Charities and not-for-profit organisations are centred around improving the lives of people or animals, therefore no matter the cause, the people who drive it forward are the critical factor in its success. Firstly, ensuring a deep understanding of the organisation and its missions and aims is necessary. If that purpose is clear, then any recruitment will always take place with mission-driven questions behind it: how does this individual help achieve our purpose? What can they add to our overall strategy?

What makes a successful charity?

Before you determine the best way to source the right people for your organisation, it is important to understand what drives non-profits forward and what will be needed to succeed. There are several key components:

• Effective and committed leadership

• Financial stability

• The ability to build and maintain professional relationships

• Strong internal organisation

• Passionate volunteers

• Powerful communication

• Purpose and awareness

The most important of all these ingredients for success is the trustees and senior leadership team because it is these individuals that set goals, develop strategies, and ensure the charity stays on mission and purpose. When we know what is required at the exec level, we can identify a strategic leader and fantastic candidate, one who shares the charity’s values and ways of working and will add to an organisation and its growth pathway.

The importance of your workplace culture

In profit-based businesses as well as not-for-profit, the workplace culture is hugely important. A culture is built by its leaders in the respect that they set the tone and the values that inform culture. A positive workplace culture is critical both in retaining and attracting talent. The organisational culture must be co-created by the whole team with the intention behind it to further the mission and goals of a charity. An organisation must be intentional with its culture because it contributes to ensuring the right people come on board to drive your charity forward. The Charisma team is committed to enhancing workplace culture and we are proud to partner with Lucidity Innovation in December at a networking event that is focused on creating a positive workplace culture.

The challenge of talent acquisition

In the last year or so, there has been much reported on the struggles of talent acquisition. In uncertain times, recruitment can feel like an uphill battle in what is already a challenging sector for recruiting. We work alongside charities and organisations that weathered the storm of covid and have emerged ready to move forward. In addition to this, Charisma has been working in this space for over 20 years and that experience means that we have seen shifts and changes in all sectors. It is not just the experience we bring, it is our shared desire to recruit talented individuals for purpose driven organisations that drives us, complemented by our diverse skill set and insight into working in the not-for-profit sector.

It is this unique strength of our team that has enabled us to create focussed recruitment processes that saves you time and allows you to get on with your role and doing what you do best. We have utilised our experience across our marketing efforts and use video, social media and attractive job packs to ensure our candidates are well-informed about the organisation before they go forward for an interview.

Attracting the right people happens when you have the right team working with you.