I believe that for most nonprofit organizations their staff is their greatest asset.  You must put a priority on hiring and keeping good people.

Hiring is tough, in my opinion.  I’ve done it many times.  Sometimes I made good choices and sometimes not.  I figure that a person can put anything in writing on a resume and they can say anything they think you want to hear in an interview.  Thank goodness for a 90-day probationary period when you do hire someone!  It gives you both the chance to make sure it’s a good fit before you move on.  If it’s not a good fit, you must cut your losses and try again.

My best success in hiring came when I looked for critical skills that I could not teach someone.  For example, when I hired someone to do grant writing, I wanted someone who could write well.  I didn’t care if they’d ever written a grant before or not.  If they could write persuasively, clearly, and concisely, I could teach them how to put a grant proposal together.  I don’t think I could teach someone how to write well.

Retention is another key piece in ensuring an organization’s success.  When you have good people on staff, don’t take them for granted.  Thank them.  Offer them more responsibility if they want it.  Take care of them or you’ll lose them.

Turnover is one of the biggest hurdles nonprofit organizations face.  It slows momentum considerably when you have to recruit and train new people.  There’s an article in the May/June issue of Advancing Philanthropy that talks about turnover.  A report from the Georgia Center of Nonprofits in Atlanta offers some interesting facts on retention and vacancy.  Check it out at www.opportunityknocks.org