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Are two CEOs better than one for charities?

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:45:59 GMT

It's not the typical job-share nor exempt from the challenges they can pose, yet a growing number of charities are choosing to appoint not one, but two CEOs.

Whether it's driven by concern for wellbeing, the scope of the role, or simply the absence of anyone willing to shoulder the responsibility alone, sharing the leadership can have a number of benefits, but is it the right move for you or your organisation?

Guest writer Nicola Greenbrook explores not-for-profit co-leadership and the pressures facing charity leaders today.

Back in 2022, Greenpeace UK appointed Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum as its new joint Executive Directors . It was the first time in the environmental group’s UK office history that responsibility for the role was held by two people, a move that underlined the strategic value of a shared structure.

Since then, the co-CEO model appears to be having a moment, and perhaps for good reason. For one thing, it’s lonely at the top, and in a world of complexity and relentless uncertainty, the role of a CEO can be a heavy burden to carry alone.

With CEOs reporting burnout, strategic overload and under-supported leadership environments, the question may no longer be why share the role, but why not?

What is the co-CEO model?

In a co-CEO structure, the chief executive title, leadership responsibilities and decision-making power are intentionally shared among more than one CEO.

Rather than one individual holding singular authority, two leaders jointly oversee the organisation. There can be different configurations, depending on an organisation’s specific needs. For example, one CEO may be more internally facing with a focus on operations, people and service delivery. The second co-CEO could then become the external face of the organisation, with responsibility for fundraising, advocacy and donor relationships.

While this approach is just beginning to gain traction in the charity sector, it's more established in areas like the arts, where the case for putting creative endeavours and business matters in different hands is well understood.

Co-leadership in the charity sector

Rarely seen until recently, in the last year alone some of the UK’s most prominent charities have chosen to adopt a shared leadership structure.

In July 2025, anti-poverty and food bank charity Trussell announced the appointment of co-CEO Matthew van Duyvenbode alongside the charity’s existing leader, Emma Revie. The charity viewed this strategic decision as an opportunity to “gain the benefits of shared leadership at minimal additional cost – strengthening our ability to respond with agility, ensure continuity and support our community of food banks.”

LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop appointed Ben Kernighan and Jasmine O’Connor as co-Chief Executives in August 2025 to champion Galop’s life-saving work. A month later, when family support charity Home-Start UK appointed its first co-CEOs, Natalie Acton and Jodie Reed, it was the first time in the organisation’s 50-year history that a joint leadership structure had been embraced.

In January 2026, ActionAid UK announced the appointment of Hannah Bond and Taahra Ghazi as its permanent co-Chief Executive Officers, as the organisation began a new phase of feminist leadership and strategic transformation.

At the time of writing, Annabel Cook and Louise Govier are set to lead youth charity Artswork Limited from April 2026, working together as co-CEOs, pooling their strengths and talents to provide the charity with “increased leadership capacity and resilience at a time of significant change across the cultural sector.”

Shared leadership: the opportunities...

Far from diluting leadership, the co-CEO model could actually strengthen it, bringing together complementary skill sets, reinforcing decision-making and developing the leadership pipeline.

Modern leadership is challenging in any sector. With AI and other emerging technologies, funding instability and continuous public scrutiny, co-leadership could also be a strategic way to adapt to this organisational complexity.

Writing for the Directory of Social Change , Ruth Davison considers if job sharing at senior level could be a way to push wider systemic change. She references the charity Womankind Worldwide , who appointed Disha Sughand and Diana Njuguna as its first co-CEOs. The organisation described it as representing “a paradigm shift in leadership and decision-making” and about “modelling feminist collaboration based on mutual respect, equity, trust, intersectionality, and a shared feminist vision” as well as sharing responsibilities.

Embracing a shared leadership model is also an example of dynamic, inclusive leadership. When Home-Start UK appointed their joint CEO’s, Chair of Trustees Lin Hinnigan said the decision demonstrated their “commitment to being an inclusive employer”, adding that exploring new leadership models, including co-leadership, was central to increasing diversity at the top.

Rather more prosaically, a second CEO can also provide cover for holidays, illness and emergencies, cutting down the 30 or so days or so that other workplaces battle through sans -CEO to somewhere close to zero, making the organisation more resilient and better able to respond to developments at speed.

…and challenges

Of course, a shared leadership model comes with its own pitfalls.

A successful co-CEO structure requires an excellent working relationship between the leaders that can withstand high-pressure situations, based on mutual respect, in which each has absolute confidence in the other's decisions. Any clashes or disagreements may have a damaging impact throughout the organisation.

Finding CEOs with that kind of chemistry who are equally happy to share the credit is a tall order once. Doing it again if one leaves is like winning the lottery twice: not technically impossible, but you're definitely going to want a strong plan B.

Different leadership and communication styles risk sending mixed messages to employees, stakeholders and beneficiaries. Whose opinion prevails if they don't align?

Delayed decision-making can be a major issue, especially if areas of responsibility are not clearly defined.

Even if they are, dilemmas can still arise: something happens and an urgent comms decision needs making on a Tuesday morning, just when your comms-leading CEO isn't there. Stepping in risks stepping on their toes and a potential blunder, yet the consequences of not doing so may be worse.

An extra head at this level represents a considerable cost, meaning it may only be viable at the expense of another senior post.

Shared leadership needs trust and board support, clear lanes of responsibility and strong communication to reach its full potential. The NCVO suggests that successful collaboration involves proactive planning, honesty and bravery from all sides.

Final thoughts

While having a shared leadership structure might not be right for every charity, the factors that appear to be driving its popularity make for a compelling case.

Having two leaders at the helm could mean a charity is resilient, leads with care and is equipped to handle whatever comes next in an often unpredictable world.

Maybe two heads really are better than one...

Nicola Greenbrook

London-based writer and podcaster

Contact Nicola: nicolagreenbrook@gmail.com

Our thanks to Nicola, and if you'd like to discuss any potential CEO opportunities or requirements (shared or otherwise), don't hesitate to contact our Executive Search team who will be happy to oblige.

You'll find their details on our Executive homepage , or email executive@harrishill.co.uk

The weight of the modern charity CEO role

Despite job satisfaction and commitment amongst charity sector leaders, findings from the ACEVO Pay & Equalities Survey 2025 make for difficult reading, with pay inequality, limited career progression and challenges in wellbeing and diversity.

Key data included:

Wellbeing and balance: Less than half (49%) of CEOs surveyed were satisfied with board support for their wellbeing and only 53% felt satisfied with work-life balance

Career progression: Fewer CEO’s are satisfied with the time dedicated to personal learning and development (down to 38%). While 75% of CEOs’ time is spent on solving day-to-day, immediate issues, around 25% is spent on strategic thinking and planning.

Leadership inequalities: The survey found that only 6% of CEOs identify as Asian or Minoritised Ethnic, and no Black CEOs responded to the survey. Whilst 76% of CEOs received a pay lift in their current role (up from 68% in 2024) the gender pay gap remains in double figures at 10.6%. Male CEOs were reported as earning a median of £64,067 and female CEOs £57,250.

It doesn’t stop there. Burnout is insidious in the charity sector, and the Directory of Social Change acknowledges that the commitment and drive to making a positive impact can fuel relentless work and dedication. This can lead to stress, exhaustion and overwork if not appropriately managed.

Sharing the CEO role could be one way of reducing the pressure on any one individual, providing them with greater support, while it can also give a broader range of people a more accessible pathway into charity leadership.

We should note that developments like these are almost always presented as a planned, strategic decision and the logical next step, making it difficult to tell a charity's first choice of action from something closer to a last resort.

However, in only one of the cases mentioned so far were two individuals actively hired as co-CEOs (Home-Start UK), which suggests it may not always be the original intention. Elsewhere and more often, the arrangement has evolved around someone who is already leading the organisation, often in an interim capacity, casting co-leadership as more of a practical, one-off solution to keep them on board than any broader strategic choice.

Nonetheless, whatever the reason behind it, having the support of someone else at their own level can certainly help CEOs to handle the challenges that inevitably come with the role.

How to nail your charity sector interview

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 05:15:59 GMT

Despite the ever-increasing variety of hoops you may have to jump through to land on a shortlist, there's still only one way you're likely to proceed from there.

Interviews remain one of those things you just have to do if you're going to work in the charity sector, like memorising all the awareness days and abandoning hope of financial security. (Kidding of course - you can look up awareness days).

So what's the best way to handle them? If anyone knows, it's our specialist consultants who've observed or taken part in countless charity interviews in their time, so we're delighted to welcome senior temps specialist Hannah Gibson to the blog, with some expert advice for the big day. Over to you, Hannah!

How to nail your charity sector interview

Interviewing can feel daunting, even for the most experienced professionals. But with the right approach, preparation, and mindset, it’s also an opportunity to show the passion, skills, and values that make you a great fit for a charity or not-for-profit role.

Here are some tried-and-tested tips to help you walk into your next interview feeling confident and ready.

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1. Do your homework

It sounds obvious, but research is key. Take time to:

Understand the charity’s mission, values, and recent projects. This shows you’re genuinely interested and helps you tailor your answers.

Look at the role description carefully. Identify the skills and experiences the organisation is prioritising.

Familiarise yourself with the sector landscape - knowing challenges or trends can help you speak with insight.

Pro tip: For smaller charities, check social media and annual reports. It’s often where you’ll get the richest insight into their culture and priorities.

2. Prepare your stories

Charities want to know what you’ve achieved and how you work. Using real examples makes your answers more compelling. A handy framework is STAR :

Situation: What was the context?
Task: What were you trying to achieve?
Action: What did you do?
Result: What was the outcome?

Think about examples that highlight not just technical skills, but also collaboration, problem-solving, and alignment with values - all highly valued in the charity sector.

3. Anticipate tricky questions

Some questions are designed to be challenging, but preparation makes them manageable.

Examples include:

“Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult colleague or stakeholder.”

“What would you do if resources were limited and priorities conflicted?”

“Why do you want to work here, and not elsewhere?”

Don’t just think about your answers - practice saying them aloud . It helps you sound natural and confident rather than rehearsed.

4. Sell yourself… without bragging

It can feel awkward to talk about your achievements, especially if you’re passionate about the cause rather than your own career.

Remember: sharing your successes is not bragging - it’s showing how you can make an impact.

Be specific. Instead of “I’m good at managing projects,” try “I successfully managed a fundraising campaign that exceeded its target by 20%.”

Link your skills to the role. Show how your experience will benefit the charity.

5. Ask thoughtful questions

Interviews are a two-way street. Asking questions demonstrates curiosity and engagement.

Some ideas:

“What does success look like in this role?”

“How does the team collaborate across projects?”

“What challenges is the organisation currently facing?”

Avoid asking about salary and benefits too early - focus on understanding the role, the culture, and how you can contribute.

6. Pay attention to practicalities

Simple things make a difference:

Dress appropriately - charity dress codes vary, but smart and professional is usually safe.

Be on time, whether the interview is in person or online. Test your technology in advance if it’s virtual.

7. Mindset matters

Finally, your mindset can influence how you come across:

Breathe and pause before answering questions - it’s okay to take a moment to think.

Remember that the charity is looking for someone who fits the role and the culture - it’s as much about you finding the right place as it is them finding the right candidate.

If the thought of 'an interview' makes you nervous, call it something else. You're simply 'having a meeting to talk about a job that might suit you', which sounds straightforward and keeps it in perspective.

Be yourself - let your personality shine and don’t forget to smile. Authenticity resonates more than perfection.

Key takeaways:

Research the organisation thoroughly.

Prepare real-life examples using the STAR method.

Practice tricky questions but stay natural.

Show your achievements in a way that demonstrates impact.

Ask thoughtful questions to show engagement.

Keep practicalities in mind.

Approach the interview with confidence, authenticity, and your own personality.

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With preparation, clarity, and a focus on your values and impact, you can turn interview nerves into a chance to shine.

Charity and not-for-profit roles attract candidates who are passionate about making a difference - now’s your chance to show why that includes you.

Hannah Gibson

Senior Temps Consultant, Harris Hill

For more interview tips or help with your job search, you can reach Hannah or any of our specialist consultants here , call us on 020 7820 7300 , or follow the links below for more advice from the Harris Hill Blog .

How to handle competency-based interviews

Competency-based questions are all about your experience and even if they're not the sole focus of your interview, it’s worth knowing how to answer them. Jenny Hills of Harris Hill Executive Search offers expert insight and advice in the first of a two-part guide.

How to write your charity sector CV

It's your personal marketing tool and essential to your charity job search, but what makes a good CV and what do charities look for? We trapped several of our specialists on a Zoom call to find out, and here’s the resulting advice, in the first of a two-part guide.

How to write a great supporting statement

If you're applying for a job in the charity sector, a supporting statement can be your biggest opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer. We share some tips for making sure your skills truly shine.

How to handle competency-based interviews – part 1

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 03:02:03 GMT

Competency-based questions are all about your experience and whether they’re the main focus of your interview or not, it’s worth knowing how to answer them.

Director Jenny Hills of our Executive Search practice offers expert insight and advice in the first of a two-part guide.

What is a competency-based interview, and why do recruitment panels use them?

A competency-based interview is one that focuses on establishing that you, as a candidate, have the skills, knowledge, experience, etc, to succeed in a role, as evidenced by your achievements so far.

These competencies should be made clear on the job description and person specification of a role. If you read these documents carefully ahead of time, there should be no surprise questions in a competency-based interview.

