The success of a recruitment campaign can make or break organisations operating in the charity sector. With the challenges of the employment market, there is a real danger that key posts aren’t being filled and additional strain is being placed on the charity workforce.
To address this issue, it’s crucial to be aware of the hiring trends that can influence a charity and adopt effective hiring practices to find suitable candidates for your organisation.
Quickly Jump To A Section Of The Blog:
-
Key Trends That Impact Charity Sector Recruitment
-
Best Practice To Improve Your Charity Sector Recruitment
-
What now?
Key Trends That Impact Charity Sector Recruitment
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reports that 46% of employers are struggling to fill job vacancies, with the percentage rising to 56% in the charity and voluntary sectors.
Although there are many reasons for this, we have identified three key trends that have been impacting charity sector recruitment in 2023:
1) Record number of job opportunities and vacancies
In September 2022, the UK saw a record number of jobs with 36.2 million, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). Although the latest June 2023 data from ONS shows a dip in the vacancies available in June 2023, it was still well above the number available in the years prior to the pandemic.
Why is this significant? As job openings remain high, employers must compete to secure the most qualified candidates for these positions, meaning charities compete against organisations with more budget to spend on attracting and retaining top talent.
2) High levels of economic inactivity
ONS reported that in March 2023, 21% of working-age individuals weren’t actively seeking employment. Due to the scarcity of available workers, there is intense competition for qualified and experienced candidates seeking employment. As a result, charities must put in extra effort to attract the necessary talent for their organisations.
3) Rates of pay in the voluntary sector are lower than in other sectors
Based on the Pro Bono Economics analysis of charity sector salaries, workers in the voluntary sector earn 7% less per hour compared to those in other industries. This low pay poses a risk to recruitment and retention within the sector. As other industries offer higher pay rates, employees may feel compelled to seek better-paying jobs to support themselves and their families, even if they would prefer to remain in the charity sector out of passion or loyalty.
Best Practice To Improve Your Charity Sector Recruitment
Webrecruit has significant experience of partnering with various charities and NGOs in the UK and Ireland . This has given us valuable insight into what works and doesn’t regarding charity sector recruitment. Thus, we recommend implementing the following best practices to help any charity struggling to fill their vacancies.
1) Be Aware of The Impact of Language on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
The language used in job advertisements can significantly impact the success of a recruitment campaign. Studies have found that using male-coded language, like “challenging,” “active,” “individual,” and “analyse,” has discouraged women from applying to over 250,000 job positions; that’s at least 250,000 roles that are failing to attract a gender-diverse talent pool and potentially missing out on the perfect candidate.
Not realising the significance of language can hinder charities when attracting a diverse workforce and make it difficult for employers to find the ideal job candidates.
If you need guidance on EDI best practice or want to make your job ads more inclusive, please don’t hesitate to . We’re here to assist you with any questions you may have.
Alternatively, you can read more blogs on the topic of EDI here:
- How to Create a Meaningful Equality, Diversity And Inclusion (EDI) Statement
- How to Encourage EDI Through a Job Advertisement
- The Importance of Gender Balanced Language in Job Advertisements
2) Use Job Titles That Will Connect With Your Audience
Some people may think job titles are insignificant and only affect a recruitment campaign a little. However, they definitely have an impact!
A great example of this could be a fundraiser whose primary responsibility is to secure donations from companies for a charitable cause. Typically, charities advertise job titles such as “Events and Projects Fundraiser” or “Charity Fundraiser”. However, using such terms limits the visibility of the job to only those searching for charity-related employment opportunities.
When searching for employment, job seekers typically use familiar language. As a result, utilising terms specific to the charity industry in your job title may limit the number of potential candidates. For example, a job title such as “Business Developer” would attract applicants from a broader range of backgrounds with excellent fundraising skills.
3) Use Your Benefits to Substitute For Lower Wages
Although salaries in the charity sector may not be as high as those in other industries, employers can still provide workplace benefits as a way to recognise their employees’ hard work and boost job satisfaction. These benefits may include time off for fundraising, a more generous vacation allowance compared to other companies, and discounted access to products and services that employees usually pay for with their wages.
What now?
After working with various organisations in the charity sector, we have gained valuable insight into the challenges that can impede the recruitment process. While the tips mentioned in this blog can be helpful in finding the right candidate, we have many more suggestions to offer. If your organisation requires recruitment advertising assistance, please feel free to reach out to us by clicking on the link below. We are always happy to assist.
