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In episode 61 of “The JoyPowered™ Workspace Podcast,” JoDee and Susan discuss the unique challenges for HR in not-for-profits with United Way of Central Indiana’s Nancy Ahlrichs. Topics include recruiting and retention strategies, the best parts of working in HR at nonprofits, and how to prepare yourself for working in HR at a nonprofit.

To lead off, JoDee and Susan discuss an article on chron.com from Paul Reyes-Fournier that lays out four main differences between working in profit and non-profit organizations. Long story short: there are a lot of challenges, but a can-do attitude and willingness to wear different hats will alleviate many problems before they pop up.

Subject matter expert Nancy Ahlrichs, who is an author and international speaker on top of her position as Chief Talent Officer at United Way of Central Indiana, joins the podcast to speak with the JoyPowered team about her experience as a boomerang employee at United Way, adds onto Mr. Reyes-Fournier’s differences between working at for-profits and non-profits, and the difficulties non-profits often have with employee retention. It’s common knowledge that non-profits tend to pay at the lower end of market value, but Nancy insists that, after doing that math, this ends up costing organizations more in the long run due to increased employee turnover and pushed back projects.

Nancy goes on to share different organizations United Way partners with to attract a diverse array of employees. The Asian American Alliance, the Indiana Latino Institute, the National Black MBA Association, and the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce are just a few that she cites, and these groups are certainly a valuable resource for everyone, whether in the for-profit sector or not. Referral bonuses are also a great way to attract talent, and Nancy notes that referred employees tend to stick around longer than other outside hires.

After Nancy takes off, JoDee and Susan talk about giving consulting price breaks for non-profits and tackle a listener question from Nashville about digital interviews. They weight the pros and cons of the practice, which is efficient for the hiring party, but can feel impersonal from the candidate’s perspective. In the news – negotiation! A hrmorning.com article from Lynn Cavanaugh found that candidates, especially women, are negotiating 16% more often than last year before signing job offers. Almost 70% of hiring managers are open to salary negotiation, but only 40% of women negotiate. Always remember, it doesn’t hurt to ask, and your power to negotiate drops to zero after signing the job offer.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Purple Ink
• Susan Tinder White Consulting
• JoyPowered™: Intentionally Creating an Inspired Workspace by JoDee Curtis
• The JoyPowered™ Family by JoDee Curtis and Denise McGonigal
• The JoyPowered™ Team by Erin Brothers, JoDee Curtis, Peggy Hogan, Denise McGonigal, Laura North, Susan Tinder White, and Liz Zirkelbach
• “Differences in the Roles of HR in Profit & Nonprofit Organizations” by Paul Reyes-Fournier
• United Way of Central Indiana
• Nancy Ahlrichs’ Amazon author page
• “Applicants Getting More Aggressive About Negotiating Salaries” by Lynn Cavanaugh

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