Governance Training for Young Leaders
Expectations
There are many beliefs that the human resources department (“HR department”) is all paperwork. However, that is not the case. Human resources takes on many different responsibilities and works with other departments in order to run an organization. In this case, we will be discussing the similarities the HR department has with volunteer coordinators of non profit organizations. It is important to have management skills when it comes to being in the HR department and a volunteer coordinator. A big reason for this is because both HR and volunteer coordinators are responsible for hiring and recruiting. When recruiting, it is important to note that in a nonprofit organization, volunteer recruitment and retention is much harder and competitive procedures should be emphasized to encourage volunteers to stay with the organization. In addition to hiring and recruiting, human resources and volunteer coordinators also take care of orientations, training, and volunteer evaluations. Part of the hiring process is often performing background checks on recent hires. This is an important step in ensuring the candidates are properly suited for a new position. The background checks often include verifying the applicant’s information and references, and determining if there is a criminal record.
In addition to hiring and staffing, the HR department also works closely with other departments of the organizations. An example of this is since HR oversees the budget, it is important that they communicate closely with the finance team of the organization.
Attributes
Being a part of the HR department in any organization is an important job with a big responsibility, so it is important to have certain attributes to ensure quality work. Communication is a key in any workplace, regardless of job position. In HR it is critical that communication runs smoothly between job positions, like board members to managers to supervisors etc. Another attribute that is necessary is planning ahead and managing time effectively. Scheduling interviews and meetings to discuss the organization’s goals and expectations and developing a plan to reach these goals . Having strong leadership qualities is another attribute one should have when in the HR department. Since HR oversees everyone within the organization, it gives HR leaders the chance to become team leaders and employee advocates. As a leader, it is critical that they model the types of behaviors they would like to see from others in the organization.
In addition to modeling desired behaviors, HR leaders also need to observe and evaluate employees and volunteers. A few methods for evaluation include meeting with employees, supervisors, volunteers, managers, and even customers/clients. Upon meeting, it is important to communicate what is working for the organization and what changes should be made to improve the organization.
Day-to-Day Basis
Human resources maintain employee records and make sure everything is in the right order; they need to maintain law mandated records. The records help to identify skill gaps to help with the hiring process and to analyze demographic data and comply with regulations, as well as containing personal details and emergency contacts for each volunteer/employee. A volunteer coordinator receives many emails throughout the day so they have to make sure everything is answered by the end of their day. Keeping employees/volunteers happy is very important because everyone must have the schedule that fits best for everyone. Coordinators are often trained in tasks for all disciplines of a human resource department. In addition to recruiting applicants and placing workers, human resources specialists help guide volunteers through human resources procedures. On a daily basis a volunteer who is playing a human resource role has many things to do throughout the day, such as collecting data, budget carrying (if applicable), developing jobs, scheduling interviews, answering emails, coordinating activities, and time management. When interviewing, make sure they are recruiting for the job position, making sure all paperwork is filled out and making sure everything from the first day to each subsequent day is navigated successfully.
Recruitment/Talent Acquisition
It is important to understand the importance of recruiting, hiring, and retaining quality of personnel. The dedication and commitment of employees in a nonprofit facility is necessary in order to accomplish the goal for the community. The human resources or the coordinators nonprofit staff are essential for maintaining the staffing pipeline. It is necessary to identify what skills and qualities are needed to meet the staffing need, this will help a nonprofit facility to run better. It is also important to include details of what the organization is looking for such as technical skills (computer skill, writing skills, and budgeting), interpersonal skills (community organizing, fundraising, and customer service), and personal alignments to the organization’s mission and culture. With a well-defined job description, candidates will be attracted especially those with the right fit for the job. A job description should include the following: overview of the organization mission, job title and department, responsibilities, experience, skills, and any geographical area. When finished with the job description and approved, the nonprofit human resource will determine which candidate will be chosen for the interview. Assessing volunteers during the interview process is important, a mix of specific skills questions, behavioral scenarios, and questions about past employment all make the interview process effective. Once the hiring is made and an offer to the top-ranked candidate, and the candidate accepts, having a 90-day probationary period helps ensure the “fit” is best for both the organization and the new employee.