Competency-based interviews are used by organisations because:

• They are fair and objective. In a well-run recruitment process using competency-based interviews, candidates can be well-prepared as they will have the JD and person specification well ahead of the interview. All candidates are asked the same questions in the same amount of time, and are assessed against the same criteria (the competencies).

• They can highlight your potential and transferable skills. If you're going for a promotion (say from Head of Finance to a director role) or looking to move into a different type of role, a good person specification should break down the role into separate points such as 'ability to manage a remote team', 'knowledge of charity accounting rules', 'ability to communicate complex information to non-finance specialists', etc. Each of these are competencies. A step-up candidate can show they have these competencies with specific examples (and can therefore be successful in the new role), without having held that exact title before.

• They help level the playing field for candidates who are not natural interviewees. Some people are just good at interviewing. They're able to relax, come up with answers quickly, and can tell a great story about why they would be perfect for this role. Lucky them, but that’s not most of us. Most of us get a little nervous, need to take a breath before answering a question, and despite researching the organisation thoroughly before an interview, don’t turn up thinking we can solve their every issue before lunchtime on our first day.

Competency-based interviews actually help you here, because you can prepare, anticipate the questions you’ll be asked, and therefore (fingers crossed), be less nervous. Also, you're not being assessed on your knowledge of the organisation - the questions will be about you, and how your own experience to date has prepared you for this role.

As a result, these interviews are effective at distinguishing those who can do the job from those who are simply good at interviewing. Someone who can talk a great game about how they would, say, double the charity’s income in six months, won’t get very far in a competency-based interview if they can’t provide solid evidence of doing something like that before.

How can you tell if it's a competency-based interview?

Hopefully, you'll have been briefed ahead of time on the format of the interview, but if not, you can spot a competency-based question by its focus on your past career.

Some tell-tale phrases are:

• Give me an example of…

• Tell me about a time when…

• Where have you demonstrated…

• What experience do you have of…

• How have you gone about…

If you hear any of these or similar, it’s a competency-based question.

Sometimes, the focus on the past might be less obvious, but a competency-based answer is still usually the best way to answer questions like these:

• Tell us about your knowledge of…

• Describe your ability to…

• What’s your awareness of…

Even if it's not the main focus, most interviews will include some competency-based questions.

So, how do you go about answering them?

In part two , we'll look at how to bring your personality and values into play, deal with competencies you don't have, and inspire the panel with your vision for the future, not just your past.

Answering competency-based questions with the STAR technique

The STAR technique is Competency-Based Interview Answers 101. Basically, the STAR technique is about answering a competency-based question with an example in four parts: Situation, Task, Action, Result.

What does that mean in practice?

Let’s look at an example. The question is, “Please tell us about your experience of leading and motivating a team?” and this is how you might answer it using the STAR technique:

Situation ( setting the scene - what was your role at the time, and what was the challenge or opportunity?)

Answer: When I joined my current role as Head of Trust Fundraising, I had a team of five relatively inexperienced staff who were demoralised, felt isolated and were directionless after an extended period without a team leader. The trust bid pipeline was in danger, and was projected to deliver only 60% of the team’s target, which ultimately risked service provision.

Task (what your responsibility was/what you needed to do)

Answer: I was tasked with stabilising and growing the trust funding pipeline, which required me to develop and motivate the team to perform at a level they never had before.

Action (quite simply, what you did)

Answer: I held workshops with the team to review what had been won, what had been submitted, what was in process and what was expected for the rest of the financial year, and an assessment of how likely we were to win each bid. We used this information to write a new annual strategy for trust fundraising. For each member of the team, I gave them a “blank slate” and focused on their performance now and in the future, setting individualised KPIs against the strategy, and regular check ins with me. I set a firm “no-blame culture” across the team between individuals and in group settings. I also set up a “buddy system” with the services team, so my team could see the impact of their work and the services team got a better understanding of what my team needed to write effective bids.

Result (what was your impact?)

Answer: By the end of the financial year, we had secured the existing pipeline of funding, as well as an additional 15% on top of our target. We were able to review our annual strategy and convert it into a 5-year strategy, which we are now halfway through the third year of delivery, with year on year increases in funding won. The same people are still in the team, with one member promoted by me last year into a Manager position in accordance with her development plan, with a new hire reporting into her. Our latest staff survey revealed that the team feels strongly connected to the work of the charity, with a clear sense of their own individual contribution.

Why use the STAR technique?

The point of the STAR technique is to provide a clear structure to your answer that is easy to remember and follow for both you and the interviewer.

Most of us are good at remembering chronological, cause-and-effect narratives – a story - which is basically what an answer structured around Situation, Task, Action, Result creates. It’s easier for you (and equally importantly, the panel) to remember a nicely structured story than a list of facts and figures, no matter how impressive those facts and figures may be.

Similarly, don’t feel the need to throw in every single detail of the example you give and risk the panel losing the thread of your story. Stick to what is most important and relevant to the role you are interviewing for.

Which is why…

Less is (usually) more

So, you're asked to demonstrate your communication skills. You’re a great communicator and have loads of examples, but don’t be tempted to reel them all off. Stick to one example that you judge to be most relevant to the role, and tell it well using the STAR technique.

Put yourself in a panel member’s shoes as they are listening to your answer. What’s easier to follow: a list of ten projects from across your career (which are probably on your CV already) or one example, put in a context that makes it relevant to the vacancy, and that follows through to an impressive result that they would like to see replicated at their organisation?

If you’ve given a strong example and want to show that you've done this more than once, you can demonstrate this breadth by finishing with something like, “that was the most complex communications challenge I have faced, but I applied the same principles in the merger at this charity, the rebrand at that charity, and most recently the new service launch in my current role”.

How to handle competency-based interviews – part 2

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 03:01:56 GMT

In part two of our guide, Jenny Hills looks at what to say when you don't have the competency in question, and how to bring out your personality, values and vision for the future, even if the questions focus firmly on your past...

Bringing yourself to the interview

One of the risks of a competency-based interview is that they can seem a little formulaic for both panel members and candidates. On the other hand, one of the best things about working in the charity sector is that we really care about the work our organisations do, the impact and the people.

Recruitment panels want to get to know what makes you tick as a person. Sometimes, you will be asked directly about your values or personal qualities: “How have you demonstrated our charity’s values of x, y and z”? However, don’t wait for a direct question like this to come up to show you who you are.

You can avoid the risk of your answers appearing to be 'by the book' by showing your enthusiasm, your values and your personality and self-awareness, and thread these throughout your answers.

Here are some examples of how to weave these in:

• “It’s important to me that everyone feels included and valued in my team, and so I…”

• “This was causing tension in the team, and while my preferred management style is to build consensus (which has previously manifested as conflict avoidance), I made sure to tackle this head on by…”

• “What drives me most is delivering justice for our communities, and I built this into our service design process by…”

We’ve seen candidates ace questions by being really honest about the limits of their experience, giving an example of where things didn’t quite work perfectly and being very clear about what they learnt from it.

How to answer a tricky question

There will probably be things on the job description or person specification that do not play to your strengths. That is totally fine – there is no perfect candidate for any job, and if you weren’t a strong candidate for the role, you wouldn’t be invited to the interview.

So, you’re asked about that one thing you haven’t done before or aren’t quite sure of. Don’t panic! The trick to answering a tricky competency-based question is to give your best (most relevant) example, and then demonstrate an awareness of the development points for you and how you are going to tackle them.

Let’s say you are a fundraiser going for a new role. The person specification says you need knowledge of the Raiser’s Edge CRM but you have only ever used the Salesforce system. However, you were the internal lead in implementing a major update and supporting your colleagues in adopting the new system.

When asked about your experience in fundraising CRM systems, in your answer you can highlight how quickly you got up to speed with this new system, how you made sure the functionality worked for your team and supported them to use it. You can then tell the panel, “I know you use Raiser’s Edge here, and while I have not used that CRM before, I’m confident that I will be able to grasp the system quickly, as I have already watched a number of introductory and tutorial videos on YouTube and it doesn’t seem too dissimilar. I’d be happy to do further training ahead of my start date to ensure a smooth transition into the role”.

Taking your answers further

If you’ve researched the organisation and have a clear idea of what you want to achieve in the role, competency-based interviews can be frustrating, as the focus is on your past, not what you will do in future.

There isn't always a natural place in the interview to share your vision and plans for the role, but you can bring them in by linking to your past experience.

Let’s say in your current role, you have had great successes in bringing in younger donors, and you know a key part of this new role is to reach new audiences of potential funders. Give your STAR answer when asked about your experience of diversifying the donor base of a charity, and talk them through how you brought on younger donors. Then you can tell the panel (concisely) that you feel a similar plan could work at this charity, and while this aspect of what you did might not be relevant, these steps and that type of messaging are likely to be similarly effective in this role too.

This shows that beyond a competency match with the role, you have really done your research into them as an organisation, and thought through what your experience can add in this new role. That kind of preparation shows you are genuinely interested in them and their work, which always leaves a favourable impression on a recruitment panel.

Don’t feel the need to do this for every question, but if delivering on this one thing is a major point of interest for you in the role, and/or it tackles an issue you know the organisation is facing, it's always helpful to add this to your answer for the relevant questions.

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In summary...

There's nothing to fear from a competency-based interview, and plenty to welcome. It’ll be fair and objective, assessing your experience against requirements, and since you can anticipate the questions, you can prepare and structure your answers in the most effective way.

And while the questions may ask for little more than a list of what you’ve done, you can use them – with these methods and some wisely-chosen examples - to give the panel a far more rounded picture of who you are, showing them what you'll bring to the organisation when you're ultimately working in the role.

Jenny Hills, Harris Hill Executive Search

If you haven't already, you can read part one here , while for more advice on forthcoming interviews or executive-level requirements, you can reach Jenny Hills on 020 7820 7321 or via email to executive@harrishill.co.uk

2025 Salary Survey: Charity CEO salaries and executive trends

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:46:55 GMT

How much do charity CEOs get paid?

The short answer is that although charity leaders tend to earn considerably less than their commercial counterparts, pay still varies enormously, depending on factors like the size and complexity of the charity's operations, its annual income, and the scale of the challenge facing the incoming CEO.

Every organisation is unique, with its own particular priorities and requirements, making every CEO position an individual case, with a salary that reflects the particular context and circumstances of the role.

You'll find more detail on this below, but as such, simply quoting averages would tell you next to nothing about the appropriate pay for any specific role.

The people who can tell you that, however, are our hugely experienced Executive Search team, each of whom has specialised in recruiting charity CEOs, chairs, trustees and other board-level bods (very successfully, we might add) for well over a decade with us alone.

If you need any help or advice on a move or appointment at this level, don't hesitate to give them a call , but meanwhile here's what they had to say about the shape of the current market, in our 2025 Salary Survey .

For all we hear of soaring CEO pay in the business world, here in the charity sector it remains reassuringly tethered to the ground, with the pay differential between the average CEO and the average worker running at no more than 4:1.

That compares with an average among FTSE100 companies of more than 150:1, somewhere beyond ‘disproportionate and excessive’, in the region of ‘openly mocking your own workforce’.

Charities’ obligation to publish the salaries of their top earners may have something to do with this, but in choosing not to pursue the far greater rewards available elsewhere, charity chiefs show that claims of being ‘only in it for the money’ are a long way wide of the mark.

There’s certainly been little change in the last year, with CEO salaries for all but the very biggest household-name charities peaking at around £120k, although this remains relatively rare in itself.

If there’s been any movement, it’s at the bottom of the bracket where you’re now unlikely to succeed in hiring a CEO for less than £60k.

Executive recruitment trends in the charity sector

Salaries do have a clear impact on the level of interest in CEO vacancies, with those paying six figures attracting up to three times as many applications as those at the lower end.

Yet it’s not the factor with the greatest influence in that respect. That would be the location, with remote-based roles pulling in up to five times more applications than a typical site-based position. To some extent, that’s because they’re relatively rare, given the challenge of leading effectively without at least some in-person presence.

Whether organisations are based in or outside London also has an impact on pay, but beyond that there’s little difference between UK regions.

At this level, leadership salaries for most organisations – hospices being a good example – need to be nationally competitive. However it’s increasingly rare for a CEO to relocate purely for the position: those who do so normally have unrelated personal reasons for making the move.

What are charity CEOs looking for?

What else attracts senior executive candidates?

Flexible working of some kind is essential, while other benefits such as pension schemes make a real difference too, and can dramatically improve the appeal of roles with salaries at the lower end.

When there’s no room to raise the salary, some organisations are looking at sweetening the deal by making the CEO a part-time post, but it’s not necessarily the candidate magnet they might have hoped. Applicants question whether the role can ever truly be part-time, expecting (perhaps rightly) that they would soon find themselves working full-time anyway to get everything done, but on a part-time salary.

Generally speaking, however, we’re finding charity boards increasingly clued-up about the market and what they can realistically expect, which makes for a smoother and more effective search.

What can hamper the recruitment process is a lack of alignment between trustees on key priorities, such as whether they’re looking for 2-3 years of strong leadership or someone to steer the ship for the next decade and beyond. Is leadership experience more or less important than a record of getting results?

Unanimity on questions like these goes a long way to finding the right individual at the first time of asking.

Harris Hill Executive Search

While they might share a title, the job of leading a local 20-person charity is clearly something very different from running a global organisation of thousands, delivering multiple initiatives around the world.

Salaries span an equally wide range as a result, each reflecting the scope and scale of the role in question, but these are the six key factors likely to have the biggest influence on the final figure.

