Putting the human into Human Resources.

Guest Blog written by Clare Plant, People Happy Ltd HR Consultancy.

The third sector employs some of the most passionate people I have ever worked with, and I’m often told that I should work more with these types of organisations, supporting and resolving HR issues for people who want to make positive change in society and treat people well.   

As leaders of charities and non-profit organisations, you are very intuitive and caring employers and you want to get things right for your teams. The pressure can be immense and it’s so easy to think that as leaders, you have all the answers. Whilst a part of your role is to support others, in my experience, I think third sector leaders need to know how to reduce people-issues and how to deal with these issues swiftly and successfully.

This sector is complex and vast.  Organisations vary in size and function, from community led teams to global organisations, and I’m lucky enough to work with organisations that span that range.  I have the privilege of working with these fantastic leaders, being their critical friend and support.  This gives them space to choose their path, define their own courage and make these organisations thrive. 

My first interaction with a team is normally looking at policies or processes that need updating.  This can feel like a constant battle for those time-and-resource-poor organisations. From this starting point I learn about the challenges the organisation is facing and work with them to progress. I can ask questions and challenge thinking and practice, in a safe environment. 

However, there is no doubt that there are other stand out HR concerns for 2024. Fundraising, or lack of it, is affecting the sector in a big way.  As grants and funding offered as opportunities during the covid years have come to an end, organisations are seeing funders requirements becoming more specific, demanding increased data analysis, and wanting demonstration of increased collaborative and defined impact. Particularly for funded staff posts. It’s no wonder we are seeing an influx of recruitment activity, which increases the pressure and concern for charity and non-profit leaders to get employment law right. 

This recruitment need might be short term for many, but as the field is saturated with opportunities, it means securing quality candidates can be challenging, not to mention time consuming and cost heavy.  An influx of new opportunities in the market also increases staff turnover and has an impact on salary and benefit expectations, unobtainable for many smaller organisations. 

So how can organisations secure strong talent?  This is where thinking beyond the usual is important and where I can add benefit. Options such as, improving the visibility and story of your organisation is key to inform candidates, establishing new but relatively low cost posts such as Marketing Apprentices, post graduate student engagement, even a role shared between two organisations (giving the benefit of demonstrating collaborative working to funders), fixed term contracts or in some cases consultants can all provide different solutions to the challenge, and are worth exploring.

Whilst recruitment in the sector is an ongoing issue, and there are gaps in teams, there is a subsequent impact on existing employees.  I’m involved in discussions about sickness absence and grievances - sometimes the two are interlinked.  These issues are often infrequent and unique but can be challenging to leadership teams depending on the circumstances and individuals concerned.  They also reflect the culture and consistency of management style across an organisation.  These people issues impact on how employees feel about working for an organisation and how they view their future in it, creating a cycle of HR issues and concern from sector leaders. My role, working with Senior Leaders in an organisation, is to offer support and guidance, and often, simply. a listening ear. 

This is why HR matters, and why the third sector benefits from dedicated HR resource and expertise.  Engaging your organisation with HR professionals gives you the peace of mind and space to focus on what you do best - delivering services that impact directly on society and changing people’s lives.

-

People Happy Ltd work with organisations to develop people strategies and solutions that making positive impact. Delivering expert and professional HR resolutions, supporting business growth and people development. We work with organisations to ensure that the HR approach fits with your culture and respects your people, whilst ensuring legislation and best practice are followed. Visit: https://peoplehappy.co.uk