Earlier this year I’ve commented on the HR Council of Canada’s project to develop a labour market strategy for the voluntary sector in Canada. To date, two reports have been released, which will contribute to the eventual strategy. Over the summer the second report was released and included survey results of employers and employees. You can read the short summary version here.

What strikes me most is that almost all nonprofits report difficulty recruiting, and rank this as one of their top challenges. Yet they admit they have done nothing to make their workplace more attractive to employees. About one quarter of employees of nonprofit organizations are currently seeking other employment. In many cases they cite better compensation as the root cause (want to know where you rank - check out the council’s salary review). Most are personally committed to the cause of the organization. They also say they would like greater feedback and development on the job.

I call this "low hanging fruit" - if you are in a position of leadership, talk to your staff, connect them to your organization, and provide them with support they need. It will go a long way.