What determines the salary level for a charity CEO?

If you'd like to know more about salaries or the market, or for help and advice with any current or future requirements at this level, please contact our Executive Search team via the details below, call 020 7820 7300, or email executive@harrishill.co.uk

Jenny Hills Director

020 7820 7321

Email Jenny

Nick Shanks Director

07766 538575

Email Nick

Aled Morris CEO

020 7820 7301

Email Aled

2025 Salary Survey: temps market trends

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 11:59:07 GMT

Tough economic times have certainly had an impact on the number of permanent hires that charities have been able to make this year, but what about temporary and interim positions?

Here's what our Temps specialists had to say about the trends they're seeing in the market, in our 2025 Salary Survey .

Rates for temporary roles are simply the hourly equivalent of what the role would pay as a permanent salary, so they move in line with those.

If permanent salaries are what you're used to however, it's not always easy to tell how generous or otherwise an hourly rate is at first glance. So to save you whipping out the calculator every time, our table shows what a range of hourly rates equate to as an annual salary, along with the equivalent weekly and day rates.

Temp rates conversion tool

For a 37.5-hour week, multiply the day, week or annual figure by 1.071

* The national living wage for age 21+, as set by the UK Government.

** The r eal living wage needed in the UK , as calculated by the Living Wage Foundation

*** The r eal living wage needed in London (Living Wage Foundation)

It says everything about the current market that this is the only one of our specialist areas to have seen more jobs this year than last — in fact the highest proportion (relative to permanent roles) for many years.

Much of that increase has come from finance departments, seeking additional help to ensure their organisations are financially robust, while we’ve also seen more openings in HR , particularly related to restructuring, where it can make more sense to hire a term-limited contractor than someone who’ll need to have a difficult conversation with themselves once their work is done.

In many other cases however, the rise in temporary roles simply reflects the growing number of organisations in too precarious a position to offer anything more permanent.

Fortunately for those organisations, whether by choice or as a result of redundancies within the sector, there’s been a similar rise in the number of candidates looking for temporary work, although it’s fair to say that not all are equally suited to it.

As such, much of the help we’re currently providing is less around seeking out potential candidates than saving clients from spending countless days sorting through them.

Candidate availability very much depends on the role however, and perhaps the most challenging to find in the past year have been those with events experience. This is likely to be at least partly a hangover from the Covid-19 pandemic, when gatherings of any kind were off the table for some time, forcing events professionals into other fields, where many have since remained.

Meanwhile, if other vacancies are proving challenging to fill, it’s generally due to the rates. Salaries for temp positions essentially track their permanent equivalents, and while they haven’t increased enormously (even over a decade), they have changed, so those organisations whose temp rates haven’t moved with the times face a long wait for candidates, drawn from a much more limited pool.

However a strong point in favour of the charity sector for temps is that hybrid working (typically two days per week on site) is still very much the norm, with little sign of the push back towards the office that’s happening elsewhere.

And among temp employers at least, it’s been encouraging to see a consistent rise in requests for candidate details to be anonymised (to reduce the potential for bias), reflecting greater consideration for inclusivity in their recruitment process.

For more on the market, or if you'd like our help with a temporary or short term recruitment need, please contact our temps specialists Ryan Elmer , Sekai Lindsay or Hannah Gibson who'll be happy to help.

Meanwhile you can find all the figures for all departments in the full 2025 Salary Survey here , or for any other queries, you can also contact our specialists , call us on 020 7820 7300 or email info@harrishill.co.uk

2025 Salary Survey: finance market trends

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:09:18 GMT

Say you work in finance and many will imagine a world of six-figure salaries, baffling spreadsheets, detached houses in the Home Counties and a statistically inexplicable number of people called Steve.

Working in charity finance however, is – baffling spreadsheets aside – a rather different story, but with their finger on the pulse and their ear to the ground at all times (we should really get them some chairs), our finance specialists are perfectly placed to bring you up to speed on the latest twists and turns.

Here’s what they had to say about remuneration and recruitment trends in the current market, in our 2025 Salary Survey .

Finance roles have traditionally been among the better-paid charity jobs, carrying a premium in recognition of the extra study required for accounting qualifications.

However, employers seem increasingly reluctant to honour this, leading to a fairly flat year for those in charity finance, with only limited increases, largely at the senior end of the market. Nonetheless, economic uncertainty has certainly driven a boom in one thing: charities finding creative ways to meet their staffing needs without actually raising the budget.

One of these methods is a scattershot approach, posting the role at the desired rate through multiple agencies, job boards, social media, their own channels – extra admin be damned – and simply waiting it out until someone is desperate enough to accept it.

Until recently, this would have been a recipe for certain regret, but with more candidates in the market and many others at risk of joining them, there’s now more chance of an eventual result, even if it’s nobody’s ideal outcome.

Another tactic is to underplay the role’s importance, in a bid to justify a lesser salary.

We’re seeing an increasing number of roles advertised, for example, as a Finance Manager, which on closer inspection have all the responsibilities of a Head of Finance , just not the remuneration. It’s a little sneaky, and applicants would be well advised to read through job descriptions thoroughly rather than relying on the title - but faced with such existential financial challenges, it’s hard to begrudge charities trying to cut every possible corner to keep costs down.

In a similar vein at more junior levels, we’re seeing more and more openings for Finance Officers who, rather than being supported by a Finance Assistant , are required to perform that role as well, making for some very long lists of responsibilities that candidates find wildly out of proportion to the salaries on offer.

There’s even some of that at the top too, in the shape of Finance Directors increasingly functioning as a secondary CEO but without, of course, the rewards.

It’s a sign of the extreme pressure on budgets that we’re even seeing candidates being offered less than their current position, hoping that the role will appeal for other reasons, but it’s vanishingly rare that those reasons are compelling enough for this tactic to bear fruit. Or indeed finance professionals, who are significantly better at the job.

Meanwhile, with more candidates competing for fewer vacancies than we’ve seen for several years, many organisations have made the application process more demanding, requiring things like presentations and assessments on top of the regular CV.

However, having landed good jobs with less effort in the past, applicants are increasingly unwilling to jump through additional hoops, so this can deter some of the very best candidates. Those with little choice will still apply, but those who can take their pick of employers will simply pick somewhere else.

Our advice? Maybe reconsider the assault course.

For more on the market, or if you'd like our help with a recruitment issue in this field, please contact our finance specialists Simon Bascombe or Joshua Liveras who'll be happy to help.

2025 Salary Survey: business services market trends

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:18:09 GMT

The roles we group under ‘Business Services’ aren’t about raising funds or raising profile, but about delivering an organisation’s work – including operational staff at all levels, project managers, programme leaders and all the admin, data and support staff in less visible roles that are nonetheless essential to getting things done.

So what’s happening in the recruitment market for those working in these areas?

Here’s what our specialists had to say in our 2025 Salary Survey.

Market trends

Salaries make a difference of course, but in these areas, the factor with the biggest influence on application numbers is location.

Fully remote roles are highly-prized but relatively rare, simply because it’s rarely practical for those involved in day-to-day operations and service delivery to be based off-site. While this limits potential applicants to those within commuting distance like, say, just about any pre-2020 job, it’s not currently presenting major recruitment challenges due to the rising number of candidates available.

However such is the appeal of remote positions that we’re starting to see some senior candidates prepared to consider a pay cut in order to land one, or even just for the security of a stable, full-time permanent role.

‘No-one’s looking for long-term commitment these days’ might be the cry of disgruntled daters, but in 2025 it’s perhaps just as likely to come from jobseekers, given the many once-permanent roles now offered only on a temporary basis.

They’re accompanied by more part-time and job-share positions than we’ve seen for many a year, suggesting that charities are increasingly open to any means of covering key functions without inflating the full-time, permanent payroll. If necessity is the mother of invention, desperation is apparently the father of dropping your previous objections and giving it a go.

That’s also evident in the growing number of charities currently experimenting with a four-day working week, an idea that certainly has plenty of fans among the workforce.

As there’s typically no reduction in salary this isn’t a cost-saving measure, but the evidence from trials to date has shown, perhaps counterintuitively, that a shorter week can actually increase productivity, while giving organisations an unbeatable means of attracting and retaining talent, which is well worth having when salaries leave something to be desired.

Where the opportunities are now

A troubled economy and widespread sector redundancies have created more competition for fewer vacancies than we’ve seen for several years, replacing the challenge of finding a strong six-person shortlist with the difficulty of narrowing it down to a number that could fit on a bus.

However there are still plenty of opportunities open for those with data, IT or monitoring and evaluation experience, in particular.

We’ve also seen more openings for those who can deliver transformation, both in the data/digital sense and in HR, where it’s generally code for restructuring: those dedicated workers won’t fire themselves, you know.

New opportunities are also being created where last year’s big trend for rolling two jobs into one (think Head of Finance & Resources) has collided with the reality that in many cases, the two halves require very different skills that rarely co-exist in one person, resulting in the role splitting back into separate positions.

Meanwhile, relatively little has changed with regard to another of last year’s trends: the growth of inclusive recruitment practices like sharing interview questions in advance, for the benefit of those who may struggle on the spot.

While this hasn’t declined, there’s been little further progress either - although perhaps we should count ourselves lucky that, on this side of the Atlantic at least, considering the needs of different groups has yet to be deemed unlawful.

For more on the market, or if you'd like our help with a recruitment issue in one of these areas, please contact our specialists Lizzy Clark or Giuseppe Di Maria who'll be delighted to assist.

Meanwhile you can find all the figures for all departments in the full 2025 Salary Survey here , or for any other queries just contact our specialists , call us on 020 7820 7300 or email info@harrishill.co.uk

Charity salaries: the ten-year trends

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:50:27 GMT

How we’ve made these comparisons

Salaries for any given role fall within a certain range (e.g. £42,000 - £48,000) which is what appears in our survey. However, comparing ranges can be misleading if they vary in width from year to year, as indeed they do.

For a clearer picture, we’re using a single value – the exact midpoint of each range (e.g. £45,000 in the above case) as an approximation of the average. We're then calculating the change in that figure between our 2015 and 2025 surveys, to compare 2015 salaries in six key charity departments with those of the same roles today.

It’s not perfectly scientific: for one thing, the figures aren’t weighted for the relative number of people in each role (managers outnumbering heads of department, for example), but it gives us a reasonable approximation of the relative increases in each area and across the sector as a whole.

2015: Setting the scene

Cast your mind back if you can, to what might now seem like the halcyon days of 2015.

Set to be described by future historians as ‘the year before it all went horribly wrong’, it was a time of (relative) peace, when the world was yet to be (quite so often) on fire, when a certain president was merely the host of a reality TV show, and when the Grim Reaper’s hectic year of bumping off beloved entertainers on a weekly basis was yet to get underway.

A pint of milk cost 44p, a pint of beer just £3.45 and hot topics in the charity sector included the recently-introduced Lobbying Act , described as a ‘gagging law’ by charities like Shelter and Friends of the Earth , while debate raged over the ethics of fundraising , after 92-year-old poppy seller Olive Cooke sadly took her own life, many holding the flood of donation requests she'd been receiving at least partly responsible.

Elsewhere, Queen Elizabeth II became the UK’s longest-reigning monarch , 195 countries signed the Paris climate agreement , while the internet tackled an even more pressing concern: what colour was that black and blue dress ?

Since then of course, it’s been a bumpy ride in this handbasket, while for reasons that don't need reiterating here, the cost of simply existing has risen substantially. The question is: have salaries in the charity sector done the same? [Spoiler alert: let’s just say it’s unlikely].

Break out the bar charts! We’re going in.

(Contains scenes of mild peril).

Fundraising

With an average rise of 18.3% in total, fundraisers have seen the greatest improvements in pay over the last ten years, largely thanks to their scarcity. Those at each end of the scale have seen the highest percentage increases, although as those at the bottom might reasonably point out, even 28% of not very much is still…not very much.

Drilling further into that overall average, there are some significant variations between revenue streams, with salaries for Trust & Statutory roles rising an average of 19.6% and topping the table, while those in Direct Marketing have had to make do with a mere 3.7%. In a decade. Tough gig.

For more on charity sector salaries and the latest figures, you can find the full 2025 Harris Hill Salary Survey here , or for any other queries or assistance with recruiting or your next move, please contact our specialists , call us on 020 7820 7300, or send us an email .

Operations

After fundraisers, it's those working in operational and service delivery roles who've seen the greatest improvements, with average increases of 15.5%. As in fundraising, some of the highest percentage increases have been at the most junior level, albeit in large part due to starting from a very low base.

Further up, increases have followed a similar pattern across the board apart from the heads of department, where those in large organisations have been rewarded, if not lavishly, at least more respectably (+12.3%) than their counterparts in small charities (a big fat zero).

Data Management

More than in any other area, salary increases for data management roles have primarily gravitated to those at the upper levels, which might explain why this is also where the gap between rates of the highest and lowest earners has widened the most, by approximately 54%.

That’s followed by Fundraising (+33%) and Marketing (+10%), but in Finance, Operations and HR, the gap between the highest and lowest-paid staff has actually narrowed, by 6%, 12% and 13% respectively.

Finance

In Finance it's actually those in junior positions who've seen the strongest percentage increases, while progress has been more sluggish for their senior colleagues. With one exception: Heads of Finance at major charities, where a significant disparity between their pay and that of their equivalents in smaller organisations has opened up.

Human Resources

Not a great decade for heads of HR, whose salaries have largely flatlined and may even have slipped backwards in some cases.

