charities to save, as overhead costs are cut and productivity is maintained if staff cannot get in to work, as in last year’s period of snowy weather, in which snow absence rates in the UK were estimated to reach almost 14% and cost the economy £0.5bn a day.

1.  Hire the right employees

Managing your home workers to ensure they stay effective starts right at the point of recruitment.  Selecting the right staff is important – look for employees with previous successful experience of remote working and justifiable reasons for wanting to work from home.  Even if they are not office-based, it is still important that they fit with the organisation and team culture.

It is also important to make sure that contracts set down the terms of remote working clearly, and measures of performance are in place from the start.   Make sure these are consistent across all your remote and office-based staff to avoid generating resentment.

Also detail the parameters of this type of work arrangement. If employees are working off-site, how quickly do you expect them to respond to e-mails, pages or phone calls? Can they work a flexible schedule or do they need to perform their jobs during specific hours? What technologies will be made available to employees to facilitate working remotely? How many days a week can people telecommute? etc.  Not every position lends itself to a teleworking arrangement

The more effort you put into defining requirements such as these early on, the less complicated it will be to supervise people once they are off-site.  TPP Not for Profit has recruited many remote workers to the third sector, and we can offer great advice and help to organisations looking to recruit home workers.

2.  Keep remote workers included

Managing remote workers is all about inclusion – it is all too easy to overlook employees not in the office.  Include remote workers in all team meetings, either in person or via a conference call or on speakerphone, and make sure they are invited to staff events, even informal ones like team drinks.

Lack of opportunities to chat informally with colleagues can also hinder working relationships, as it makes it harder for fellow employees to build the rapport that helps with collaborative projects.  Encouraging all group members to hold frequent discussions can help to keep teleworkers engaged, even if it’s just to let everyone know that work is progressing to schedule.

Where possible, you should also encourage your remote workers to visit the office on a regular basis, eg for monthly catch-ups or for important group meetings.  This allows them to meet their colleagues face-to-face.  If this is not possible, organisation charts and staff profiles with pictures can help remote employees put faces to names.

3.  Train in steps

It’s important to make sure that remote workers aren’t forgotten about when it comes to staff training, both at the start and throughout their careers.

When office staff are trained, a manager can constantly oversee their progress and give instant feedback.  With remote staff, this process is much harder but can be avoided by training in chunks, or scaffolding.  Essentially, the training programme is split into steps and a new employee must be able to demonstrate that they are fully competent in each stage before they can progress.

Training this way means that a manager can be fully confident that their remote employee can handle tasks on their own without constant feedback and support.

4.  Set goals and monitor progress

It is usually necessary to have a more formal schedule of update meetings with remote employees than office-based staff.  Ideally, you should aim to have a quick daily phone call with each remote worker, followed by a longer weekly catch-up.

You need to be even more clear when setting goals for remote workers; making sure that the expectations of both parties are agreed at the start of each project and a schedule of formal contact to monitor progress is set.  There should be clear procedures in place for remote workers to follow and people to contact if things start to go wrong at any point.

When it comes to monitoring the productivity of remote workers, managers have an advantage, in that there is usually an extensive document trail to help them investigate concerns or problems, for example by checking when employees were logged into a network.

5.  Keep improving your processes

If you are successfully using remote workers, it is important to keep evaluating and improving your processes.  Feedback from both remote and office-based workers about how the situation is progressing is vital to make sure both sides remain happy.  New technology is constantly being developed that can help to make remote workers more integrated with the rest of the team.

Most importantly - don't distance yourself from team members. Be available to them, this will increase the trust they have in you and let's you show them that you respect them.

Examples

Some case studies on remote working from the not for profit sector:

ramsac Provide CHASE hospice care for children with Remote Working
NPC slashes ICT costs and risk to maximize its impact
Home-based workers fundraise for charity: Actionaid's NTT operation
Case Study: Merlin Life-saving Communications at an Affordable Price
Case Study: New Charter Housing Group
Case Study: ActionAid

The Pitfalls of Ignoring Poor Performance

Charities are continuing to feel increasing economic pressure and this is having a negative effect on staff morale.  60% of charity staff have experienced redundancies in their organisation, and 55% feel their workloads are getting heavier, leading to stressed and unproductive employees.  And with half of voluntary sector leaders expecting their organisation’s situation to worsen over the next 12 months, the situation is not likely to improve in the near future.

