Recruiting to fit your organisation’s culture

A common scenario

Imagine you hire a new employee who was fantastic on paper and in interview, with all the right qualifications and experience.  Yet they somehow fail to live up to their initial promise and never truly mesh with the rest of the organisation, leaving themselves and others demoralised and less productive. Their personality, working style and behaviour on the job are simply inconsistent with the values and expectations of your organisation.

This situation can be avoided by taking your organisation’s cultural fit into account in the recruitment stage.

What is cultural fit?

A not for profit organisation’s culture is made up of its vision and values, combined with the individual personalities and experiences of its employees and the way in which they work together.  It includes the work methods and management style employed by an organisation, its mission and methods and often unwritten rules of behaviour.

Cultural fit is the compatibility between an individual employee’s personality traits, work style, beliefs and attitudes and the organisation’s culture.

 “Culture encompasses the shared, taken-for-granted assumptions that a group has learned throughout its history - values held in common that extend beyond the framed mission statement hanging in the lobby.” (Damian Zikakis, 2007)

The business case for hiring to fit your culture

When recruiting a new employee, it may appear vital that they have the required knowledge and skills for the role.  However, current knowledge and skill sets change over time and can quickly become redundant – an organisation’s culture is much more fixed and provides an anchor for its employees.  A new member of staff with the right cultural fit can develop their skills in the role, but their attitude and values are much harder to change.  Cultural fit cannot be developed, so it is imperative to take it into account during the recruitment process.

A candidate who fits into your organisation’s culture is likely to be more effective and create more value, and will probably stay longer with that organisation.  A new hire within a team should also help that team to work more effectively if they fit well.  In addition, if a new employee proves a bad cultural fit and leaves after a short period of time, you will have to spend more time and money recruiting again.

How to define your organisation’s culture

Before you can assess a candidate’s potential cultural fit, you have to be sure what your organisation’s culture is.  A not for profit’s culture is linked to its vision and values, so a good place to start is with the Trustees’ opinions on the organisations and their vision for the future.

This can be followed up with a questionnaire for staff members to assess their attitudes towards the organisation and its prospects, and to describe a typical personality type.  When recruiting new staff, you may not want to match this existing personality profile, but it is something you will need to take into account to ensure a good fit between employees.

More information on defining culture.

How to measure cultural fit

When recruiting, don’t just assume that your personal instincts will give you enough information about whether a candidate is likely to be a good cultural fit – these are frequently inaccurate.  There are several quantifiable methods to help you establish compatibility with your organisation’s culture.  Best practice is to involve a neutral third party who will help you make impartial assessments.

• Obviously, a central part of a charity’s culture is its cause, making passion for that cause a key requirement for any new hire.  This should be relatively easy for a candidate to demonstrate through experience, volunteering and past instances of philanthropy.

• Personality tests are a good way to measure how a candidate’s attitudes and beliefs mesh with an organisation’s culture.  The candidate fills in a questionnaire about their characteristics and the traits they would find appealing or unappealing in an ideal organisation.  This is then matched against the organisation’s culture to spot areas of alignment or disparity.

• Asking behavioural questions during the interview process is also a key method of measuring cultural fit.  Candidates are presented with hypothetical dilemmas and asked to comment on how they would solve them, or asked to provide examples of similar situations and how they behaved.  There are many examples of competency-based interview questions on the TPP website.  Panel interviews are generally a good way to get a consensus of opinion on someone’s character, as an individual can easily be subjective.

• Checking a candidate’s references is also a crucial step in the recruitment process.  You can ask referees the same questions you would ask the candidate in order to judge their cultural fit.

• Other methods of determining how well a candidate will fit within a team and an organisation include onsite visits, trial work periods on a temporary or contract basis or pre-employment socialising with relevant staff members.

How TPP Not for Profit can help

TPP are experts in hiring for cultural fit.  When beginning each new assignment, our consultants work closely with you and your employees to gain a deep understanding of what skills and motivation the right candidate should have.  We then develop a bespoke package of recruitment solutions, including detailed job and person specifications and advertising options.  We interview all candidates prior to suggesting them to ensure that they have not only the necessary skills and experience, but also the right values and attitudes.

TPP also offer our clients additional psychometric and aptitude testing, to ensure all candidates are a good fit for the organisation prior to interview or offer.

How to stop your best employees leaving

The New Year is traditionally a time when disgruntled employees consider making a change and dusting off their CVs – as many as 1 in 4 employees say January is the most likely time for them to leave their roles.

The third sector had a staff turnover of 20% in 2009/10, significantly higher than the 13.5% UK national average, and expectations of increased stability in the economy is likely to make this percentage even higher this year, as employees feel more confident about leaving their existing jobs.

So how can not for profit organisations tell if their valuable staff are considering leaving, and address underlying issues before they lead to a resignation?

Look for danger signs in your staff

Employees often make changes in their behaviour when they are feeling unhappy at work.  It is important for managers to pay attention to these indicators and not ignore them.  Typical warning signs include:

• Increasing lateness or absenteeism
• Drop in productivity
• Employee seems stressed or hostile
• Employee is much quieter than usual
• They request holiday one day at a time
• They stop volunteering and are not enthusiastic

Get to the bottom of the problem

If a manager spots any of the above changes in an employee’s behaviour and suspects they might be considering handing in their notice, they need to act fast to discover the underlying reasons.  Arrange a meeting with the staff member and keep probing to get to the bottom of the problem – don’t simply accept the first answer given.  It is important to listen to the employee’s answers and not to give your opinions of their situation or jump to conclusions.