Their junior colleagues have fared better in that respect, particularly in smaller charities where some of the most substantial rises have been seen, if only because their lower starting points left them a lot more ground to make up.

Marketing

Given how infrequently ‘marketing’ and ‘salary increases’ have shared a sentence in previous editions, it’s no great surprise to see where the smallest advances have been, with salaries rising by a grand total of 11.8% since 2015 – just a fraction over 1% per year.

It’s the law of supply and demand at work, yet perhaps a little surprising given that a strong brand and compelling communications (particularly in the digital sphere) have only become more essential in the past ten years.

However, that 11.8% average masks quite a contrast between the story at smaller charities (+17%) and larger organisations (+6.7%), closing the gap between them to some extent.

What does this tell us?

This shows there are some clear differences in salary increases between departments, albeit within a fairly narrow range (see below), which averages out at 14.1%.

However, given the greater number of fundraisers and operational staff than those in finance or HR, for example, 15% is probably a better estimate of the average increase across the sector.

It’s not a huge amount for a decade, but at least it’s movement in the right direction. At least, until you stir in the final ingredient of this salary soufflé: inflation.

Since 2015, the cost of everything those salaries have to pay for has risen between 36.1% and 53.3% , depending on your chosen measure of inflation.

► A quick sidebar: the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and Retail Price Index (RPI) track different items to determine the rate of inflation, CPI giving a lower rate by some distance. Both have their merits and shortcomings but both are valid: the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Having climbed just 15%, charity sector salaries have fallen well behind either measure, behind public sector pay ( up 29.9% ), and far behind the UK’s average full-time salary, up 35.6% , just a fraction behind inflation.

For most then, and certainly within the charity sector, there’s been no increase in real terms over the past ten years — the only question is how much the value of your pay has declined: marketers being the worst hit, but even fundraisers faring only slightly better.

Still, tell us again how wages are rising faster than inflation. We love that one.

How much does this matter?

It’s not great news, clearly, and certainly explains why your budget never seems to stretch as far as it did, but it’s hardly shocking news that however competitive they claim to be, salaries in the charity sector aren’t about to win any prizes.

That’s widely expected, and while inflation-busting increases all round would clearly be desirable, most in the sector are well aware of the trade-offs that would be required, and that they would very likely oppose.

Right now, back in a world where candidates compete for jobs rather than the other way around, the impact on recruitment is limited, but what these figures show is charity salaries falling further behind those in other sectors all the time, with concerning implications for the future.

In a less employer-friendly market, letting that gap grow any larger could significantly damage organisations’ ability to retain and hire new talent, and therefore to achieve their goals.

Thankfully, there’s a saving grace to help us finish on a brighter note. Much as we’ve focused on pay (as salary surveys tend to do), it’s worth remembering that in practice, and for charity professionals in particular, it’s not all about the money. Let’s be honest: if it were, we’d all be working somewhere else.

Staff in the sector may not make huge sums, but surveys consistently find them with higher levels of job satisfaction, a better work/life balance, and more passion for what they do than those in almost any other line of work, which is why they’re regularly ranked among the happiest workers in the UK.

Salaries aside, that’s surely something to go out and celebrate. Just make sure it’s somewhere with a deal on.

How have charity salaries progressed in the last 10 years? Who's seen the highest and lowest increases? And how has the sector fared against others and the cost of living?

Our 2025 Salary Survey gives us a tenth year of directly comparable data, so this time, along with the latest rates for third sector jobs, we look at the longer-term changes too, travelling back to 2015 to compare rates of pay then and now.

How well has your salary kept up with the times?

2025 Salary Survey: marketing, PR and digital trends

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 21:48:28 GMT

As a charity professional, your experience of working and job-seeking in the sector will very much depend on the type of work you do, which is why our 2025 Salary Survey looks at the trends and challenges for each specialist area in turn.

You can find the figures for all departments in the full survey here , but in the meantime, here’s what we’re currently seeing in the market for those in marketing, communications, PR and digital roles.

As regular readers will know, this is perhaps the last place you’d expect to see a salary increase in the wild. Even during the great candidate droughts of 2022/23, marketers have simply never been a rare enough species to put any serious pressure on pay.

Yet elusive as the marketing pay rise may seem — digital veterans claim to have spotted one in the 2000s but many are sceptical — our analysis of the ten-year trends suggests that in reality, salaries here lag only slightly behind those of other departments over the longer term.

As for this year, the main story is that we’re actually seeing significant growth. Of jobs? No. Of salaries? Also no. Of the volume of work expected for those salaries? Bingo.

Employers’ penchant for piling more responsibilities on to existing plates is nowhere more pronounced, but here it’s often with surprisingly little regard for the role of those concerned, or their level of experience, resulting in staff at all levels doing increasingly similar jobs.

That can sometimes be beneficial – giving junior staff a chance to prove themselves on bigger projects, for example – but as we’re increasingly seeing, it can also manifest as Heads of Marketing held back from planning long-term strategy by the demands of everyday campaigns, or junior execs on sub-£30k salaries bearing sole responsibility for all communication channels (and thus the organisation’s brand and reputation) – responsibilities that some may welcome, but for which they would not unreasonably expect to be better rewarded.

Blurring these lines means that rather than progressing along a linear path, charity marketers’ careers are more like running in circles, steadily accumulating responsibilities but never leaving any behind.

Nor, it seems, should they try, as we’ve seen things like top senior strategists turned down for lacking recent experience of everyday admin, which is a bit like rejecting a BAFTA-winning legend for a lack of bit parts in EastEnders lately.

With pay largely running on the spot too, many experienced marketers are leaving the sector in search of real progression, a significant loss of charity-specific expertise that even below-inflation increases might have prevented.

Elsewhere, while you might expect the current abundance of available candidates to deliver a broader intake, that’s not exactly the case. Confident of finding exactly what they want, many organisations are narrowing their criteria and being more, not less, prescriptive. Candidates from other sectors, often courted by charities in the past, now stand little chance against those with charity experience, preferably doing the exact same role in a near-identical organisation.

And if they can’t be found at first, organisations will sooner wait than broaden the criteria or raise the offer: someone ticking every box will come along eventually.

However, they’d come along much sooner (and likely be more committed to the role) were organisations to provide some incentive to make the move, be it financial or simply better conditions, prospects or support.

Sure, in this market, simply having a vacancy will attract applications, but the strongest candidates aren’t going anywhere that doesn’t value them enough to offer even slightly more than their current wage.

Yet despite the challenging market, there are reasons for optimism too. Charities’ marketing, brand and digital flair is only growing more important to their success, so this expertise is needed – just as it is when new media and marketing channels arise. In fact, we’re already seeing high demand for pay-per-view and digital marketing technical skillsets, as well as for policy and public affairs professionals with government/third sector experience, while a blend of communications and charity expertise goes a long way in areas of international development, policy and advocacy.

If that’s you, it’s likely worth sticking around, bolstering your skills, contacts and knowledge (and making sure people know about them) leaving you well placed to benefit when charities are ready and raring to hire again.

For more on the market, or if you'd like our help with a recruitment issue in this field, please contact our marketing specialist Hannah Whittington who'll be delighted to assist.

2025 Salary Survey: fundraising market trends

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:56:09 GMT

Driven by high demand and short supply, fundraisers' salaries have been rising in recent years, but how have things changed in the last 12 months?

What kind of roles are organisations offering and which are the most challenging to fill?

Here's what our fundraising specialists had to say in our 2025 Salary Survey (available here ).

It’s not the way we might want it to happen, but a combination of fewer vacancies and significant redundancies across the sector has boosted the number of fundraisers in the market for new jobs, alleviating some of the more extreme candidate shortages that have characterised the last few years.

That’s taken much of the pressure off salaries, which are broadly where we left them a year ago, with some in areas like trust fundraising for smaller charities even having slipped back slightly.

Any uplift has been mainly at the most junior levels, thanks to candidates turning down starting salaries around £23k, on the understandable grounds that living on them has progressed from challenging to near-impossible, however many luxuries (travel, food, basic human dignity…) you’re prepared to give up.

It’s not who you are, but where you’re at

You’d imagine that having more fundraisers on the market would make vacancies easier to fill, but for every position where that holds true, there’s another that’s as challenging as ever, and the difference is often location.

With charity HQs (particularly of larger organisations) heavily concentrated in the South East, fundraisers are too, presenting challenges for those hoping to recruit them further afield. Back within the fundraising heartlands however, it’s perhaps less about the office location than how often you want people there.

Flexibility is still hugely important to candidates and fortunately for them, there’s little sign in the charity sector of the growing ’back to the office’ push currently afflicting the business world.

For many organisations, that’s likely because the funds saved on office space are now a lifeline elsewhere, throwing a spanner in the works of any reversal. As such, flexibility looks ironically permanent, and asking candidates for more than three days a week on site is asking for trouble finding potential applicants.

One reason is that many fundraisers have seized the opportunity of remote and hybrid working to swap the country’s priciest corner for places where their salaries will stretch further. Having done so, the prospect of returning to a longer and more expensive daily commute has all the appeal of a three-day train delay outside Milton Keynes, as they’d rather not discover in person.

As for the most sought-after candidates? Making their tenth appearance too, it’s fundraisers with around a year’s experience: the sweet spot at which they’ve been trained (crucially, at someone else’s expense) and can add value, but are still junior enough to accept a lower salary.

And as ever, there are very few of them around, largely because no-one wants to be the mug that invests in training new starters, only for everyone else to poach them the moment they’re done.

So what is the solution? And will we still be asking this question in another ten years? That might be the one prediction we can make with absolute confidence...

For more on the market, including this year's figures across each major department, see the full 2025 Salary Survey here , or for help with recruiting or your charity job search, just contact our specialists , call us on 020 7820 7300 or email info@harrishill.co.uk

Rising costs and their causes are also behind a sharp rise in the number of 12-month contracts ‘with a view to extend if successful’.

That’s essentially fundraising code for ’if you’re bringing in enough revenue for the role to pay for itself’. At a time when predicting anything much beyond a week in advance seems audacious, secure funding for the future is increasingly rare.

As a result, we’re also seeing an increase in roles covering two or more fundraising functions, such as Corporate Partnerships and Trusts, Corporate and Community, or Community and Events.

Nonetheless, fundraisers have been valiantly hitting targets and maintaining revenue despite the challenging market. The only trouble is that rising operational costs mean they need to be raising more than ever just to stand still.

2025 Salary Survey: market overview

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:26:50 GMT

The 2025 Harris Hill Salary Survey is out now (get your copy here) , reporting on charity and not-for-profit sector salaries over the last 12 months, with the latest rates and expert insight for each of our specialist areas.

This year we're also looking at how pay in the sector has evolved over the last 10 years, but first, here's what we had to say about the charity recruitment market in 2025.

What’s happening in the charity recruitment market

Sometimes it takes an expert, well-trained eye to tease out the trends in the salary data, but with this year’s crop of charity jobs, two things hit you in the face at first glance, as if you’ve deeply insulted their mother’s honour or gone for a night out in Kent .

The first is the significantly lower-than-usual number of them, indicating a clear slowdown in hiring. That’s been reflected in the reduced activity on sector job boards, CharityJob recently reporting a 20% fall in job postings, following a 22% fall in the year before, figures that broadly align with our own experience.

Faced with challenging economic conditions, a significant wave of redundancies still rippling through the sector, and a highly uncertain outlook, it’s no surprise to find charities fairly reticent about recruiting.

Recently we’ve even seen a marked rise in remits that are wildly unrealistic for one person, suggesting that for some organisations, the pressure to stretch resources ever further is severe enough to quash practical concerns like ‘could anyone actually do all this?’ and ‘will anyone be prepared to for £32,000?’

As we’ve noted before, the choice for many workers is increasingly between no job, or a job doing the work of multiple people, but how far can this go?

For as long as services are broadly unaffected (staff picking up the cost in terms of their time and wellbeing), we suspect it’s unlikely to change , but despite their limited leverage in the current market, some candidates are starting to push back, rejecting offers that fail to reflect the scale of the task they’d be taking on.

The pendulum swings back

With application numbers up by more than 50%, it’s a dramatic turnaround from the candidate-short market of just two years ago. Yet any time saved on searching is lost twice over to the now bigger task of managing candidates through the process and sorting the superstars from the standard balls of space gas.

If only there were a specialist agency who could help…

For more on the market, including this year's figures across each major department, see the full 2025 Salary Survey here , or for help with recruiting or your charity job search, just contact our specialists , call us on 020 7820 7300 or email info@harrishill.co.uk

That uncertainty is also behind the other striking feature of this year’s jobs: just how many have been offered on a temporary, interim or contract basis. However, closer inspection reveals that many of them are 12-month roles that are intended to be permanent, but funding beyond the first year is very much TBC.

It’s just one of the many contortions — sorry, creative strategies — that are having to be adopted to keep essential roles covered.

Evidence of another can be seen in the ever-increasing length of job descriptions. Hiring hasn’t reduced because there’s less work to be done – quite the opposite in fact, with 86% of charities reporting increased demand for their services, according to recent CAF research . This inevitably means more work for existing staff, adding extra duties to roles that many feel are already out of proportion to pay.

Meanwhile if you’re seeking a move...

...there’s no denying the extra competition you’re likely to face. However you’d be surprised how far up the pecking order you can jump by simply tailoring your application, polishing your CV, writing a strong supporting statement and preparing for interviews.