However, not for profit organisations can be reluctant to tackle poor performance in the workplace - only 57% of staff reportedly receive useful feedback on how they are performing.  With over 218,000 employment tribunal claims brought last year, and charities particularly vulnerable to claims, failure to manage underperformance can have serious consequences for charities.

In this article, TPP examines the most common reasons for failing to tackle poor performance, and why these are misconceptions.



"Nonprofits should be kind"

This is an extremely common problem in the not for profit sector.  Most charities recognise that their staff often accept lower pay than in the private sector but expect a higher level of job satisfaction.  Combined with the fact that charities exist to promote ethical values, this can often lead managers to want to be “kind” to their employees, and turn a blind eye to underperformance.

However, failing to tackle poor performance at an early stage is more often than not an unkindness, both for the organisation, whose effectiveness will suffer, and for the employee themselves, who will continue to underperform until their manager has to tackle the problem, which can be a set up for an unfair dismissal claim.  Unproductive employees are also usually unhappy in their job, and treating the problem can improve morale all round.  Being a supportive manager, who proactively handles performance and develops their employees, is not being unkind. Allowing people to fail is unkind.

“We need to follow this through by managing poor performance when it arises. Anyone who hides behind the charity mask on this one and feels it is not compatible with being nice to people is not being professional or businesslike - nor maintaining the charity ethos.”
Valerie Morton in Third Sector magazine


Fear of litigation

Charities are usually heavily reliant on their public image to bring in funding and volunteers, and so are reluctant to enter situations where litigation might result which will give them negative press.  Charity employees can be more willing than most to bring a claim against their employer if they feel they are being treated unfairly, as they have an innate sense of justice and fair play.  This means that voluntary sector managers can be unwilling to speak to employees about poor performance and scared of getting into situations which they feel may eventually lead to dismissal.

Once again, the solution to this is to tackle poor performance at an early stage, rather than simply ignoring it.  Properly handled, an employee may well improve their effectiveness, avoiding the need for dismissal.  But if it does get to that stage, an employee is more likely to feel aggrieved about being dismissed if their employee has not attempted to address and solve the issues leading to the underperformance, and will almost certainly have a stronger case at tribunal because of this.


Worrying about morale

In the current economic climate, when many charities have experienced downsizing, many managers are concerned about maintaining the morale of their team and fear that confronting an employee, particularly one that is popular with the rest of the staff, about their performance may lead to a wave of fear among the team and a drop in morale.

In this scenario, managers are assuming the worst.  Handling unproductiveness sensitively and at an early stage can lead to the employee becoming both more productive and more satisfied, which is likely to positively affect the rest of the team.  If this does not happen, and the process eventually leads to a dismissal, there certainly is a risk that the rest of the team will become worried, but reassurance and support can help to tackle this.  However, leaving that employee to carry on as they are will definitely lead to a drop in morale as the rest of the team have to make up the slack.


Extenuating circumstances

A common reason for underperformance can be personal problems that are unrelated to work.  If a manager is aware of these circumstances, they could very well be tempted to let poor performance slide on the assumption that the employee’s effectiveness will improve once the situation has been resolved.  However, simply ignoring the issue is doing the employee no favours.

Talking through the issue with the member of staff will alert them to your concerns, demonstrate your support in their situation and may lead to a mutually beneficial solution, such as allowing them to take a paid leave of absence.


Losing a star performer

Sometimes, an employee can be a high performer in numerical terms, but can still require performance management for unacceptable behaviour, such as negativity, dishonesty, harassment or bullying.  Managers may be reluctant to tackle this behaviour, even if it is having a negative impact on the rest of the team, for fear of losing their star performer.

Leaving this kind of behaviour untackled ends up sending a message to the rest of the staff that conduct like this is acceptable as long as targets are met.  Staff may become disillusioned and leave due to perceived unfairness.  Performance management should always have the welfare of the team as a whole in mind, not just that individual.


Conclusion

If your beneficiaries are likely to suffer due to a drop in team productivity and morale, is there really any excuse that could be valid for failing to deal with poor performance early on?  A good manager should be able to effectively communicate and document an employee’s poor performance in a timely manner, so that any disciplinary action is never a surprise. If it does happen, it should only be the culmination of a process where the manager is sincerely working to change an employee’s behaviour for the betterment of the organization.


Resources

Further advice on performance management and involuntary redundancy:
KnowHow NonProfit
CIPD
10 point checklist for confronting poor performance
Crash Course: Seven ways to manage poor performance

Training
CS Skills Centre - Managing poor performance
The Centre - Managing poor performance, absence and stress

Healthcare Conferences UK - Managing Poor Performance and Supporting Nurses in Difficulty

Forms & Templates
Various forms are available from HR Bird

Finally, for further guidance on how NOT to conduct a performance review, learn from the master - David Brent.

