Why charities often miss out on top talent

Finding the perfect candidate is only half the story when it comes to hiring fundraisers. With strong competition from other charities, it's just the start of the battle to secure them - and in our experience it's a battle that's only getting tougher.

So how can you improve your chances of victory?

Standout salaries might swing it, but with very few charities in a position to offer them, the deciding factor could well be something you have much more control over: the hiring process itself.

Here are four of the reasons you might be missing out on top talent:

(originally posted via Third Sector)

1. Decisions, decisions

At a time when candidates are scarce and charities are competing for the best talent, things move quickly. By the time you've completed your interview rounds, deliberated over your chosen candidate and contacted them, they may have already accepted another offer. If you think someone is right for the job, make your offer without procrastination before they're snapped up elsewhere.

2. Employer brand

With competing offers on the table, fundraising professionals are increasingly factoring the employer brand into their choices. Your working environment, culture, values and benefits can really make a difference to which offer they accept. Another charity may have offered a better remuneration package, but it could equally be that their working culture was more attractive, or simply demonstrated more effectively to the candidate.

3. Counter-offer

In recent years we've seen a notable increase in charities fighting to hold on to their valuable talent and offering more to keep them. This is normally in the form of a salary increase but could also involve a promotion, greater flexibility or other benefits the candidate hoped to gain from a move.

4. Laborious application process

It's not uncommon for charities to ask candidates to complete a lengthy application form as well as their CV (covering the same information), a supporting statement and several rounds of interviews. This risks losing their interest during the process and deters many of the strongest candidates from the outset, as they know there'll be other opportunities with fewer hoops to jump through.

To secure the best, evaluate how much of your recruitment process is really necessary, make it quick and easy for people to apply, and run the interview process as swiftly and decisively as possible.