The Boomer Talent Pool
Offer flexibility and health benefits to make up for
lower nonprofit pay. Meeting pay expectations of those
transitioning from higher income jobs is the number one
challenge for nonprofits, regardless of size, type, or revenue.
Half of the employer respondents said they strongly
agree this is problematic. However, when asked about the
effectiveness of certain recruitment practices in attracting
experienced workers from outside the nonprofit sector, 50
percent of respondents cited offering flexible work schedules
as the most effective practice, and more than 40 percent
cited offering health insurance as very effective.
Offering tailored benefits to fit individual needs was
close behind, noted by almost 40 percent of respondents.
Case study results confirm the appeal of flexibility and
the necessity for health insurance. Senior leaders at
JEVS Human Services noted that ex-corporate executives,
while attracted to the organizational mission and
the notion of finding more meaningful work, were
"stunned" by the salary differences between their corporate
jobs and nonprofit jobs. Nonetheless, in focus groups
held at JEVS and Alpert Jewish Family and Children’s
Services (AJFCS), sector switchers age 50 and older
expressed their willingness to accept pay cuts, but often
cited flexible work schedules and a good benefit package,
particularly health benefits, as making up for lower pay.
Flexible schedules are used by nonprofits of varying
sizes, ranging from the smallest (Generations
Incorporated (GI), with 14 employees and a $2 million
budget) to the largest (American Heart Association, with
3,500 employees and revenues over $600 million).
A tailored benefit approach that considers the needs of
different employee groups - such as those in second
careers - and leverages those differences, can be particularly
relevant in the current economy for nonprofits competing
against richer compensation packages offered by
for-profit companies.4 Several case study organizations
are exploring or now offer tailored benefits, differentiating
benefits to appeal to mature workers and younger
workers, as well as full-time and part-time workers. At
GI, monthly public transportation passes are a key benefit -
both for experienced cluster managers, who work
part-time, and for younger AmeriCorps members, who
volunteer full-time and receive a modest stipend.
Learn more about tapping the talent pool in A Perfect Match? How Nonprofits are Tapping into the Boomer Talent Pool.
IT Risk Management
Much of the business focus of IT Risk Management is driven by the high-profile, twin drivers of business
continuity and compliance. Both of these have been raised in profile by recent events. The escalation of
both natural and man-made disasters have inevitably raised the issue of the ability of an organisation to
continue functioning should a catastrophe make its IT services unavailable for a prolonged period of time.
At the same time there have been well-publicised, serious consequences of failure to comply with legal
regulations concerning the responsible management of information and acceptable practice trading rules.
These have hammered home the message that business executives need to take personal responsibility for
the conduct of key IT processes.
While these two examples have been at the centre of attention for business
executives, it should be clear that these simply represent the opposite ends of the
risk spectrum, with a wide range of other risk types having less extreme but
nevertheless serious consequences to the business if left unmanaged. The
business needs to understand that there are real, quantifiable costs associated
with different types of IT risk, and that it is therefore possible to create a justifiable
case for introducing cost-effective risk mitigation activities. The only way to understand the true cost to the
business is to recognise the role that IT plays in high-level business processes, and to understand the value of
those processes to the organisation and the manner in which costs escalate when they are not functioning.
On a positive note, it is also possible to use the investment in IT Risk Management as a genuine benefit in
becoming a preferred supplier or partner. A properly executed risk management initiative based on a set of
approved standards will raise the level of confidence of outside organisations or individuals in trading with
the business, knowing that its continuity of supply is assured and the security of sensitive commercial
details is guaranteed.
Learn more about IT risk management in IT Risk Management - Planning Cost-effective Mitigation of Risks to IT Services - Management Summary.
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