The Talent Pool - Do you need a life-preserver?

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Stephen Pamenter of Robertson Surrette. Stephen provides recruitment consulting services to the non-profit sector. I asked him to tell me more about the role that a recruitment firm plays, and here’s what he had to say:

Q. Stephen, in 50 words or less, explain to me the role a recruitment firm plays when contracted.

You are outsourcing a complex and essential process to an expert – someone whose professional existence is built on finding/attracting high quality talent to your organization in a competitive market; someone who can seamlessly manage the recruitment process - from collaborating with you on your requirements, to helping you handle the important offer negotiation.

Q. And what are the advantages, specifically to non-profits, in enlisting a recruitment firm?

Very few not-for-profits have access to in-house or dedicated HR resources. As a result, a staffing requirement is often a reactive and burdensome task, taking time and effort away from key day-to-day responsibilities central to the NFP’s operation. Also, efficiency is essential and most NFPs cannot afford to waste time and resources waiting for the right candidate to fall into their lap. Unless you have a strong and current connection to the available talent pool, most organizations are forced to use only advertisements - and this is often not enough to get the job done. Ads can be expensive and only reach active job seekers, not passive candidates who aren’t looking that particular week. A recruiter is a sounding board with whom candidates feel comfortable discussing opportunities because they don’t have to reveal to an interconnected community that they are job seeking. These are candidates who wouldn’t dream of blindly sending an application into an organization until they are confident the opportunity is of interest.

Another advantage is “active recruiting” within the industry. Recruiters can reach out to candidates of interest at other organizations through either networking or researching the market and approaching them. Most not-for-profits would rather not undertake this kind of activity on their own even if they had the time to research targets. In our industry, it is much more appropriate to allow a recruiter to utilize their network and contacts to get the word out. Your recruiter should be an ambassador for your organization and should be adept at presenting your opportunity to prospective candidates the right way, with a focus on what makes your organization unique and the position attractive to them. This is particularly critical if monetary compensation is less than other sectors and when an unbiased opinion of your organization can help.

Finally, when using a recruitment firm, you know you’re getting a candidate intended to make an impact and who has been validated through a transparent and impartial process. If, for whatever reason, the person you hire doesn’t work out, most recruiting firms offer a guarantee to replace that candidate within a specified time period. That protects you from the dreaded and expensive costs of a hiring mistake that we hear so much about.

Q. Given your experience working with the non-profit sector, what would you say are some of the key challenges facing non-profits in relation to staff recruitment and retention?

Not surprisingly, a challenge for the non-profit sector is successfully attracting top candidates when the salary is lower than similar for-profit positions. The key for not-for-profits to overcome this challenge is to focus on your employment brand and leverage your unique strengths. Cash compensation is just one of the many reasons an employee will work for you, so it’s up to the organization’s leadership to clearly define, communicate, and stand by what makes your NFP a great place to work within. I love to talk about this topic with clients but to be brief, we see today’s workforce demanding more independence, a healthy work/life balance, opportunities to learn, and advancement opportunities. We need to be committed to those things and trust that they can attract people away from the big bucks. Also, let’s not underestimate the draw that most ideal candidates have: the desire to make a difference.

Another interesting challenge is that NFP organizations, especially social or community based ones, ideally would find candidates who have compelling and irrefutable reasons to work for them. It’s a good feeling when a candidate is a match because they have a personal connection to the mission or relevant volunteer experience. When you make them an employee, engagement is more likely to be high and so is retention. Unfortunately, due to a tight labour pool and strong competition for talent, this may not always be the case and the fit may not be as easy to spot or as easily extracted from a candidate. Undertaking a comprehensive search process that pushes beyond whether a candidate can simply do your job and delves deeper into why they would want to, is a great way to feel more comfortable that your investment is a smart one and more likely to be long-term.


If you are interested in speaking with Stephen about recruitment solutions for your organization, you can contact him at: stephen.pamenter@robertsonsurrette.com