Many who landed their last job with relatively little effort make the mistake of expecting to do so again, so you can leapfrog a lot of them by avoiding corner-cutting and simply doing the basics well.

Has remote working replaced human connection?

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:41:20 GMT

The way we communicate at work has changed dramatically over the past few years. With an array of digital tools and social platforms at our fingertips, we're communicating and meeting more frequently and efficiently than ever. But is digital evolution at the cost of meaningful connection?

If we rely too much on Teams and not enough on being a team, what do we leave behind? Freelance writer Nicola Greenbrook explores the balance between convenience and connection - and asks if it’s time to rethink how we communicate in a hybrid world.

A shift in workplace connection

Communication at work has undergone a major transformation. In the 1980s and 1990s, we were in our desk phones, memos and face-to-face meetings era. A quick desk-side chat or water cooler moment was an essential part of the working day. Email arrived with a bang (or rather, a ping) in the early 2000s and became ubiquitous at the office , along with mobile phones and text messaging.

By the 2010s , smartphones were omnipresent, fax machines made way for scanners and chat tools like Yammer joined the party. With a growing focus on seeking work-life balance and not being tethered to the office, these digital tools helped create a remote workforce.

Still, sadly, not a distant memory, 2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic—and with it, a sudden upheaval in how we worked. As remote work became mandatory, platforms like Zoom and Teams surged in popularity, keeping us productive and connected through uncertain times

In the current landscape, hybrid working has reshaped our daily interactions. From digital tools like Slack for real-time collaboration, Google Meet video calls for meetings and project management platforms like Trello to align and update on shared goals, we’re spoiled for choice.

We may be efficient, responsive and available, but are we truly connected?

Di Gates , writing for People Management, doesn’t think so, and believes that “colleague relationships, not physical location, drive engagement, productivity, wellbeing and retention.”

Di, the founder of Connection Heroes , a learning community for organisations that want to understand and improve employee connection across their remote and hybrid teams, reports that human connection at work is eroding - and this is a critical problem. Slack threads filled with playful emojis may spark quick replies and seem fun at the time, but they can sometimes water down empathy and lose a sense of genuine interaction.

Rebuilding connection in a digital age: practical tips

So, how can we start to rebuild meaningful workplace relationships and turn our focus to connection, rather than connectivity? Leaders and people professionals play a crucial role. Here are some strategies that could help foster authentic connections in remote and hybrid setups.

Create opportunities for socialising: re-introduce on-site days, shared lunches and team off-sites to deepen relationships. Add workshops and creative huddles to build togetherness and collaboration and help tackle loneliness.
Great creative with knowledge sharing: Whether it’s lunch-and-learns, casual but engaging internal talks or more structured mentorship programmes - offered in-person and digitally - it means best practices don’t get lost or siloed, and innovation thrives.
Don’t make it all about work: Schedule regular catch-ups, virtual coffees and agenda-free chats for lighter-touch and more meaningful conversations.
Upskill and equip leaders and teams: From active listening to using open questions in team meetings, consider training that will build a psychologically safe work environment and bolster work relationships.
Offer emotional support to remote workers: Don’t forget regular check-ins, and encourage social interaction and personal contact if it’s been a little too Teams or Slack-heavy. This can help prevent feelings of isolation and disconnection.
Revive the water cooler: Consider creating ‘gather’ spaces where unplanned, happy interactions can flourish. Sure, it could be replicated digitally - but if you can do it physically, even better. Stephen J. Bronner , writing for Inverse dives into the positive impact it can have on workplace culture.
Go retro: Video calls can feel more like an obligation than a natural conversation, so why not give them a call instead? Phone calls help us to connect without the pressure of being 'on camera'. Face-to-face meetings allow for natural, nuanced exchanges, where body language and tone are key players. If there’s biscuits, even better.

Meanwhile if you're currently seeking or recruiting for a remote, hybrid or even an office-based job in the charity sector, just reach out if you'd like our help: contact our specialists , call us on 020 7820 7300 or select an option below.

How digital tools power remote teams

The upsides to using digital tools to work remotely are wide-reaching. Arguably, one of the biggest benefits is the positive impact on our work-life balance.

Remote working allows us to fit work around our busy schedules and balance professional responsibilities with personal ones; from caregiving to volunteering and creative pursuits. For many, productivity levels are supercharged, with fewer workplace distractions and less commuting helping us accomplish more. Plus, there are cost-efficiencies for employees and employers, saving on travel and food expenses, as well as reduced overhead costs related to office space and utilities.

All of this is powered by digital communication tools that connect us globally, instantly and asynchronously. With screen-sharing, greater inclusivity and real-time editing, we’re streamlining like pros and communicating at warp speed!

Reconnecting with what matters

Digital tools offer countless benefits, but technology should enhance, not replace, connection. Remote and hybrid work might be here to stay, but so is our need for genuine, authentic work relationships. Rebalancing our communication culture with a thoughtful blend of digital and in-person catch-ups could help restore that all-important human touch.

See you at the water cooler!

Nicola Greenbrook

London based freelance writer, podcaster and HR specialist

Contact Nicola

...and the downsides of digital dependence

Digital tools may have transformed how we communicate and what we can achieve, making conversations quicker, more efficient and global — but have we sacrificed the warmth and spontaneity that come with in-person meetings and phone calls?

There’s also a subtle shift in how we value time and interaction. With the advent of video calls, a quick check-in or casual chat now often feels like a scheduled event that must be carefully planned into an already meeting-heavy day. Real-time conversations — whether over a screen or in the office kitchen — can feel intrusive or draining, especially after hours of screen time.

Other disadvantages include:

Technostress, which People Management defines as the feeling of anxiety, frustration and overload caused by the use of technology. Constant connectivity can disrupt concentration, increase mistakes and leave us feeling dissatisfied and empty.
Screen fatigue and Zoom gloom, where the pressure to be constantly visible makes connection feel superficial, and endless scrolling and video calls leave us feeling exhausted.
Digital burnout, when non-stop connection can lead to emotional exhaustion, decreased productivity and even a disconnection from real life.
Loneliness. The Institute of Directors reports the risk of developing isolation when working remotely and feeling excluded from discussions, decisions and the workplace culture as a whole.

Behold! Brand new branding for Harris Hill

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:57:47 GMT

Or at least, a new logo you’ll be seeing wherever you see us from now on. Find out why, what's new, and what on earth we were thinking as we track our trusty trademark through a brief history of the Harris Hill brand...

Meet the new Harris Hill logo

Yes, as you'll have gathered by now, we've got a (slightly) new look, but it's far from a dramatic departure. More the kind of modest adjustment it’s compulsory to label an 'evolution, not a revolution’ in pieces like these.

It's the first tweak of the design since 2018, and the first of any significance for 15 years, so its time had come.

What's more, as you'll have spotted immediately, the use of circular dots over the letter ‘i’ is of course a playful representation of our open approach, inspired by our all-encompassing passion for the sector. (See? Perfectly capable).

How did we get here?

We weren’t entirely sure either: although many of us have notched up more than a decade of loyal service, no-one's been here for all three.

But even if you're a logo, you don't get to 30 without a few questionable style choices along the way, so out of curiosity we've trawled the archives and searched the hard drives to bring you - whether you asked for it or not - a brief history of the Harris Hill logo, as seen through generations of the Harris Hill site .

All of which brings us up to the present day and the site you're looking at right now, reading a piece about the launch of our brand new logo. And thus, the circle is complete.

That generally means it's time to go, but we hope it's been enlightening, and if there's anything we can help with regarding a vacancy or your next career move, please don't hesitate to give our specialist consultants a call, or email us on info@harrishill.co.uk

Team HH

But I fear change! Why have you done this?

In 2026 we’ll be celebrating 30 years of bringing remarkable people in the charity sector together, so we’re sprucing all kinds of things up to ensure we're in good shape for the next 30 and beyond.

And like any of us after many years of valiant service, our logo was starting to look a little tired and beyond its best. So earlier this year, we decided it was time for something new.

That's the point at which you're supposed to throw a few £million at a terribly fashionable agency to spend a few months ‘exploring your brand essence’ (cajoling reluctant staff to stick things on mood boards), five minutes on a new design, and a year or two coming up with weapons-grade woo-woo about the way it expresses your values through the shape of the vowels. Or something.

But we didn’t do that. Partly for budget reasons and partly because - as regular readers will know – we’re perfectly capable of coming up with our own meaningless bunkum when required.

1996-1999

Legend has it that our quest to provide a better recruitment service for charities began above a shop in Kingston in 1996.

Sadly there's no trace to be found of our '90s logo, but if what followed was considered an improvement, this is probably for the best.

One key consideration, however, was that where you encounter our logo has changed dramatically in the past 15 years: you're now relatively unlikely to see it in print and far more likely to do so on-screen, and probably quite a small screen at that, given the proliferation of smartphones. We needed something better suited to that environment.

At the same time, you'll know (unless you're a billionaire buyer of social media platforms) that when you have a well-established, distinctive and successful brand, it's rarely a good idea to throw out everything that made it work.

So with that in mind, we’ve kept our distinctive bright cyan – you wouldn’t have it in your living room but can't miss it even when scrolling at speed – and simply replaced the type with something more legible when small, that’s neither too corporate nor too informal, but hits a sweet spot in the middle that feels very much right for the brand.

2000

Our very first website was unleashed upon the world, proudly emblazoned with this extraordinary creation.

The calligraphy! The shadowing! The overall sense of funeral home! It’s really quite...something.

As for the tagline below it:

‘Where did you want those capital letters and quote marks?’

‘Oh, just put them anywhere you like’

To be fair, it was a different time. The 1800s, by the look of it. Still, things could only get better, right?

2002

I may have spoken too soon. By 2002 the world had discovered you could animate parts of your website and everyone was at it. It could have things that moved or flashed. It could have video-like transitions. It could fail to run on most computers and that would just show how cutting-edge you were.

Our contribution was to greet visitors to our second website with a mysterious blue circle, upon which the names of our specialisms would gradually appear, sliding to various points around the circle, and when you woke up three hours later you'd be looking at this wilfully-impractical wonder, for which the brief was presumably 'ill-advised and increasingly desperate Top of the Pops rebrand circa 1994'.

However, we did at least provide a ‘Skip intro’ button, which in the absence of any earlier sightings I can only conclude we invented, so that’ll be £20 million or so please, Netflix.

2004

A rather more sensible approach had entered the building by the time of the next update, notable for introducing the ‘charity recruitment specialists’ tagline, and for being the first Harris Hill logo you could send to a merchandise printer without reducing them to tears.

Bravo and branded stressballs all round.

2007

We can't show you our late-noughties website as only the text will display these days. We don’t know what was wrong with the imagery, but when even the internet refuses to show it, it’s surely a bit of a concern.

However, other sources show that 2004’s red logo lived on, later joined by assorted purple variants marking the launch of our Executive business.

2010

As political power in the UK switched from red to blue, so too did our logo.

Coincidence? Almost certainly, but the 2010 makeover is notable for introducing much of the branding you know and feel largely indifferent to today, with the debut of ‘bringing remarkable people together’ and our now-signature cyan.

Look, at no point did I say this was going to be exciting.

2013-17

Some stability at last in the logo's turbulent life, sailing more or less unscathed through the next two generations of our site.

Both were externally designed and growing steadily more sophisticated, expanding significantly in 2016 with the launch of the Harris Hill Blog, greater focus on our specialisms, and a standalone site for Harris Hill Independent Schools.

2018

Bringing remarkable people together remains our mission to this day, but it's not the easiest thing to fit into a tiny box on Twitter (RIP).

The rise of all things digital called for something a little more compact, so restoring 'charity recruitment specialists’ fitted the bill, as well as providing a succinct description of what we do.

For the less observant browser, it also stops us being mistaken for a ski jump, animal hospital or cemetery (see below), or an amusement park, elementary school or nursing facility, although you'd forgive the confusion at times.

The interview guide for interviewers - part 2

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 16:18:10 GMT

Interview nerves aren’t just for applicants any more. Competition for talent means that those asking the questions need to make a good impression too, yet training is thin on the ground, so we’re sharing some tips and observations from our own experience of charity interviews over many (many) years.

We’ve covered planning and process already, so it’s time to tackle the big day and some suggestions for questions.

Part 2: during the interview

First impressions count. Even for employers.

As we know from every interview guide ever written, candidates should be smart, punctual, friendly, well-prepared and give you their undivided attention at all times.

So it’s surprising how frequently interviewers fall short of these standards, given the tales we hear of candidates kept waiting for 40 minutes or more, unwelcoming staff who weren’t expecting them, interviewers visibly reading their CV for the first time, and more of these cardinal sins. If this is the effort put in when you’re trying to attract them, candidates may reason, how little would you make once they’re staff?

If you’re meeting in person, remember that candidates will be assessing you and the organisation from the moment they arrive, so consider everything they’ll encounter and ensure they’ll get a friendly and courteous welcome. Online, give yourself time to test the technology and ensure it’s running smoothly before you start, and ensure candidates have everything they need to access the session well in advance.

Either way, be sure to do at least the most basic preparation beforehand. If time is tight and there’s really no alternative, it’s probably better to be three minutes late having read their CV and learned who they are, than right on time knowing nothing.

Don't ask: unlawful questions

Which might sound obvious, but as the study we mentioned earlier discovered, understanding of what’s acceptable to ask varies enormously and is very often incorrect, resulting in as many as 85% of interviewers asking ‘off-limits’ questions.