5 low-cost ways to keep your staff motivated

In the current economic climate, many non-profit organisations are struggling to balance their books at a time when there is often increased demand on their services.  Their senior management are having to make some tough choices, such as making redundancies, freezing pay and slashing budgets, which can have a very negative effect on employee morale and engagement.

Traditional methods of boosting morale, such as financial incentives or staff benefits, may be simply unachievable for an organisation already under great financial pressure.  But failing to tackle these problems could lead to higher staff turnover and decreased efficiency.  So how can you keep your employees happy and motivated on a budget?

1.    Communicate

Perhaps surprisingly, in times of change, the best influencer of morale is always cited as better internal communications.  When staff are feeling unsettled, openness and honesty about the situation and its effects is always preferred to silence, even if the news is bad.  When managers may have to cope with a smaller workforce and increased time pressures, it can be tempting to drop regular communications, but taking the time to update employees is still vital.

It is also important that communication is a two-way process.  Brainstorming or consultation meetings, or even a suggestions box, can help staff feel that their opinions are being taken into consideration.  However, this process needs to be carefully managed and all suggestions need to be responded to and actions resulting from them explained, even if the idea is not feasible.  Ignoring suggestions can be worse than not asking for them in the first place.

Find out more about effective internal communications here.

2.    Reward and recognise

Traditional employee benefits, such as private healthcare or life insurance, can be expensive, but it is possible to reward employees on a budget.  Many organisations now offer their staff access to retail discount schemes, which allow employees to purchase discounted goods at a range of high street retailers, petrol stations, supermarkets and local businesses, either using paper vouchers, virtual banks or pre-pay cards.  There are many companies that can set this up for you, or your organisation could create its own scheme by approaching local businesses.

Your organisation could also consider offering salary sacrifice schemes, such as those for childcare, bicycles or public transport.  These initiatives are not subject to tax or National Insurance, making them financially beneficial to both you and your employees.

Rewarding employee success, for example by holding corporate awards events, can be expensive, but it is possible to recognise achievement on a budget.  A manager should always remember to thank an employee personally for an outstanding piece of work and simply sending out a group email to mention a team or individual’s contribution can generate goodwill through public recognition.

3.    Keep your staff healthy and happy

Increased workloads and fewer resources are a common symptom of economic pressures, and can lead to staff suffering from stress.  Recent research from leading mental health charity Mind shows that one in five workers have called in sick with stress, but almost all of these do not disclose the real  reason for their absence.  This can create staffing problems for management which can be difficult to solve if the underlying cause is not recognised.  The best ways to tackle this issue is ensuring that workloads are spread among staff, training managers to recognise and effectively deal with stress symptoms, and creating a climate where employees can be honest and open.

For more information on tackling workplace stress, visit the Mind or CIPD websites.

4.    Train and develop

Offering training and learning and development opportunities is one of the best ways to keep your staff engaged, as they continue to grow and develop.  These do not have to be expensive events using external professionals.  Make effective use of your internal resources – encouraging your best staff to coach or mentor others is motivating for both parties.

Identify key skills required for each career path, and create a personal development plan for each employee to map out their route along this path.  You can then ask their peers, senior management and HR professionals to run formal or informal training sessions based on these key skills.

Find out more about learning and development here.

5.    Control your environment

People that are happy within their working environment will work far more effectively and happily than those who are uncomfortable: it therefore makes sense to consider certain aspects of your employees workspace quite carefully.  However, you don’t need to spend huge amounts of money on interior decoration to improve your environment.

Consider encouraging employees to bring in pot plants, photos or other personal items to decorate and personalise their desks.  Allowing employees to change their workspace has been shown to help create a more attractive and stress-reducing environment.  In addition, simply ensuring that blinds or curtains are fully open in the day will bring in more daylight and can positively affect staff productivity.

Why not hold a dedicated decluttering day, where all teams work to clear their areas of clutter, unfiled or old paperwork, unused office supplies etc.  As well as creating a better working environment, this can help make sure resources are used more efficiently.


For more about the theories behind employee motivation and engagement, visit KnowHow NonProfit or CIPD.

TPP Not for Profit are specialists in the charity, arts and public sectors and help our clients both recruit and retain their staff.  For more information, visit ww.tpp.co.uk or contact us on 020 7198 600 or info@tpp.co.uk.