How To Develop Strong Staff & Volunteers (Curbing Burnout, Onboarding and Review Processes, Successful Retention Strategies)
How To Develop Strong Staff & Volunteers
By Johnathan Weber-Mendez- Director of Mission Impact
It is no secret that the relationship between employer and employee has changed immensely in the last few years. From the mass exodus towards work-from-home to the age of "quiet quitting," the workplace and our relationship with it will never be the same.
It is now impossible to run a successful organization without thinking about and preventing burnout. In 2021, according to Mckinsey & Co., 42% of women and 35% of men reported feeling burnt out often. Employee satisfaction can no longer be an afterthought, regardless of the company's sector.
Fundraising has always been a burnout-rich field. With astronomical levels of pressure, always on the clock mentality, and often less than adequate wages, it is no wonder that the average fundraiser plans to leave the field entirely within the next two years (per studies by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Chronicle of Philanthropy).
But there is good news! When it comes to burnout, the nonprofit sector has a secret sauce from which the for-profit sector could learn a thing or two. Mission-driven work is a tool to combat burnout and a source of fulfillment for employees looking to get more out of their careers.
Recent studies from Gallup found that:
"A 10% improvement in employees' connection with the mission or purpose of their organization would result in:
a 12.7% reduction in safety incidents
an 8.1% decrease in turnover
a 4.4% increase in profitability
Traditional compensation and benefits packages are no longer adequate to retain good employees. The next generation of employees wants to know how their work is making a difference in an increasingly interconnected world. If an organization hasn't defined its mission or purpose, start there. Otherwise, ensure the mission is engrained in the organization's culture and values. Ensure employees know why they come to work and remind them how valuable their daily impact is to the mission. Suppose organizations combine this secret sauce (with a liveable and adequate wage). In that case, it will start to create cultures that enrich its members instead of burning them out.