Preventing employee turnover in nonprofit organizations
The number of employees that leave a company during a given time period, usually one year, is referred to as “employee turnover.” According to a recent survey, nonprofits experience the highest staff turnover than any other industry, at a rate of 21%. That’s why an effective employee retention plan is critical. After all, if someone isn’t committed for the long term, it doesn’t matter if they have great talent. Preventing nonprofit employee burnout is important to the success of your organization. Here are some tips for keeping employees happy and reducing costly, disruptive burnout.
Why does nonprofit employee turnover matter?
Unexpectedly high cost of turnover can be harmful to the health of a business. Here are a few reasons why.
It’s costly
Recruitment costs can rise as a result of high rates of voluntary turnover. It means that you have to hire and train new workers while paying them higher wages for a long time until they are as good as their more experienced peers.
It can hurt your reputation
Nonprofit workers rely heavily on government contracts, grants, and donations. In order to avoid affecting service delivery negatively, local governments and funders can find it hard to fund your organization when there are open positions that aren’t producing results.
It makes it harder to achieve your mission
A high employee turnover rate puts the accomplishment of organizational goals in jeopardy. When experienced employees quit, the new hires will need some time for adjustment before they can fully execute a task. The frequent interruptions to project operations will make it more difficult to meet deadlines and achieve goals, which negatively impacts your nonprofit organization’s relationship with its donors.
Why do nonprofit employees turn over?
Even though each company is different, there are universal trends in the nonprofit sector that indicate why employees are leaving their companies.
Poor onboarding
Poor onboarding can cause your employees to feel overworked, less confident in their new positions, participate less, have burnout and be more likely to look for a new, more exciting job elsewhere.
Lack of opportunities to advance
Lack of upward mobility or progression is one of the main reasons workers leave nonprofit organizations. Many workers seek employment with a company that provides growth opportunities and development. These workers might not want to stay at a company if there are no prospects for advancement.
Toxic workplace culture
Conflict is likely to occur often in an unhealthy workplace. As a result, your employees will be disengaged and unmotivated. Employees who don’t feel like they fit in or get along with their coworkers will quickly look for firms with a good work environment.
Lack of appreciation or compensation
People want to feel valued and that their efforts at work are being recognized. Employees are more motivated to keep up their good work when they receive praise or prizes. If employees don’t feel like their work is appreciated, they can look for a new job.
How to prevent employee burnout
Let’s have a look at some of the ways you can keep your employees happy over time and avoid employee burnout.
Start on the right foot
Getting your new recruits off to a good start entails more than just giving them a quick tour of the workplace. To give employees the best chance of success in the future, there needs to be a thorough onboarding program.
The new employee should be welcomed by the team members, and their workspace and technology should be prepared before they arrive. The role, specific goals and expectations should also include clear milestones and success indicators.
Provide tools to help them achieve success
If you show your staff members that you care about their professional development and back it up by providing them with the resources they need, you’ll start to build a devoted workforce that’s eager to continue supporting your company.
Gravyty provides a contemporary set of tools to attract and mentor students, engage alumni and community members, and cultivate donors. You can empower your community, train fundraisers for success and help your organization achieve its strategic goals with Gravyty, which will lead to an increase in donors, mentors, and ambassadors. You can also make use of this nonprofit fundraising technology checklist.
Foster a positive culture
A strong, holistic organizational culture at your nonprofit is a proven method to draw in and keep top talent. because it ensures that your team’s work is aligned with your organization’s goals, mission and values. It brings your team together, increases their level of employee engagement and productivity, and makes sure that everyone believes they are an important part of a larger picture.
Acknowledge and reward growth
Recognize and appreciate your colleagues’ efforts in the workplace to show that you value their contributions to the company. Giving nonprofit professionals praise for a job well done motivates them to keep working harder and produce more. A well-catered lunch, scheduling flexibility, perks and other things besides money are also great options to consider.
Summary
You can keep your nonprofit organization thriving by putting in place an effective employee retention strategy and human resource practices. Gravyty offers a complete, user-friendly toolset for nonprofit organizations because we want your team to succeed. Get a free consultation today and be on your way to fundraising authentically and with relevance.
