5 Reasons Why Every Nonprofit Needs a Staffing Agency in 2021
Is your nonprofit hiring without a staffing agency in 2021?
We understand why you might be reluctant to do so. “I’m unfamiliar with how they work”, “they’re too expensive”, “I’ve always hired internally”, or the infamous “we’re not ready for the commitment”.
But the reality is, shrinking support staffs coupled by daunting development demands, have nonprofits rethinking their hiring across the sector. The good news? Getting a staffing agency for your nonprofit can be cheap and easy, and to make it even simpler for you – not having an agency is costing you time and money.
Check this out…. 83% of hiring managers when asked, believe staffing firms are a helpful resource when trying to hire professionals with specialized skills; 61% identify “time to hire” as one of their greatest challenges when hiring without agency assistance.
In this guide, you’ll discover the most compelling reasons on why it’s time your organization outsources its hiring in 2021.
1.
Having a staffing agency will provide you access to a better, and more diverse pool of skilled nonprofit professionals.
We’re head over heels for this stat, so we’re mentioning it twice: 83% of hiring managers believe staffing agencies are a helpful resource when trying to hire professionals with specialized skills. It you are reading this, there’s a good likelihood that you are one of these people.
To begin, it’s helpful to know that staffing agencies are home to many of the sector’s most skilled and in-demand candidates. Quite simply, their ability to take pressure off of a job search, make them a desired landing spot for busy, high-level professionals in need of career support.
In addition, being acutely aware of hiring biases and how to counteract them, a staffing agency will give you an empathetic, research-backed recruiting process. Blind hiring is just one of these methods. This demands stripping away distinguishable traits from a resume that are not relevant to the skills or experiences needed to do the job.
Having this agency recruiting resource at your fingertips—removes the fear of having a biased candidate selection process at your organization.
Futhermore, developing diversity at your office leads to a higher innovation rate. According to global HR research analyst, Josh Bersin, inclusive organizations are 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their sector.
The benefits to diverse hiring are abundant, and the reasons why a staffing agency can help are many.
2.
Save serious time by having a staffing agency.
According to LinkedIn, only 30% of companies are able to fill a vacant role within 30 days. The other 70% of organizations take anywhere between 1 – 4 months to process a new hire.
A staffing agency can help you start recruiting instantly, especially when your time is fleeting.
Because by having an agency, what you’re getting is an “always-there” hiring service. Depending on the organization, this benefit will fluctuate in relevance throughout the season; notably with organizations dealing with busy fundraising seasons, or those who may be coping with support staff losses during the Pandemic. Either way, time is money.
With quicker turnarounds, your new hiring process will help you outpace competing offers. No more being left in the dust. Remember this fact: 70% of job seekers lose interest in a job if they don’t hear back just one week after an interview.
3.
It’s less expensive than you think.
Staffing agencies can be very cost effective.
Partnering with an agency gives you access to your very own Recruiter with zero overhead costs. Because as your nonprofit grows, so does the need for hiring and developing your professionals.
This could get you thinking about creating a fully staffed HR department. But take a second and think about the costs. This would lead to more salaries, benefits, and a need for extra office space.
On the other hand, turning to a staffing agency will help you eliminate these unnecessary costs. All while getting a high-capacity HR partner in an expert Recruiting professional.
Take a look below…. these are other services in which you’ll save:
1. Advertisement of vacancies on digital nonprofit boards
2. Pre-employment testing, background testing
3. Creation of payroll databases
4. Training and onboarding of new staff
4.
A “Replacement Policy“ is one of the best things about partnering with a staffing agency.
According to a Career Builder survey, 74% of hiring managers admit to hiring the wrong person for a position.
This happens.
But mis-hires are costly for nonprofits. The Department of Labor estimates the price of a mis-hire—to be 30% of the person’s first year earnings.
The good news? Staffing agencies have found a way to protect you from making this mistake.
First, you can take advantage of one of an agency’s best benefits: The Replacement Policy. In short, this policy acts as an insurance blanket for your nonprofit. It guarantees a no-cost, free-of-charge replacement of any newly hired professional that is not meeting your expectations.
