Human Resource Challenges in Human Service and Community Development Organizations

Abstract

Nonprofit managers often report difficulties in hiring and retaining top-quality professional staff members. The goals of this study were to assess the seriousness of the problems and to identify some best practices that can be used by nonprofit managers. The study focused on small and mid-sized nonprofits in the human service and community development fields in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Although the problems identified were not of crisis proportion, organizations faced particular difficulties in hiring and retaining staff members in information technology and development. Use of contemporary recruitment techniques, including the Internet, was surprisingly limited, but some organizations had creative approaches to retaining valued employees.

Influences on the Architecture of Human Resource Management in Nonprofit Organizations

“…Research has demonstrated that administrative HRM is well established in NPOs and there are well-known HR routines (Ban et al, 2003;Parry et al, 2005). For example, a study of small and midsized nonprofits in the human service and community development fields (Ban et al, 2003) exhibits that HR techniques in this field are limited, reflecting resources constraints and a lack of professionalization and formal management training.…”

“…For example, Brown and Yoshioka's (2003) research confirms a positive relationship between mission attachment and employee satisfaction and expressed intentions to stay. A study by Ban, Drahnak-Faller, and Towers (2003) shows that the mission of the organization was cited by an overwhelming majority (77%) of the interviewed employees as one of the main draws to working in the organization. Furthermore, studies using the concept of highly fitted personnel underscore the importance of a fit between the internal stakeholders and the organization.…”

“…For example, a study of small and midsized nonprofits in the human service and community development fields (Ban et al, 2003) exhibits that HR techniques in this field are limited, reflecting resources constraints and a lack of professionalization and formal management training.…”

Voluntary sector HRM: examining the influence of government

“…Second, managers in this sector are often accountable to a number of different stakeholders with potentially conflicting interests (Armstrong, 1992). Third, people attracted to work for voluntary sector organisations frequently have a commitment to the mission (Ban et al, 2003). Cunningham (2010: 701) uses the term 'voluntary sector ethos' to describe how employees often commit to an organisation, in order to be able to serve a social cause or mission and argues that the employment relationship is therefore characterised by a 'high level of mutuality between management and labour ' (p. 699).…”

An Analysis of Internal Environment of a Commercial-oriented Research Organization: Using Mckinsey 7S Framework in a Ghanaian Context

“…These come with the added challenge of retaining professional staff. (Ban et al, 2003). In order to transform the private sector concepts such as efficiency, accountability, transparency, value for money, etc are being considered.…”