Short-Staffed? 14 Practical Ways Nonprofit Leaders Can Approach This Issue

Despite a number of open positions, many sectors are continuing to struggle when it comes to acquiring new employees—and these challenges are not limited to just hiring. The ongoing nature of the Great Resignation means that organizations are also still working on strategies for retaining their staff. In both cases, these situations are leading to current employees having to shoulder a growing amount of work, which is unsustainable if leaders want to hire and retain the people on their teams.

As organizations that must stretch every available resource, nonprofits must foster a workplace environment that makes staff members and their needs a top priority. To prevent current team members from shouldering an even heavier workload, 14 Forbes Nonprofit Council members offer tips on how nonprofit leaders can address a staff shortage and implement solutions that benefit all sides.

1. Foster Open Communication
2. Perform An Internal Assessment Of Needs
3. Hire Volunteers And Interns
4. Identify Roles And Gaps
5. Check In With Your Staff
6. Be Transparent

7. Ensure You’re Properly Compensating Employees
“The most practical thing we can do to recruit and maintain talent is to pay them properly. Combined with a focus on company culture, compensation in the social sector should match our for-profit equivalents. Martyrdom is a horrible business model, and it’s past time to change the way we see nonprofit payroll. Turnover is much more expensive than an industry average salary.” – Sarah Evans, WellBeyond

8. Offer Flexibility
9. Leverage The Gig Economy
10. Tap Into Your Network
11. Have A Conversation With Board Members
12. Divide Up Tasks Based On Importance
13. Provide Tools
14. Stay Focused On The Big Picture

Read the original article here.