Safety (Managing accident risks) & Workplace Policies/Handbook
Volunteers are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance, so if a volunteer is injured, the volunteer title could prevent him/her from being compensated for injuries. It is different if the nonprofit has a “volunteer accident insurance” policy; the intern’s medical expenses could be covered by that policy. The nonprofit organization should let the new intern know whether there is insurance that will cover medical expenses if injured. HR policies for nonprofit organizations must provide documentation framework for dealing with common workplace issues. From Complaints and harassment to compliance with laws and job descriptions. HR policies outline the correct course of action for these cases, rather than forcing leadership to reinvent the wheel every time a new issue is present. Along with this the creation of an employee handbook falls to an Executive Director which should clearly outline the policies related to the incidents above and time off. The budget is one aspect that they do not have control over because it has to be approved by the board which means that everything else falls to the executive director so it’s critical that they understand how to create policies that will only benefit the organization. A final part to this handbook is receiving acknowledgement from the employees and volunteers that they fully understand these policies and that they have thoroughly read it.
Position Descriptions
Another important part of recruitment that falls to an executive director in a non-profit organization is creating position descriptions and ensuring that there is always a reason behind a hire that fits the mission statement. In order to write an accurate description it should make the need for the position clear and the duties or responsibilities that will fall to the person who fits the role. Along with this it should also mention the salary if it is for an employee, but even if it is a volunteer position it is also essential to note that. The following link gives 5 helpful tips to creating an effective position description. Aside from this, the positions that are filled must be in line with the organization and their needs in order to successfully complete their mission statement. This means that the roles which are offered need to have a definite impact on the organization and they must fit the budget. It will not do the organization any good to be putting resources such as time and money into people with responsibilities who will not help produce results.
Benefits
There are various benefits for a volunteer or employee to work for a non-profit organization. Some of them will include improving the life of others, letting you leave a direct impact, can be good for your career, etc. This can be a good start to your career because you can gain experience and make new connections. Also, another benefit is one can achieve fast career development due to doing a lot of multitasking with projects and assignments. This encourages workers & employees to learn various skills with a smaller staff team. A big misconception of working for a non-profit is that anyone will be hired and it’s long hours with no pay. While in reality nonprofits choose employees who can be a good fit for the company and want to grow as a person and help the nonprofit expand as well. This means one is surrounded with people who want to be there and that leaves a positive work environment for the workers and volunteers. Ultimately the main goal is to make change in a positive way, always trying to give back and helping the community. This is definitely a great fit for someone who wants to feel rewarded and be the change. This reduces stress and can be helpful for anybody keeping one’s mind off problems.
Retention/Turnover
An important goal to have in place is to have a retention strategy. Oftentimes reasons why employees or volunteers leave their place of work is due to a couple reasons like not being compensated fairly, no growth opportunities, there is no trust, etc. By having development programs one can continue to grow and learn which oftentimes is what gives employees drive and want to continue with the organization. Although sometimes budgets can be tight, sometimes investing in your workers is how one can keep them happy and continuing to work in this nonprofit. They benefit from this and so does the organization. Another reason some employees or volunteers are willing to get out of this organization can be due to trust. Working in an environment where one isn’t comfortable can be challenging and leaving your employees unsatisfied and quitting. A strategy that helps for that single reason is picking good candidates for your organization. Ones who have similar mindsets and in sense similar goals with the organization or personal ones as well. Furthermore people want to be acknowledged for their good work, this reassures them they are doing a good job and that others are noticing. Rather than never being noticed makes one feel unsatisfied and gives them no motivation to continue on. Everybody also likes to live a balanced life between work and life. Not overworking employees is important and employees or volunteers appreciate it. Ultimately having a good foundation for a nonprofit organization like picking good candidates, rewarding them, and having a good work environment leads the worker or volunteers to success and the organization as well. This also will avoid problems with retention and turnover.
