Changes to the global talent landscape in recent years has meant that NGOs and
nonprofits providing essential aid and services around the world must be
strategic in how they staff their organizations.
Here are five recruiting and hiring trends in nonprofits and NGOs to help you
better understand the climate and make decisions that help further your
mission:
1. Shifting demands due to the pandemic
COVID-19 transformed or at least jolted practically every aspect of modern
society, including the nonprofit organization hiring landscape.
But whether this impact was positive or negative depended largely on the
nonprofit or NGO’s specific mission.
Approximately one-third of organizations grew in response to significantly increased
demand. This makes sense, seeing as the pandemic and its restrictions
contributed to a massive uptick in food insecurity, poverty and mental health
issues. There were more people in need than ever before. NGOs and nonprofits
focused on humanitarian aid scrambled to add more individuals to further their
cause.
On the flip side, another one-third of nonprofits were forced to shutter,
downsize or reorient because of decreased demand. In some cases, there was
suddenly less need for nonprofit or NGO services. And in others, pandemic
restrictions hampered their ability to operate as per usual—or at all.
Despite the changes, there’s a generally positive outlook for NGOs and
nonprofits, seeing as nearly two-thirds of organizations still expect to add
headcount to staff over the next year.
2. A rise in hybrid or remote work
It’s not just businesses that have transitioned to a remote or hybrid work
model—many nonprofits and NGOs have updated their policies for where and how
employees work.
This will impact the way nonprofits’ operations function. As Bev Wenzel
of the ROCK Center for Youth Development notes:
“The hybrid workplace provides unexpected opportunities. Employers are
building better teams, and staff are more productive and have a higher level
of happiness. Efficient systems that were always needed became necessary for
remote work and to improve how we work. The staff keeps better records, and
information is consistently and universally available, strengthening us for
exciting new growth.”
Naturally, this will also impact recruiting and hiring for nonprofits and
NGOs, since many candidates now require remote
or hybrid work. This shift will also likely create opportunities for
organizations to acquire talented individuals and volunteers because it will
greatly expand the recruiting pool. Instead of primarily focusing on
candidates who live in proximity to the office, nonprofits now have a much
wider and more diverse group of candidates from which to recruit and
hire—anywhere in the world.
Nonprofits and NGOs that adapt to this changing work landscape will have more
options about who they bring on board.
Related: Global employment guide for NGOs
3. New in-demand skills and expertise
Another trend in hiring employees for nonprofit organizations
suggests that more expertise and a wider range of skills are expected of
candidates.
According to the Foundation List, as organizations move toward remote work and
online fundraising models, there’s an increased demand for technical professionals
and volunteers. Skills and positions that are sought after include:
- Essential health and medical care experience
- Tech support
- Database administration
- Online fundraising and marketing
- Case managers
- Counselors
In order to meet these demands, more than a third of organizations polled in
the 2022 Nonprofit Talent Management Priorities Survey reported plans to prioritize talent-focused
technologies, such as learning management technology systems and applicant
tracking systems, to help them recruit high-quality candidates.
4. A focus on culture and employee well-being
While it’s important to get fresh new faces in the door and on board with your
mission, to keep them there and avoid nonprofit employee termination, your
first focus should be on creating an environment where the staff wants to be.
More than a third of nonprofits (38%) said that they were facing serious
challenges ensuring the mental health and well- being of their employees.
Burnout is a major problem across all organizations. Staff is stretched thin,
having to work longer hours and juggle more responsibilities than ever.
Naturally, this creates tension, frustration and negative feelings that impact
the workplace culture.
Declining mental health is a significant factor in employee churn. If you want
to attract and retain top talent, you need to create a culture that focuses on
work-life balance, provides services and benefits that promote mental well-
being, and creates a work environment that they grow in rather than stagnate.
Some potential ways you can address this in your hiring practices and
workplace include:
- Adequate medical care
- Mental health resources
- Education and training reimbursement
- Stress relief and coping education
- Financial education
- Weight management programs
- Addiction support
- Smoking cessation programs
- Employee retention programs
5. Recruiting and hiring locally in the country of operation
There’s been a concerted push among NGOs and nonprofits with international
missions to hire locally. After all, who is better suited to serve the
community than someone who’s from it?
This benefits both the organization and the local community:
- For the nonprofit, it provides you with a potentially valuable resource to draw upon—someone who truly understands the situation on the ground. They speak the language, know the people and can better understand the cultural nuances.
- For the community , it provides a much-needed job to a local and equips that person with the training, education and skills that they can then use to discover and promote lasting solutions in the area.
The challenge for NGOs and nonprofits hiring internationally is making sure
you understand and abide by the local employment laws and customs—which can be
hard to do if you don’t have local expertise in recruiting, HR and payroll.
Some areas to be mindful of include:
- Contract duration and requirements
- Independent contractor vs. employee
- Pay and benefits
Without local HR knowledge, you could unwittingly put your organization at
risk of noncompliance and be subject to mission-derailing penalties.
Hiring the right people, the right way
Nonprofits and NGOs must keep an eye on shifting trends as well as employment
laws, particularly since the hiring landscape in one country may be completely
different than in another. Because of this, who you hire and how you hire them
is of utmost importance.
When hiring workers to fulfill your mission in a foreign country, consider
partnering with a global recruitment services provider that can connect you
with top candidates, from C-level to employees to compliant contractors. An
experienced providers should offer:
- A dedicated recruiter focused on your operational needs
- Access to a network of highly qualified candidates
- Support with salary negotiations
- Contract-to-hire solutions to test your candidates
- Benefits for temporary workers
When you find the right people, an employer of record (EOR) can be an
invaluable tool for NGOs and nonprofits to bring those new workers on board.
GEO, our employer of record solution, lets you quickly and compliantly hire workers in
more than 170 countries without having to take on the time and expense of
registering a local business entity. GEO can help your organization:
- Hire and onboard workers in another country
- Pay workers in another country
- Budget your funds better and manage predictable costs
- Comply with local employment regulations, laws and taxes
- Manage all HR needs under a single vendor
- Eliminate the risk of noncompliance
- Get ongoing employee support
Our global solutions advisors have helped hundreds of NGOs and nonprofits
solve even the most complex recruiting and hiring challenges. Let’s discuss
how we can help your organization find and hire who you need to support your
mission; request a call today.
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