Under the Equality Act 2010 it’s illegal to ask anything related to ‘protected characteristics’, which include age, gender, ethnicity, religion, marital status, sexual orientation and more: the Equality and Human Rights Commission has the full list here .

This means that questions that can easily arise in everyday conversation - when someone graduated, or whether they have children, for example – can be unlawful to ask in an interview setting, so without specific and up-to-date training, it’s easy to put yourself at risk of a potential lawsuit. Here's a pretty comprehensive list (with examples) of questions that should be avoided.

Instead, try asking inclusive questions: our recent blog on inclusive recruitment has some examples.

After the interview

Make the next steps clear so that candidates know when they’ll get a decision, and stick to it. If you like them, hire them and if not, don’t, but don’t leave them waiting for weeks while you decide. Even if they’re still available by the time you make an offer, it can give the impression that they weren’t your first choice.
Whatever the outcome, always give feedback and make it specific to their interview. Even if they weren’t right for you/the role, it’s still wise to leave them with a good impression of you as an employer: it’s a relatively small sector and people talk.

Listen out for...

Answers that tell you about the candidate’s personal achievements, not just what they’ve done as a team. However it’s a question of balance: if it’s always ‘we did…’ rather than ‘I did…’ it can be hard to gauge their contribution, yet if it’s ‘I did..’ all the way, are they really the team player described on their CV, or could they be taking credit for others’ achievements? Ideally, you’ll hear a mix of both.

People who might bring something new to the table, not just a replica of something you already have. It’s natural to gravitate towards candidates who remind you of strong existing staff, but diversity is more than a buzzword – it’s a very sound recruitment strategy. That’s because a team full of very similar people with very similar strengths will often clash, not helped by sharing the same weaknesses too, while a broader range of skills and characteristics can often complement each other, making for a stronger, more rounded and capable team.

Questions about the job, campaigns, what they can get involved in, plans for the organisation and others along these lines. They’re a good sign that your candidate’s interested in the job and giving it serious consideration. Questions around things like annual leave and salary are absolutely fine, but if they're the only questions asked, it could be more of a warning sign.

Set a smart schedule…

The overall aim should be to keep the process as short as possible - dragging it out increases the risk of losing top candidates to faster-moving employers – but for a level playing field, all candidates should meet the same panel.

One solution could be to hold all interviews on the same day, but be realistic about what’s achievable. Seeing three candidates might be fine, but schedule six back-to-back sessions and it’s almost inevitable that you’ll be interrupted, end up running late, and after six rounds of the same conversation, thoroughly confused about who said what.

To save everyone from potential disadvantage, set a schedule where you’ll be similarly fresh (or at least equally exhausted) for all of them.

Be ready to answer questions too

Interviews are a two-way process, so be prepared to answer candidates’ questions openly and honestly. Don’t paint an unrealistic picture – if they feel you’re hiding things it’ll harm your chances, just as it would if they did the same.

Don't ask: irrelevant questions

Questions that don’t seem relevant to the job suggest several things to candidates: that the person asking doesn’t understand the role, that it’s some kind of trick question or test, or that the role isn’t what they thought it was, none of which are helpful.

This also applies to the kind of cryptic questions popularised in the ‘90s by consultancies about to go spectacularly bust, like ‘ What colour is your elephant? ’

All these are likely to achieve is to kill off any rapport you’d managed to build now that everyone feels uncomfortable, you’re struggling to remember if purple’s a good answer or borderline sociopathic, and not a single person knows why it’s an elephant. Is this helping?

Ask: original questions

As any seasoned rock star will tell you, you don’t want to overdo the new material (see above), but rolling out the same old classics yields diminishing rewards: what are your strengths and weaknesses, where do you see yourself in five years’ time, yada yada – guitar solo – yada.

With countless answers to these widely available online, how will you know if the one you’re hearing is original, or just a carefully-memorised cover?

It’s still valuable to know about candidates’ strengths and weaknesses, but by phrasing the question differently you’re less likely to get a stock response. For example ‘what are you most proud of in your current job?’ or ‘what do people always come to you for?’ to bring out strengths, or ‘tell me about a time you messed up?’ or ‘what’s the last thing your colleagues would put you in charge of?' to cue up discussion of weaker points.

Less predictable questions are more likely to generate freshly-formed thoughts, giving you a better sense of their personality than rehearsed answers would reveal.

Ask: questions that are closely related to the job description

Such as ‘can you give me an example of when you demonstrated this skill?’ or ‘tell me about your experience of this type of work?’

The good news is that questions like these should come fairly naturally; if you find yourself straying far from the job description, it’s probably a sign that it needs updating.

So to summarise:

Remember that interviews are a two-way process: candidates will be assessing you just as you’re assessing them.

Plan interviews carefully to ensure a consistent, inclusive and candidate-friendly approach

Think through every step of the process from the candidate perspective and make sure they all give the right impression. And don’t be afraid to question established procedures if they're actively working against you.

Treat candidates with the same respect and professionalism you expect from them.

Steer clear of personal, over-used and irrelevant questions – keep them fresh and closely related to the job at hand.

Answer candidate questions honestly and make clear when they’ll hear from you (then make sure they do).

Finally, remember that interviews aren’t just a means of selecting new staff; they’re an opportunity to enhance your employer brand. The more people that go away with a positive impression, whether or not they get the job, the easier recruitment will be in future.

Good luck!

Team Harris Hill

The interview guide for interviewers - part 1

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 15:55:39 GMT

It’s the big day and even your butterflies are nervous. You don’t get many chances so you can’t afford to mess this one up; you’ve got to make them see you’re ideal. But what if they still accept another offer?

Yes, interview nerves aren’t just for applicants any more. The battle for talent means employers can’t always assume the upper hand, particularly in areas like fundraising where candidates may have multiple offers, so charities really need to make the right impression.

But while interview tips for job-seekers are everywhere, what if you’re asking the questions?

We asked the internet but it basically shrugged, pretended not to hear and tried distracting us with videos of (adorable) snowboarding dogs - so in this guide started some hours later, we’ll share some of the things we've learned from almost 30 years of organising, conducting or participating in charity sector interviews.

Part 1: planning ahead

Success, as any number of insufferable LinkedIn posts will tell you, is all in the planning. So before we tackle the questions, some interview preparation: why it’s essential for employers and how to set yourself up for a successful outcome. Starting with a very simple question…

What’s the point of interviews?

Judging by just about every portrayal of an interview in everything ever made, they’re the all-powerful employer’s opportunity to grill potential candidates and decide who to hire. Will our plucky protagonist get the job? Who will get through? Dramatic music and unnecessarily long pauses!

However the perspective we rarely see is that they’re also a chance for candidates to evaluate employers and decide where they want to work.

Poor interview practice is often a result of failing to consider the candidate perspective, but both are essential: there’s little point in a process that brilliantly identifies the best candidates if none of them subsequently want the job.

1. Choose your interviewers wisely

Two of them ideally, one being the immediate line manager, while the other might be their manager, the head of department or HR.

However, job title matters far less than their knowledge of the post you want to fill. Someone who’s previously worked in the role, for example, will likely be a better advocate for the job and better able to judge someone’s suitability than a more distant senior figure - however their strength will be in advocating for the organisation, bringing the big-picture perspective to its ambitions, values, impact and future direction.

Having interviewers who each bring something different to the table is helpful, but doesn't require the whole ‘good cop/bad cop’ routine, however much you might like the uniform.

Changing things up for the second round can add fresh perspectives and stop it feeling like a re-run of the first, and if you’re meeting in person, why not arrange a few informal chats with other team members too? It's an approach we can vouch for ourselves that gives us the benefit of more opinions, while candidates get a better feel for the workplace and whether it’s right for them.

Now you’ve got the perfect panel in place, commitment to an achievable, candidate-friendly schedule, and potential roadblocks cleared from the way ahead, you’re ready to start asking some questions. Which is what we’ll discuss in part 2.

What makes candidates want to work for you?

A big factor is their opinion of you as an employer, otherwise known as your employer brand.

And what - according to research by corporate recruitment giant Robert Walters and Third Sector’s Employer Branding Insights report from a few years ago - has the greatest impact on those opinions? Interviews, of course.

In the Robert Walters study, albeit conducted overseas, 97% of candidates cited interviews as ‘important’ or ‘extremely important’ in shaping their opinion of employers, while here in the Third Sector the number one factor, cited by 81.9% , was ‘the impression left by interviewers’.

Third Sector’s report also revealed that no less than 89% of candidates would turn down a job based on a bad interview experience, which is why they're not the only ones who need to impress at interviews. In a close-knit sector where people love to talk, getting it wrong can quickly damage your employer brand, making it harder to attract quality candidates, thereby affecting your organisation and by extension, potentially even your own career.

(e.g. £45,000 in the above case)

4. Know the rules (and when to bend them)

It might not always feel like it, but policies are generally intended to help you, so if they’re actually holding you back it’s worth finding out if exceptions can be made.

For example, two-stage interviews might be your organisation’s standard procedure, but are they truly essential for the junior vacancy you’re trying to fill? If second interviews only confirm your first impressions, there’s a fair argument for skipping them entirely.

Or what if you happen to find the perfect candidate who’s eager to join, but for balance, you’re obliged to see at least three? Do you break the rules to snap them up, or keep them hanging while you try to find two more? There’s a risk of losing your first choice in that time (as has happened to clients of ours), and is it fair to those who are only making up the numbers?

You can’t plan for every eventuality, but you can get to know your organisation’s recruitment policies, identify any likely obstacles, and address them with the relevant people before you get there. They may even know a good way around them.

It’s a good thing managers are trained before they start interviewing then – aren’t they?

Well, yes and no. But mainly no, according to CIPD research which found that only 28% of UK employers consistently provide such training, while a 2018 study by science and technology specialists Hyper Recruitment Solutions found that 47% of hiring managers had never received relevant training, rising to 64% of those with recently-acquired interviewing responsibilities.

For charities, rarely burdened with tech-industry training budgets, the picture may be even worse. We’d better get on with those tips….

2. Set a smart schedule…

To save everyone from potential disadvantage, set a schedule where you’ll be similarly fresh (or at least equally exhausted) for all of them.

3 …and stick to it

Once the arrangements are circulated, consider them set in stone.

Come hell or high water – and both seem increasingly likely - they’re not to be shunted around, since candidates may have gone to great lengths for time off to attend. Those working from home may have more flexibility, but if they’re office-based, beginning or end-of-day timeslots are preferable, simply because it’s easier to invent a reason to arrive late/leave early than to disappear mid-morning, looking curiously smart…

And while you might be able to reschedule at a moment’s notice, remember it could be far trickier for your interviewee. It’s already the fourth time their grandmother’s been buried, and now it’s been bumped to next Tuesday?

Ten reasons you need a recruitment agency

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 08:05:47 GMT

Ten reasons you need a recruitment agency.

Okay, ‘need’ is a strong word, but try getting ‘would benefit greatly from working with’ into a punchy headline.

If you’re looking for jobs, there’s little question: being with an agency gives you access to more opportunities, help and support with your search, and costs you precisely nothing, so it’s difficult to see a downside.

For an organisation looking to hire, however, it’s not quite that simple. Putting an agency on the case might be the easiest (and we’d argue, most effective) option, but in these belt-tightening times, couldn’t you get the same result and cut costs by doing it all yourself?

After all, if you're in a position to be hiring, you’re probably no stranger to the recruitment process. And unlike, say, performing heart surgery or directing air traffic, it seems like the kind of thing you could probably have a bash at without any specific training, and not risk imminent catastrophe.

Clearly, it's an option, but is it the most efficient one that will deliver the best outcome? Can you afford to spend the time, and what happens to your other projects in the meantime? And crucially, once all these things are factored in, will you actually save any money?

As a recruitment agency ourselves (full disclosure: that’s kind of our thing), you can probably guess where we stand on this, but there are very good reasons behind it. And if you're prepared to read on, strap in, because we're fully prepared to list them.

Let's do this.

1. Saving your time

It’s very easy to underestimate the time you’ll spend on a recruitment campaign, or to imagine you’ll be able to schedule it neatly around your existing projects without affecting them. That might initially be the case as you prepare the job description and advert, but once it’s posted, it’s anyone’s guess what you'll get, like sending a parcel through Yodel.

People will respond. Many will have questions. Some of them will even be about the job. There could be a deluge of applications that takes days to deal with, or almost nothing at all, sending you back to the drawing board. And if you do find promising candidates, you’ll need to move quickly before they’re snapped up elsewhere, which could throw out your schedule.

About the only certainty is that it’ll demand considerably more of your time than you expect. Brief it to an agency however, and all of this is off your shoulders. You’ll need to choose who to interview and do so, of course, but they’ll take care of all the sourcing, vetting and co-ordinating with candidates, leaving you free to get on with your work.

2. Keeping it legal

Regulation around the recruitment process is always evolving, concerning things like the right to work, data protection, discrimination by age/race/gender and so forth, so if you haven’t recruited for a while, what’s considered best practice has probably changed.

It’s a lot to keep up with if it’s not your everyday role, so if you’re at all uncertain, going through a reputable agency is a good way to quell your concerns. Or at least to make it their problem.

8. Keeping it confidential

Conversely, while we’re all for openness and transparency, there are times when the brand needs to stay in the shadows; when it would be inappropriate, insensitive or simply unhelpful to tell the world you’re recruiting for a particular position.

That’s very difficult when recruiting directly, so agencies are the ideal solution for sensitive roles or situations requiring discretion, providing an anonymous and professional buffer during the recruitment process.