Being Aware of Your Community
One of the main goals of human resources is to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone involved which is why it is so important to know the community you are serving. They are the reason for providing the service so it is crucial to understand what they value so that they feel heard and understood. As with any social service one of the key priorities is that everyone involved feels comfortable and in order to connect you have to be aware of your audience, which in this case is your community. This is the only way to become the organization that people will turn to and look for when they need some kind of help by going above what is expected.
Being connected to the needs of your community also gives you insight into the role that your organization plays and how to optimize its impact by helping as many people as possible. Extending your hand and being involved with more than just your organization allows you to build beneficial connections. These connections will help push your organization to being successful since there will be faces associated instead of just being a faceless organization which can be intimidating for many. By allowing a personal connection with the heart of the organization it makes it more accessible and gives the people a bridge to reach out and use the services provided.
Diversity and Inclusion
Ensuring that there is diversity within the organization when it comes to its employees and volunteers that reflect the community will allow opportunities to grow and expand. By pushing for diversity and straying from repetition and likeness when searching for candidates means that there will be various different approaches and ways of thinking when handling situations or difficulties, which is sometimes needed. By being too restrictive with candidates you risk creating an environment in which there are similar ways of thinking and a kind of “go with the flow” attitude because many will see things the same way. This approach is a great way to help your organization stand out from others who might be stuck in their way of thinking because they lack diversity and do not go beyond the expected way of thinking or handling situations. There are multiple aspects of diversity and being inclusive which relate to certain characteristics such as but not limited to age, gender, and racial ethnicity. For these specific characteristics, it would mean that the organization hires a broad range of ages, there is variety when it comes to gender and along with racial ethnicity. This is because it will lead to a number of different backgrounds and experiences that can prove beneficial in terms of the ideas and opinions they carry with them based on what they have encountered. Diversity and inclusiveness will offer new opportunities to grow because it will offer new perspectives which will influence the direction the organization takes which will either adapt into modern times or stay stuck in the past with no willingness to grow.
Employee Relations
Working in human resources you need to have a meaningful relationship with co-workers and managers. Employees need to have good communication and a positive environment in order to have a better culture for the profitable company. It’s important to have the opportunity to develop new skills and capabilities with the employees. Some of the employees are developing to form a new project or responsibilities but it can include some regional conferences, new reading materials, and certifications. The big picture is to be engaged with the employees to understand the big picture and how they fit into it. Having a clear communication vision and statement will give core values around the employees. Successful companies will be deeply connected with their communities and be committed to social outreach. This will allow the employees to be encouraged to participate in worthy causes that will make the world a better place. To maintain healthy employee relations is to have better organizational performance, therefore it is important to be aware of the employee’s regulation that they bring into the work environment. An employee can cause issues by gossiping all the time, not communicating with others about what they are doing, show no respect with their co-worker or managers, and get into disputes with co-workers. These issues are emotional, physical, and practical aspects of the employee relationship. When there is a new employee they are on probation for 12 months. During the time of the probationary employee should be receiving coaching, mentoring, training, and feedback from their managers. If the employee has not met the requirements, then they will be terminated or extend probation that must be made to employee relations.
Volunteers
In a non-profit organization the dominant workforce consists of volunteers and it is important to understand that this is a main difference between other for-profit organizations so this means that they are not employees in a standard sense. Do not diminish the work of these volunteers and you must be able to comprehend that their drive is different in terms of what keeps them active in the organization. In a typical paid job it is usually their paycheck that keeps them motivated, but in a volunteer position it has to be their passion for what they are doing and the impact they are making. This is why it is essential to create an environment that allows them to stay passionate about their service and reap the benefit that is gratification of knowing they are going above and beyond by dedicating their time and effort. You can do so by encouraging and recognizing their efforts to the organization and how vital they are when it comes to keeping everything running smoothly.
Overview of Human Resources
In Human Resources, we strive to recruit and retain the best employees and volunteers to maximize productivity and supply workers with the experience and opportunities to provide support, companionship, and assistance to those in need within their communities. It is crucial to our department that we upkeep a safe and welcoming environment for everyone involved. The benefits one will acquire within our organization will last a lifetime, whether it be from learning new skills to receiving rewarding opportunities.