Don’t fall into the trap of assuming all problems are salary-related.  Most employees cite pay as their reason for leaving, and in some cases this is true, but it is often used as an excuse as it is a ‘safe’ and incontrovertible answer.  As long as an employee feels they are being paid adequately, more money won't buy more motivation or loyalty.  For more information on motivations for non-profit employees leaving roles, see TPP’s recent Fundraising Recruitment Survey.

Look for solutions

Once you’ve got to the bottom of any problems an employee is having, it is vital to come up with a plan to solve them, or at least stop them escalating.  Together with the employee, a plan of action should be agreed on, and the manager must take responsibility to ensure that it is pursued.  Each action point should play to an employee’s strengths and should be an actual, not just verbal, change.

Solutions you might consider include:

• Changing the employee’s role
• Adjusting the employee’s level of responsibility
• Flexible working
• Increased employee recognition
• Better internal communications

What if they have already resigned?

If an employee has already handed in their notice, but their loss is likely to drastically effect your organisation, you may wish to consider making a counteroffer.  However, any successful counteroffer is likely to require a financial incentive, which will make the employee question why they were not receiving that level of pay before.

The counteroffer with the greatest chance of success will consist of a package of solutions, such as increased responsibility and recognition, together with a pay increase.  Of course, it is always better to make sure that such a valued employee never gets to this stage.

Is it worth the effort?

Before undertaking any action, you need to weigh any possible consequences against the value of the employee.  In some cases, the departure really is best for both parties. An unhappy employee is difficult to manage, tends to disrupt the effectiveness of his or her team, and will most likely leave eventually anyway.

However, for your most talented people, a concerted effort to solve their problems can lead to them becoming even more motivated and loyal to your organisation.

Case studies

Here are just a few examples of charities that have successfully implanted strategies to reduce their staff turnover:

•    Cancer charity, Marie Curie
•    Disability charity, Leonard Cheshire
•    Youth charity, YouthNet
•    Health charity, Autism Plus
•    Tower Homes, a London housing association
•    Children’s charity, Children’s Links

How TPP Not for Profit can help

One of the best ways to increase your employee retention is to hire the right staff in the first place.  Taking your time and getting expert advice can help you find exactly the right person for you team, meaning they are more likely to stay long-term.  TPP’s consultants are sector specialists who can give you advice on benefits and remuneration packages and make sure you find exactly the right employees.

For more information, contact TPP Not for Profit on info@tpp.co.uk or 020 7198 6000.

Writing effective job descriptions and person specifications

What is a job or person specification?

Before you place a vacancy with a recruitment consultancy, it is a good idea to spend some time evaluating exactly what you require from a candidate. While a job description and person specification are not legal requirements, they will save you time in the long run.

A job specification is a detailed description of the role, including all responsibilities, objectives and requirements. A person specification is a profile of your ideal new employee, including skills, experience and personality type.

Why should you bother?

Writing a detailed specification forces you to think about exactly what skills and experience is required for your role and the type of person you want for the team. Giving your recruitment consultant a comprehensive brief will allow them to work more effectively and quickly in finding you the perfect candidate.

Specifications also give candidates a better idea of exactly what you are looking for. This can help to weed out inappropriate applications from people who might be suitable on paper, but not actually that interested in the role. They also help to manage the expectations of successful new employees and to avoid situations where they feel they have been misled about the exact nature of the role.

You can use the specifications as a checklist for evaluating CVs and in interviews, which will save you preparation time and make sure you don’t miss anything.

Writing specification can make you think about how your department works and provide you with an opportunity to shift responsibilities around to maximise efficiency.

Specifications are also useful after the vacancy has been filled, as they can help to assess a new recruit's performance and to determine their future training needs.

Things to bear in mind before you start

Be as specific as possible about the responsibilities of the job, including any deadlines for delivery and measurements of success.

Leave room for flexibility within the job specification, and make it obvious if the role is likely to change or grow in the near future. This helps to avoid employees resenting taking on responsibilities not in their original job description.

Be careful with your wording, eg is a qualification really required or would someone who is Qualified by Experience (QBE) still be suitable?

It is essential not to discriminate on grounds of gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality or health, so avoid any inappropriate requirements, eg “must have x years’ experience” or words such as “dynamic” or “mature”. Read more information about avoiding discrimination here.

If the role is involved with service delivery, you may want to ask a selection of your clients their opinions on the type of person they would prefer to work with.

What should you include?

A job specification should include:

• the job title the position in the company, including their line manager and any other members of staff reporting to them
• the location of the job
• a summary of the general nature, main purpose and objectives of the job
• a list of the main duties or tasks of the employee
• which skills/qualifications are essential and which are desirable
• any equipment or software requirements, eg “knowledge of Raiser’s Edge”
• salary and benefits
• examples of typical projects help to illustrate the requirements

A person specification should include:

• the technical, organisational, communicative and creative skills and abilities you expect from an ideal candidate
• any specific qualifications or education required for the role
• the level of experience needed in either similar organisations or equivalent roles
• the kind of personality that would fit in with your team, and with your organisation’s ethos
• character traits that are likely to help them to do the job effectively
• any preferred achievements, eg volunteering

Some examples of job and person specifications for typical roles in non-profit organisations are available from the NCVO website.

Finally, please remember to use your recruitment consultancy as much as possible. TPP Not for Profit are experts in the not for profit sector and are able to give you advice about how best to construct job and person specifications to fill a role, and on the salary and benefits you will need to offer to attract the best possible candidates.


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.

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.