10. Cost

‘Now hold on a minute...’, you're thinking, ‘...isn’t this the main reason not to use an agency?’

That's certainly what you'd see from the road, so to speak, but it’s worth going up for a closer look, because there are things you might not have considered that mitigate it quite significantly:

• Aside from the most senior executive roles, recruitment is generally on a contingency basis, where payment is contingent on a successful result. In short, that means you only pay if we succeed in filling the vacancy, and if not, there’s no charge. This arrangement makes it impossible to waste money on recruitment campaigns that don’t work, something that’s only too possible when running your own.

• Fees are agreed at the outset, and in our case at least, you won’t pay a penny more, even if the campaign proves far longer and more challenging than expected.

• There is no cost-free option. Doing everything yourself might seem cheaper on the surface, but it comes at the cost of your time, which itself is a cost to the organisation. And unlike an agency fee, that cost will simply keep going up, the longer it takes to fill the position.

• There’s also the cost of advertising the role to consider. Recruitment agencies typically post far more jobs than a single organisation, so they tend to get much better rates from job boards. Most share the benefit of this, offering discounted advertising, and rumour has it there's even one super-generous agency, specialising in the charity sector, couple of ‘H’s in the name, who won't charge you for it at all. Chapeau! (whoever you are).

All told, it’s worth looking carefully at the numbers to see how your options really stack up. Ultimately, only you will know how the total cost of your time spent recruiting, your advertising spend, and the cost of delaying other work compares with an agency fee, but we’re willing to bet it’s a lot closer than you think.

In fact, you may well find that recruiting through an agency doesn’t just make financial sense, save time, make you better-looking and bring you lots of new friends (I may be embellishing a little), but delivers better outcomes in terms of candidate quality, choice, diversity, the candidate experience, and all the other factors we’ve outlined above.

Why not call one today?

David Young, Director of Marketing, and the team at Harris Hill

4. A broader reach

Advertising predominantly reaches those who are actively job-seeking, but in the charity sector, limited numbers usually mean you’ll also need those who aren’t. You might also want to reach a more diverse range of people than have applied for previous vacancies.

This is where a specialist agency can be invaluable, because they’ll know many of the right people already. For example in our case, having worked solely with the charity sector for almost 30 years, there’s a good chance we’ve placed them or at least had some interaction before. Even if we haven’t, we've got the resources, privileged access to LinkedIn, and a range of powerful proactive search tools to track them down.

It's less alarming than it sounds.

5. Better candidates

Recruiting directly means dealing with every application that comes in: the good, the bad and the wildly irrelevant, of which there tend to be quite a few. By contrast we use rigorous screening processes to ensure applicants meet the required qualifications, experience, and cultural fit, filtering out the unsuitable to ensure that you only see candidates who are worth your time to review.

You’d expect us to say that, of course, but while we can’t speak for our entire agency brethren, for us it’s simply a matter of logic: our goal is to fill the vacancy, and for you to be delighted and return, so it’s always in our interests (neatly aligned with yours here) to put forward the very best possible candidates.

7. Selling the opportunity

In our experience, hiring managers can often talk animatedly and at length about the job and the type of person they need, but when asked what they offer in return, everyone looks a little awkward and tumbleweeds roll by.

We're exaggerating slightly, but it's reflected in a lot of charity job descriptions, with lists of responsibilities and essential/desirable characteristics that far outweigh everything else. And it's notable how often, when asked what makes them a good employer, charities talk only about the benefits of their work to society, not the benefits of being a member of staff.

That gap is a real problem if you're trying to recruit, but fortunately, one that recruitment consultants are perfectly placed to fill, because finding the positives from a candidate perspective and generating interest with them is like breathing to these people.

It's what they do, and they're very good at it. I've been promised they'll release me now.

Here at Harris Hill (other agencies are, for now, available), we can also work with you to develop a strong employer brand that communicates your strengths as a place to work. And if you already have one, it needn’t be compromised by working with an agency. We can mirror your branding and processes to provide a candidate experience entirely consistent with your own, acting as ambassadors for your organisation.

In a world where you can advertise jobs and hold interviews from the comfort of your kitchen table, is there any benefit to bringing professional recruiters on board? We investigate, discover far too many, then whittle them down to...

3. Market insight

Knowing your market is a big advantage when you need to find new talent, and even if it’s a field you often recruit in, you’ll struggle to know it better than a specialist consultant who does so all day, every day, for multiple organisations, all year round (bar the odd fortnight in Marbella).

Their up-to-the-minute insight can make all the difference when suitable candidates are scarce.

6. Knowledgeable advice and support

To fill a position successfully, you need to see it in the context of the wider sector: how does it compare to similar roles elsewhere? Are there many people with the skills you need, and where are they likely to be? What would attract them to the role?

Working with an agency gives you a recruitment partner with that crucial external perspective: as sector specialists, for example, our consultants can offer deep insights into the job market, salary benchmarking and hiring trends. They'll also be happy to discuss recruitment strategy more broadly, and can offer an informed professional opinion on anything you’re unsure of, to help you make the best decisions.

9. Flexibility

Hiring directly is one thing for permanent positions, but maintaining your own roster of available talent for temporary or contract roles is a very different proposition, and likely unfeasible for most organisations.

However, agencies are the obvious solution here too, as that’s exactly what many of them do. So in our case, for example, whether it’s for a week, for a year or forever (give or take), we’ll be able to adapt to your specific requirements.

To find out more about how we can help your organisation to recruit, follow the links below to contact our consultants or read more about our services. You can also submit a job directly, or give us a call on 020 7820 7300. We'd be happy to help!

Connecting Gen Z: how charities can engage the next generation

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 08:20:13 GMT

Who are Gen Z?

Generation Z, commonly referred to as Gen Z, describes people who were born typically between 1997 and 2012, making them between 12 and 27 years old at the time of writing.

Sandwiched between Millennials and Generation Alpha, it's fair to say that their identity has been moulded by the digital age, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as ‘digital natives’, they were raised in the information age and have never experienced a world without the internet. While some Gen Zers may hazily remember a time with fewer devices, technology has always been integral to their lives. This constant access to information at their fingertips, technology and social media has profoundly influenced their habits, values and expectations when it comes to work, communication and learning.

How does Gen Z search for jobs?

According to Statista, 98% of Gen Z own a smartphone and 81% own a laptop . This generation relies heavily on digital information to guide their job search, particularly when sizing up that all-important potential new employer.

As 'digital natives', Gen Z are the masters of online research, which means that a strong online presence and a reputable brand are crucial for charities. A solid reputation could signal engagement and authenticity, while a positive brand image shows that an organisation treats their employees fairly and well - and this is appealing.

This generation demands transparency, and so they are likely to comb through a company’s website, social media platforms and employee reviews on platforms like Glassdoor to ensure alignment with their values, mission and purpose. Additionally, with TikTok influencing trends and culture, charities should be mindful of how they present themselves on their socials. Ultimately, Gen Z wants to know if your employer brand is genuinely aligned with your values, strategies, and policies and, ultimately, if they would be proud to be part of your organisation and associated with your name.

By embracing these strategies, charities can create a dynamic, forward-thinking workplace that appeals to Gen Z’s desire for purpose, flexibility and impact. Charities that focus on these approaches will not only attract exceptional talent but also build a passionate, motivated workforce committed to driving meaningful change for the future.

Nicola Greenbrook , London based freelance writer, podcaster and HR specialist

Contact Nicola

How can managers effectively manage Gen Z?

Managing Gen Z employees can present a unique set of challenges, as, arguably, they demand more from work than the generations that came before them (and are not afraid to vocalise this).

They know their worth, expect flexible working arrangements, talk openly about the importance of wellbeing and prioritise work-life balance to avoid burnout. Understanding the purpose behind their work and any tasks assigned to them is essential for their engagement before they commit their time and effort to it.

So, how can managers get the best out of Gen Zers in their team? A good place to start is to invest in their learning, development and career progression by providing clear paths and mentorship opportunities within the charity sector to build their skills.

High emotional intelligence and effective communication styles are critical, as it’s likely that more conventional leadership styles might not cut it. Managers should also consider how Gen Z likes to digest information — typically in small, bite-sized doses — and try to balance formal performance management processes with continuous feedback.

Ultimately, work-life balance is more attractive than financial rewards or flashy benefits packages for Gen Z. People Management reports that over 80% of Gen Z frontline workers are facing burnout , and that they seek purpose and connection through their work. With that in mind, managers should measure quality and output - rather than hours worked - so their teams feel valued and connected.

Strategies for attracting (and keeping) Gen Z in the charity sector

To engage Gen Z, charities need to go beyond traditional approaches and align with some of the key priorities for this generation, including purpose, flexibility, innovation, social impact and inclusion to create authentic connections at work.

Here’s some suggested strategies:

Expand recruitment techniques: Reach Gen Z where they spend a big chunk of their time; online and on social media, by actively recruiting on platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn . Consider alternatives to the standard CV, like video introductions and interviews and leverage authentic, informal interactions to build connections with potential hires.

Highlight innovation and impact: Gen Z wants to see the real-world impact of your work. Use storytelling, data and first-hand accounts from your supporters and users of the impact your charity has had in creating positive change. This can help align your mission with their values.

Create mobile-optimised, engaging content: Consider using punchy, bite-sized videos and mobile-friendly content. Engage Gen Z through platforms like Instagram and make sure your website is not only visually appealing but that it uses relatable, inclusive language.

Publicise volunteer opportunities and internships: Open doors with internships, volunteer roles, and other entry-level opportunities that allow Gen Z to get directly involved in your mission and develop relevant skills before they make the leap to apply for a permanent role.

Highlight flexibility, development and wellbeing: Flexible working arrangements, mental health and wellbeing support and clear career development paths are important to Gen Z - so be sure to showcase how well you do this at your charity.

Commit to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Build an inclusive, supportive workplace culture where people feel safe, respected and able to be their authentic self. Demonstrate a genuine commitment to DEI and in creating a positive, welcoming environment where Gen Z’s voices are valued and heard.

For Generation Z, work isn’t simply about making ends meet; it’s about making a positive difference and impact. Members of Gen Z tend to be deeply passionate about social change and eager to join organisations that align closely with their values. However, attracting, managing and retaining Gen Z can present unique challenges for the charity sector.

In our latest blog, freelance writer Nicola Greenbrook explores effective strategies to engage ‘Zoomers’ and harness their enthusiasm, drive and tech expertise.

What do Gen Zers value at work?

Gen Zers tend to prioritise a genuine work-life balance, making hybrid working, remote options and dynamic flexible arrangements are at the top end of their checklist.

They place significant importance on employer values such as diversity, inclusion and social responsibility as well as mental health support. Opportunities for career development and growth are also crucial for this generation. Additionally, they expect their voices to be heard when it comes to decision-making and active project roles.

What are their behaviours?

To effectively engage Gen Z in charity sector jobs, it's helpful to understand their distinct behaviours.

Although not an exhaustive list, Gen Zers tend to be:

tech-adept and digitally literate
politically active and socially and environmentally conscious, caring deeply about climate change
driven and passionate about social justice
concerned about the future, having experienced economic struggles during the cost-of-living crisis, and lived through a global pandemic and world conflicts

While work matters to them, Gen Z also strives for a balance between their careers and personal life aspirations, often engaging in side hustles and other activities outside of their 'main' job. There's a wealth of exceptional and motivated talent among Gen Z, which highlights the need to actively encourage and support this generation in exploring and pursuing fulfilling careers within the charity sector.

New Title

Open to all: inclusive recruitment in the charity sector

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 08:50:36 GMT

By our count, there are precisely two ways of making your organisation more diverse and inclusive:

1) Change the people you have, or 2) Change the people you hire.

The first means trying to eliminate employees' unconscious bias through ongoing training, an approach that has been shown to have only a limited and fleeting impact at best . If for some reason you haven’t got vast sums to throw at a largely fruitless exercise, that leaves you the second option, putting it squarely in the purview of recruitment.

What makes an inclusive recruitment process?

If you’re not using discriminatory language or actively precluding particular groups, it’s easy to believe that your hiring process is already inclusive and open to all. But that might not necessarily be the case, as there are potential pitfalls throughout the process that might be pushing certain groups away.

To address this, we suggest working carefully through the process from a candidate’s perspective, paying particular attention to these key elements.

• The job description

• The person specification

• Advertising

• Applications

• Interviews

Let’s take these one by one, and fair warning, you might want another coffee first, there’s quite a lot of this.

Another approach we’ve been using with Maudsley Charity that’s becoming more popular is to send questions to interviewees in advance. ‘But surely this is madness?!’, we hear you cry, and it’s certainly unconventional, but the reasoning is sound.

Providing questions ahead of time allows you to evaluate candidates based on their considered answers - often a fair reflection of their knowledge and outlook - rather than what they blurt out on the spot under interview pressure, which often isn’t. It’s particularly helpful for neurodivergent candidates who may struggle to think on their feet, reducing stress and anxiety, and enables more people to perform well at interview than would otherwise be the case.

After all, unless responding to unexpected questions on the spot will be part of their job, does it matter if they’re not particularly good at it? By springing questions on people unannounced, there’s a risk of rejecting someone who’d be great at the job in favour of someone who’s simply good at interviews.

There are drawbacks of course, one being that candidates’ answers could sound robotic and over-rehearsed, focusing more on remembering the words than what they’re actually saying. This could make it hard to get a sense of their character or build a rapport.

There’s also a risk they could seek help from others, experts or AI – how will you know their answers are their own?

