Three-Fourths of Job Seekers Urge Changes at Charities, Study Finds

More than 60 percent of nonprofit job seekers in a new survey said they planned to work for nonprofit groups for at least 10 more years, and 82 percent said they would like to hold an executive job at some point.

However, an overwhelming majority said nonprofit organizations need to change the way they recruit (76 percent), retain (79 percent), and professionally develop (86 percent) the next generation of leaders. When asked if they had any concerns about developing a long-term career in nonprofit work, almost 70 percent named "salary levels."

The survey was conducted by Commongood Careers, a recruiter in Boston that works with nonprofit clients, which polled 1,750 members of its job-candidates pool. Among the other findings:

• When asked to name the most important characteristics of a potential employer, respondents most often said "collaborative" (55 percent), followed by "results-oriented" (44 percent).

• In evaluating a job opportunity, survey participants gave top priority to the organization's mission (62 percent), but salary and benefits came in second (55 percent).

• Respondents said the factor that would most influence their decision to stay at an organization for five to 10 years was "feeling continually challenged" (62 percent), followed by "believing in the strategic plan" (59 percent).

• Only 19 percent named "opportunities to develop professional skills" as a primary motivation for choosing a nonprofit career. The top reason was "general feelings of social responsibility" (63 percent).

• Other than salary and health insurance, the benefits most valued by survey participants were vacation policies (45 percent) and flexible schedules, such as four-day weeks or working from home (40 percent).

Solutions for Employers

Commongood Careers, which said this was the first appearance of a survey it plans to conduct annually, suggests a number of actions that nonprofit employers can take to respond to the findings. They should develop a year-round commitment to recruiting, maintain competitive salaries, and offer creative benefits, it says in a report on the survey.

For example, they could declare two or three Fridays a year as "organizational holidays," offer unpaid summer vacations to employees whom they can spare, and allow employees to work from home or less than full time, it says.

Employers should also ask every employee to draw up a professional-development plan and should identify an in-house successor for every position.

"Grow your own leaders rather than buying them in the competitive marketplace," the report adds. "Build in-house training programs unique to your organization and look to partners, funders, and peer organizations for collaborative support."

The report on the survey, "The Voice of Nonprofit Talent in 2008," is available free for download on the Commongood Careers Web site at http://www.cgcareers.org/downloads/CGC_2008TalentSurveyReport.pdf.