Branding Your Organization to Survive and Thrive

Posted on 16. Sep, 2010 by in Guidance for Good, Nonprofit, Recruiting, Retention

Like it or not, your organization has an employment brand — what you stand for as an employer. And this brand can greatly impact on your ability to recruit and retain the best talent. Organizations that have created a favorable organizational culture are natural magnets for good people. But if an organization’s general reputation is less than positive, there will be problems attracting and keeping talented professionals, despite the current job market. For instance, if you have a reputation for high turn-over, the word is already out on the street.

Do you know how the current and former employees of your organization market your organization to their peers? Regardless of all your public relations efforts, this is the key to your organization’s brand and identity.

Since hiring is such a huge chunk of your bottom line, a focus on your internal brand can enhance employee retention and decrease costs. When organizations become branded as preferred work settings, employees are coached, challenged and encouraged to work together to achieve the organization mission. As you reassess your programs and their viability in the current environment, this would be a good opportunity to assess your internal organization culture, in terms of talent management.

Here are several recruiting and retention questions to consider:

  • What do you do to attract passive candidates?
  • Do your internal recruiters screen for required competencies?
  • Is the acquisition of talent considered a top-level issue?
  • Is the retention of talent considered a top-level issue?
  • How do you reward your best performers?

Next, position your organization on what you do best. Strengthen vital relationships with employees, funders, and key stakeholders while building retention and loyalty. Leaders with the vision, ingenuity, and courage to go against the grain of negativity in this current economic environment can avoid drastic action and buoy their organizations to new heights. They know the importance of an organization’s employment brand.

Using Pay for Performance to Motivate and Reward Nonprofit Leaders

Posted on 27. May, 2010 by in Guidance for Good, Nonprofit, Retention

It is essential in today’s marketplace to identify ways to motivate and reward performance through monetary compensation.  Although people in the nonprofit sector are not primarily motivated by monetary compensation, they are motivated by other tangible and non-tangible benefits. Some enterprising nonprofits — applying private sector thinking to operations and activities — have taken their lead from the business sector and offer compensation in merit or performance-based bonuses. The key to this shift in motivational leadership is a concept known as pay for performance.

Determining Pay for Performance

Nonprofit executive compensation can be measured by variables such as improved fundraising results or better administrative efficiency. It cannot be based on the amount of money raised or tied to specific increased revenue. The weak pay-for-performance link in many nonprofit organizations may be related to concern about violating the non-distribution constraint in the nonprofit sector, which prohibits the distribution of excess earnings. That is why pay for performance should be based on specific measureable goals tied to a realistic time frame and can include:

  • team motivation
  • talent retention
  • fundraising leadership
  • communication with board
  • financial/program interface
  • board development
  • growth and viability of organization

Performance-based bonuses should be tied to both entrepreneurial and social goals, which are based on the organization’s business and strategic planning.

Short-term pay-for-performance contracts are the best way to give talent exactly what they want most — to be paid what they are worth, when they deliver. Many nonprofits find that these short-term results-based work relationships often create a higher level of commitment than long-term relationships.

A Fresh Approach

Posted on 04. Nov, 2009 by in Guidance for Good, Nonprofit, Retention

“A recovery is a terrible thing to waste.”

Smart companies are using this time to reinforce employee-company bonds and persuade employees to recommit to their organizations.

More than ever, it is critical to keep your TOP TALENT engaged in running the organization. The pressure to perform as an organization, execute changes with speed, and create innovative products or services is paramount to an organization’s ability to survive and thrive.

Employee engagement has reached new lows, as has loyalty and trust in colleagues and bosses. People are stretched and finding work less rewarding. Here are current employee reactions:

  • demoralized
  • paralyzed
  • demotivated
  • looking for a new job

What do you need to do as a leader to make sure you keep TOP TALENT in this tough economy?

  1. Maintain TOP TALENT engagement and performance.
  2. Increase TOP TALENT’s “intention to stay” with your organization as the economy improves.

Consider the following steps:

  1. Take a fresh look at the existing employee pool. Which individuals shine in the downturn? Identify individuals who have been interested in gaining experience in other functional areas and who would be willing to wear two hats during difficult times. For the right employees, the current climate might provide real opportunities to gain much needed and desired experience in another area. Strong employees will appreciate the opportunity for long-term career growth, and it will show them how much they are valued.
  2. Build transparency and inclusion. Employees need to hear from their leaders during difficult times. Hold meetings where any employee can ask questions and also brainstorm solutions with leadership. Help them understand how what they do contributes to the company’s goals and success, and open access to information.
  3. Develop stimulating assignments. Arrange for new assignments that allow for collaboration within and across departments. This also allows for new ways that work can be done, new collegial relationships, and allows employees to participate in defining outcomes.

Suggestions for identifying TOP Talent:

Bring senior teams together to identify what constitutes top talent in your organization, then make this known throughout the organization. There is no cookie-cutter approach, as every organization has its own culture and values, and all employees need to know (transparency) what top management is seeking in TOP performance.  Feedback can be solicited from colleagues, as well as clients and customers. Here are some of the markers for top performance:

  • contributions beyond responsibility/tasks
  • innovative, creative performance
  • commitment to organizational process
  • demonstration of teamwork, consistency

Create involvement and appreciation.

Ask employees what would engage them. Conduct focus groups asking what they need to be successful, and what drives them crazy. Have someone from outside the organization moderate the group. Create opportunities for staff recognition and special non-monetary benefits.

The biggest mistake an organization can make in this challenging environment is to let the economy drive its vision. Don’t ignore reality. Instead, follow these suggestions and take a well-planned, creative approach to workforce planning and talent retention.