Employee Engagement - Buck the Nonprofit Trend

It happens to us all – Nonprofit managers get so focused on their clients that they lose sight of their employees. I recently sat down with Susan Frear, director of education, to get her take on the problem and advice on what we can do about it.

Katy: So Susan, how are you enjoying your new role at CNM?

Susan: I’m having a blast! I love working here and getting to interact with so many other nonprofit professionals. The CNM has pulled together an incredible team and I’m thrilled to be part of it. This is what first got me thinking about employment satisfaction trends in the nonprofit community and how not everyone’s as lucky as I am.

Katy: Ooh (leans in closer) - What employment satisfaction trends have you seen?

Susan: Well, the last four years have been really tough; both in the nonprofit sector and elsewhere. Employers have cut back on benefits, salaries, pay raises and professional development opportunities as a way to save on costs. Unfortunately, this has had the unintended side effect of dramatically lowering employee satisfaction compared to historical norms.

Recent studies have shown that when the economy improves, a significant portion of employees plan on leaving their current position. The impact on the nonprofit sector will be particularly noticeable because we are running tight ships and have a much smaller staff base than your average corporation.

Katy: Hmm, very interesting. What can nonprofits do to turn the tide?

Susan: There are many things nonprofits can do. First and foremost, never underestimate the power of saying “thank you”. It’s a no-cost approach of letting your employees know you value their contributions to the organization and the community.

I would advocate keeping staff informed about the rationale behind decision-making, especially with respect to lay-offs, pay and benefits. Most people understand where you’re coming from if you lay out the big picture. People feel respected when you give them the truth and don’t hide behind a veil of secrecy.

Katy: Great advice! In your opinion, what’s the most important thing an employer can do to hold on to their staff?

Susan: My number one tip would be to focus on employee professional development (of course, I would say that). Definitely check out what CNM is offering (http://my.cnmdallas.org/source/Meetings/cSeminarList.cfm); everything is designed specifically with nonprofits in mind and priced way below market rate. We always offer a deep discount for our members and some things are even completely free.

Another low cost option is local community colleges. They offer relatively cheap continuing education programs. Local chambers offer excellent programs throughout the year that are worth checking out. They also provide opportunities to build recognition for your organization at the same time.

If you have zero budget, you might look at ways to get your vendors to offer free education. For example, if you work with an attorney (or have one on your board), they may provide free workshops you can take advantage of. Software provider may offer free tutorials, etc. Think outside the box!

Of course, there are also lots of free online resources. One of my favorite free sources for webinars in the HR/talent management area is the Human Capital Institute (http://www.hci.org/). They offer hundreds of webinars every year to anyone who’s interested free of charge.

Another thing you can do is to look for ways to stretch people’s talents in areas that interest them. If you genuinely can’t afford formal training for your employees, then give them the chance to learn new things on the job with your support. Give meaningful opportunities for growth and you’ll be repaid ten-fold.

Katy: I totally agree. What have you found to be the best cheap or free way to incentivize employees?

Susan: Employee engagement really boils down to the relationship a person has with their manager. If you have money to devote to employee engagement then that’s great, but really, strengthening these relationships is the best (and possibly cheapest) thing you can do.

If you’re a manager then consider taking your staff out to lunch. Stop by their offices to say hi and see what they’re working on once in a while (in a non-micro-managing way). Ask about their families and look for ways to show appreciation for their work rather than looking for ways to criticize. Always be mindful of the individual and their preferred method of interaction.

If you are a manager, chances are you’re also feeling pretty stressed out yourself. Look for ways to recharge your own batteries, whether through hobbies, professional development, or more social time. The more you’re satisfied with your job, the more you’re able to pass that down to your direct reports.

Finally, find ways to celebrate and have fun! Engage the families of your employees. Ice cream socials and pot lucks are cheap and easy ways to get people together; try hosting a Bring-Your-Kid/Pet-To-Work day, an annual family picnic, or some other inexpensive social event. You get the idea…

Katy: Thanks, Susan! These are great tips. Finally, any good books you would recommend on the topic?

Susan: Absolutely; these are my top three recommendations for people to check out:

Carrots and Sticks Don't Work by Paul Marciano. This book provides some excellent commonsense approaches for managers to build a culture of engagement through respect and is a book all managers should have in their arsenal.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. This is another great book on motivation and if you want a teaser for the content in the book you should check out his TEDtalks presentation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y).

Finally, there is some excellent work being done in the area of happiness at work by Jessica Pryce-Jones (a fellow Brit, Katy). Her book, Happiness at Work: Maximizing Your Psychological Capital for Success, is more focused on happiness from an individual's perspective. But, she provides a strong scientific and practical argument that happiness is directly linked to our ability to perform.

Katy Spicer                                       Susan Frear
Director of Sales and Marketing           Director of Education