Over the last few years, it has been a rollercoaster in the world of recruiting and retaining employees. Between the great resignation and now the great realignment the battle for finding and keeping talent continues, for now. Although the evolving state of the economy could change the employment environment yet again, there is a big lesson to be learned and organizations should take note.
Culture plays a significant role in attracting, engaging, and retaining employees in any organization. The mission, vision and value statement of an organization are the guiding lights and true north of who the organization is, why and how it operates. An organization’s culture is the behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of the organization and the employees. In top organizations there is usually a direct correlation between the mission, vision and value statement and the organization’s culture, this is done through intentional alignment of the culture throughout all interactions with employees, customers, and stakeholders.
Nonprofit organizations have a unique opportunity to tie the purpose or their existence with much more meaning and conviction than traditional for-profit businesses. More than any previous generation, millennials have made alignment of an organization’s purpose a top priority when choosing an employer. Nonprofits should use this to their advantage and ensure that there is alignment across the organization. Below are some questions to consider when thinking about culture alignment.
- Do our job postings clearly describe who we are what we do and why we do it?
- Does our candidate selection process include organizational culture fit?
- Is our culture represented in how you communicate, compensate, evaluate, and treat employees?
- Are our leaders a good representation of the organization’s culture?
- Are we making connections between the work the employee does and the impact it has on the organization’s goals?
Another practice that helps increase employee engagement and retention is investing in employees. Investment does not always mean monetarily, taking the time to help in the development and mentoring of employees shows employees that the organization cares about their employees. Having a structured development program based on succession planning will also help build an internal pipeline of talent.
Lastly, do not forget about the small tokens of appreciation that can mean a lot to employees. Many organizations get creative when celebrating and recognizing their team members, ideas vary from team outings, BBQs, extra paid days off, and handwritten thank you notes are just a few notable options. Whatever way you choose to appreciate your employees, be sure that employee recognition is engrained in your workplace culture so that employees know their immense work and dedication does not go unnoticed.
At BerganKDV, we partner with nonprofits to provide advisory services that ensure an organization’s processes are fine-tuned and compliant, from HR to accounting. Our team is comprised of professionals who participate on nonprofit boards and understand the unique needs of the industry. Part of our services includes assisting with an organization’s culture alignment and implementation so that its mission and impact can shine brighter.
If you have questions or would like to discuss how to best align and implement a meaningful culture at your organization further, our team would be happy to help. Contact us today or join our team at our next online seminar where we will dive into the current state of nonprofits and share more about the key topics impacting the industry, from culture to cybersecurity and tax compliance. Don’t miss out and register here to save your seat!