High-performing agencies rarely require a client to use it. But as we all know, hiring comes with stakes. That’s why this is one of the smartest decisions a nonprofit can make.
5.
Getting help with mission alignment, strengthens culture and employee retainment
Love, passion, and appreciation—aren’t just work culture buzzwords. How one feels about what they do, is the secret ingredient to longevity in a nonprofit role.
However, with a turnover rate hovering around 19% in the nonprofit sector, this heart-centered reality is at times overshadowed. Seeing beyond skills, experience, and a CV, is not easy. And if you’re trying to fill a role quickly, finding a candidate pool reflecting your organization’s inner-most values, isn’t always a timely endeavor.
Having access to a mission-focused talent database increases your chances dramatically of discovering what we call “the one”.
the one (noun): A nonprofit professional who selflessly seeks to provide their skills, spirit, and service in support of a cause greater than themselves.
In a sector that thrives on heart, and supporting the lives of those most vulnerable; your nonprofit demands more than a skilled marketing officer, or experienced VP. But, you need people who’s hearts love the way you love, who feel the way your nonprofit feels, and who rely not only on skills and experience—but their values and passion to grow your mission with the outside world.
Partnering with a staffing agency, will help you find “the one“.
“Do not hire someone who does your work for money, but one who does it for the love of it.”
– Henry David Thoreau, Life without Principle
To conclude…. you need a staffing agency, and 2021 is the perfect time to get one.
And again, while we understand that some organizations may not be ready for a staffing agency, we’ve shown you why every nonprofit needs a staffing agency. There’s a small and inexpensive risk in partnering, and there is a remarkable opportunity to help make your nonprofit organization run more effectively.
If you’re going to do one thing today to help your nonprofit be more successful, make getting a staffing agency become your top priority.
Hiring can be easier than you think. Partner with a staffing agency.
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Sources:
ClearlyRated & CareerBuilder, What’s Next in Staffing, Signals and insights from hiring
managers and staffing professionals to navigate the pandemic and recovery
Josh Bersin, Global Research Analyst (HR), Why Diversity and Inclusion Has Become a Business Priority
LinkedIn, Linkedin global recruiting trends report 2017
CNBC, 70% of job seekers lose interest in a job if they don’t hear back just one week after an interview
HRDive, CareerBuilder: 74% of employers admit hiring the wrong candidate
HRExchangeNetwork, Bad Hiring Costs – By the Numbers
Nonprofit Quarterly, High Nonprofit Frontline Turnover Rates Require Focus and Collective Chutzpah
Let an expert guide you,
step by step.
Careers In Nonprofits helps leading nonprofits and associations staff smarter and faster–while attracting better talent to their organizations.
What are people saying?
“We’ve placed multiple roles together and each process has been a great success. I’ve also been on the candidate side and had an awesome experience then too – that’s how I got this role in which I work with CNP on the employer side!” – Sara Blumenfrucht, ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY & JUSTICE
“Kimmi has done a wonderful job in helping us fill our positions. She is consistent and took care to understand the type of candidates we were looking for. Thank you, Kimmi for all you’ve done! PFI is grateful for you.” – Haleigh Tighe, PRISON FELLOWSHIP on DC Managing Director: Kimmi Cantrell
“Emily, I’m so thrilled we continue to work together. You approach your job and every interaction with professionalism and grace. Our team appreciates all your support!” – Ariane Ogwah, GLIDE, on Vice President: Emily Schelle
“Jamie is a pleasure to work with. Jamie is personable, considerate, well attuned to agency needs, and efficient and effective. Jamie’s consistency, transparency and prompt communication is refreshing and supremely beneficial given the dynamics of our organization’s changing needs. I trust and value Jamie’s delivery of service.” – Jacqueena Manahan, N STREET VILLAGE on Senior Recruiter: Jamie Jensen
“It’s been a pleasure working with CNP Staffing. Not only are they super responsive to our emails, but they’ve helped us quickly find qualified candidates for a one-day per week position. Outsourcing the staffing of that position has allowed us to focus on other HR work with more value add.” – Elizabeth Calmeyer, THE EDUCATION TRUST–WEST