A solution that charities are increasingly using is to provide interview questions just a short time, perhaps a maximum of two hours, in advance. This retains the benefit of easing candidate nerves while minimising (albeit not entirely eradicating) their opportunity to get help or over-rehearse.

An alternative is to provide some, but not all, of the questions ahead of time, which gives space for more spontaneous, off-the-cuff conversation. This can give you a better sense of their character and personality.

The job description

Most readers of job descriptions are looking to answer one question: is this something I can do? Having a disability or other condition makes that a bigger question, and what can be even more frustrating than a ‘no’ is when there's just not enough information given to answer it at all.

Vague assertions like ‘the role requires some travel’ may suffice for those with few concerns or commitments, but many will need to know more. To where? How often? For how long? By what means? People can judge for themselves if a role is within their capability, but they need full and specific details to do it.

That said, listing every last responsibility of the role can look daunting, even if half of them amount to little more than a moment’s work. Rolling minor tasks into ‘other duties as required’ is fine, provided they don’t require anything more of the individual than is covered elsewhere. This can help to keep the list looking manageable and (importantly) proportionate to the salary on offer.

So to make your job description inclusive, think clear, sufficiently detailed to assess the logistics, but not overwhelming. Which brings us to…

The person specification

This is a little trickier. How do you make a list of ‘essential’ attributes, the very point of which is to exclude certain people, more inclusive?

In three words: less is more. The shorter the list, the fewer reasons for someone to rule themselves out, so question every requirement, challenge assumptions (see the Paralympic Games for ample evidence that attributes once considered essential may not be), and be ruthless in removing criteria that are anything short of absolutely life-or-death vital.

Also, in the sober words of the CIPD : ‘When advertising for existing roles, we recommend assessing the needs of the role as it stands today, rather than relying on previous adverts or specifications’.

Which is to say, don’t just bang out the same spec as last time, because that’s what they did then too, and probably the time before that, and this is how you end up with ads calling skills ‘essential’ that haven’t been relevant for 20 years.

But why not aim higher and ask for everything that would make up the perfect candidate? You’re not expecting to get it, but there’s no harm in asking, right?

Actually, there might be: there’s a widely-quoted statistic, shared by the Harvard Business Review and former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg among others, that while men are happy with 60%, women feel they need to meet 100% of the specified criteria before they’ll apply for a role. That's clearly a problem if your criteria are so extensive that no-one could possibly tick every single box.

As it turns out, this wasn't a scientific finding, purely a guess by someone in a meeting at Hewlett-Packard , but while a ctual research by the Behavioural Insights Team found a less dramatic gender difference, the point remains that asking too much simply reduces the proportion of boxes that even the strongest candidates can tick, and this makes them (whatever their gender) less likely to apply. Stick to the skills that are needed and no more.

Charities are more aware than most of the barriers to employment that marginalised or disadvantaged groups of people often face, yet research also suggests that sectors like hospitality, arts & entertainment and even telecoms are making a better job of being more inclusive and building a diverse workforce.

So what better time than National Inclusion Week to look at the progress of inclusive recruitment in the charity sector: why it’s needed, what employers are doing, and how to apply it to your own recruitment process...

Why do we need inclusive recruitment?

According to disability charity Scope , around 23% of working age adults in the UK are disabled , while the British Dyslexia Association reports that more than 15% are neurodiverg ent, and numbers are rising.

While there’s overlap between the two groups, that’s still at least a quarter of the workforce facing obstacles to employment or progression, while many more still face an uphill battle (even if arguably on a slightly lesser incline than in the past) due to factors like race, age and gender.

For many people, breaking down those barriers is simply the right thing to do. One organisation determined to do so is South London’s Maudsley Charity , which became an independent entity (from the Maudsley Hospital) in 2018.

We’ve partnered with them to run inclusive recruitment processes since 2021 when, as former Director of Finance and Operations Lisa Kiew explained: ‘We recognised that like many charities and the third sector as a whole, we didn’t reflect the communities that we work with and on behalf of. For that to change, we needed to commit, invest resources and prioritise taking action.’

The charity has pioneered a raft of inclusive initiatives, including a well-received webinar where prospective candidates can, swathed in the cloak of anonymity if preferred, ask anything they like of the Maudsley team. It’s a smart decision, because even aside from the moral argument, if you're looking for the very best candidates, it simply makes sense to keep the talent pool as large as possible by ensuring no-one is needlessly excluded.

What’s more, maximising the available talent isn’t the only benefit of being more inclusive. There’s now plenty of evidence that diverse teams outperform their more homogenous counterparts , while a diverse workforce also improves the employer brand, which in turn makes it easier to recruit. Call it a virtuous circle. It likes that.

Advertising the job

Be aware that the language in your ad can suggest a degree of bias. Words like ‘competitive’ or ‘driven’ can give the impression you’re expecting to hire a man, which can often deter female applicants, while words like ‘supportive’ or ‘nurturing’ can suggest you’re seeking a woman, although interestingly this doesn’t deter male applicants in the same way.

Consider where to advertise, too. If you’re not getting sufficient diversity from the usual channels, try others; there are now plenty of job boards aimed specifically at one or more marginalised groups. In our experience, these may not guarantee more hires from said groups, but they do show you’re willing to invest in attracting them, with positive effects on the employer brand that can pay off further down the line.

Referrals can be helpful if they’re targeted towards underrepresented groups, but remember that if you’re simply asking staff to refer a friend, you’ll tend to get people who are fairly alike. Be wary too of prioritising 'cultural fit' which, when you look at it, is just a more acceptable way of saying that you're looking for ‘people like us’.

Showing the salary of the role is a must: some groups (you can probably guess which) are more comfortable and successful negotiating salaries than others, so leaving it open increases disparities. Further to the earlier point about detail, salary information is pretty essential for jobseekers to know if it’s a viable prospect worth pursuing, while many see a certain lack of respect in expecting candidates to jump through the hoops of application (terrible band) with no idea if it’s even worthwhile.

Finally, you can use the ad to make applicants of all kinds feel welcome and included, by proactively inviting them to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed upfront.

Applications

How should people apply for the role? CVs and supporting statements suit some just fine - they’re familiar and the internet is awash with tips on doing them well – but they might not be the right forum for everyone to shine. Why judge someone’s ability to create a well-presented written document if what you’re looking for is resilience and interpersonal skills?

Inclusive recruiting means hiring people for what they can do, not what they can’t, so switching CVs for something that plays to their people skills might be more illuminating in this instance.

In the interests of eliminating bias however, some charities advocate for a highly standardised application form, often anonymised by removing names, dates and other identifying details. Everyone’s asked the same questions, making it easy to compare answers, and if nobody knows whose they’re reading, decisions cannot be influenced by anything other than the substance of what they have said.

However, a plea on behalf of applicants everywhere: it’s either a form or a CV, but not both. Few things say ‘we have no respect for your time’ as clearly as insisting a CV be uploaded, then asking for all the same information again in a different format.

Interviews

This is where bias gets some of its best opportunities to creep into the process, thanks to the presence of multiple people and a fair amount of actual human interaction (a quick pause here for our introverts to finish shuddering).

However, charities like the British Heart Foundation (BHF) are fighting hard to keep bias out, recently launching an interactive interview-building tool that reads the job description and person specification, determines the required characteristics, and designs questions to help you assess them objectively. These become part of structured interviews , in which all candidates are asked the same things in the same order, with their answers scored against specific criteria agreed in advance.

As Maggie Morgan-Valentine, BHF’s head of equality, diversity and inclusion told Civil Society : ‘By designing structured interviews with robust evaluation criteria, we can reduce the influence of bias and find the best candidates based on objective requirements for success in each role’.

Whatever you choose, it’s important to ensure a level playing field, by running an interview process that works equally for all.

Often overlooked in this are the financial costs for candidates. If someone has to travel from elsewhere into London, for example, during peak hours for a 9am interview, perhaps in smart new clothing they’ve had to buy, it’s neither cheap, nor something they’ll be able to do too often. Could the logistics of your interview process be limiting access to only those with the funds to take part?

The answer that many charities have alighted on is to hold all interviews online, the pros and cons of which are perhaps for another time, except to note that while this may lose something in terms of personal rapport, in today’s workplace it’s arguably just as important to see how someone performs on a Teams call as how they perform in an uncomfortably hot box room in your office.

Ultimately, there’s no secret formula that brings down the barriers and unlocks a vast untapped source of wonderfully diverse professionals. More often than not, the art of inclusive recruiting is simply to avoid things that drive them away.

There’s also a limit to how far it can go. With a single position, you’ll inevitably reach a point where you have to exclude all but one person, however innovative the route there.

But for everyone to have a fair chance of being that person, they need a fair chance of making the shortlist, a level playing field all the way back, and to feel they’ll be just as valued, just as welcome to take part in the process as anyone else.

And that’s where inclusive recruitment practices can really make a difference.

Team Harris Hill

2024 Salary Survey: CEO salaries and executive trends

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 09:12:52 GMT

What are charity chief executives really getting paid in 2024?

If anyone knows, it’s the experts of our Chief Executive and Director Recruitment Practice , each of whom has been successfully placing charity leaders and senior executives for more than a decade.

Working with third sector organisations of all sizes nationwide, they've appointed more than 50 CEOs for charities in the last two years alone, and here's what they had to say about executive pay in the 2024 Harris Hill Salary Survey , which you can find in full via the link below.

Fortune favours the brave

For their part, candidates remain consistent about what they’re looking for, but what could really change the game is a more open mind on the part of organisations, in terms of who they’re willing to consider.

The biggest obstacle is a general aversion to applicants from outside the sector. Charities are missing out on many exceptional commercial candidates who are willing to take the salary cut to get into the sector, or for their first CEO role, and who have bags of the business acumen that boards say they’re looking for. Yet they're routinely rejected for reasons such as a lack of fundraising experience.

It’s understandable: hiring decisions at this level are a big responsibility, one that normally rests with trustees who as a group, almost by definition, tend to be risk-averse. Few will blame them if they go for the safe option and it doesn’t work out, but plenty will point the finger if they take a chance on something different and it’s anything short of a triumph.

Inevitably, that tends to favour the known, charity sector quantity over an ambitious outsider, whatever their individual merits.

Rules: made to be broken

CEOs have always enjoyed a fair degree of flexibility by virtue of their position - who’s going to stop them working from home if they choose to? - but it remains an important part of the package, and one that can be more flexible in itself than it first appears.

Charities will usually explain how flexible they’re prepared to be at the outset, as a matter of general policy. However, we very often see that once it comes down to discussing a specific individual and their requirements, there’s a great deal more willingness to accommodate them, particularly if refusal runs the risk of losing an otherwise excellent candidate.

CEO salaries and executive market trends

CEO salaries vary enormously depending on factors such as the size of the organisation, scale of the job, whether you’re managing or actively fundraising too, and whether you’re keeping a well-oiled machine running smoothly or spearheading dramatic transformation, so the numbers alone mean little without the individual context.

However, aside from the very biggest charities, where CEO pay among those with incomes above £50m averaged £175,000 in 2023 , the vast majority of charity CEO earnings fall somewhere in the range we’ve handled over the last 12 months: broadly speaking, £60,000 to £120,000.

Upward pressure on pay continues to be most in evidence at the lower end of the scale: salaries beginning with a ‘5’ are all but entirely a thing of the past, while even £60,000 is only viable for those prepared to be flexible on what’s required of potential candidates.

Somewhat reassuringly in this mixed-up world, salaries appear to have an entirely predictable relationship with application numbers. Offer more than £90k and take your pick from a veritable smörgåsbord of leadership talent; offer less and prepare to be more of a sandwich board, trying to attract the attention of passing professionals – which is not to say that you won't succeed eventually, but you should probably be prepared for a considerable wait.

2024 Salary Survey: finance and temps market trends

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 10:23:59 GMT

Wage growth might be outstripping inflation somewhere, but it’s not in the world of charity finance, where last year’s healthy increases have largely fizzled out. That’s more to do with weaker demand than a plentiful supply of candidates, although numbers are expected to creep up in the wake of numerous closures, restructuring and general weakness in the market.

Market conditions certainly seem to have emboldened employers to be more particular about what they want, and to hold out until they get it. Where a choice of six strong candidates once sufficed, they may now have more than a dozen, but still be prepared to keep looking if none tick every last box.

Recent experience suggests they’ll eventually find someone who does, which they’d sooner do than raise the salary, so we’re seeing considerably longer campaigns, often taking up to six months or more for positions that were formerly filled in two.

The law of unintended consequences strikes again

Finance departments appear to be particularly fertile ground for the growth of hybrid jobs, bolting finance roles together with operations, IT, HR and more. However there’s a particular reason it may be a mixed blessing here.

Thanks to highly transferable skills, finance roles have long been a viable route into the sector for external candidates. However the non-finance half of a hybrid role often requires charity sector experience, cutting off that valuable source of talent.

Temporary and interim market trends

While recruitment activity is down across the board this year, demand for temporary staff has held up better than most, partly due to the uncertain outlook that makes temporary hires easier to justify than permanent additions to headcount.

Activity has also been buoyed by significant restructuring, creating temporary gaps while charities evaluate their long-term needs, and – albeit in the least desirable way – boosting the number of experienced professionals available for temporary work.

That’s made it marginally easier to find temps in areas like business services, but not (of course) in fundraising, where most are whisked off the market the moment they arrive, and temps are often covering permanent posts that the organisation is unable to fill.

Meanwhile marketing temps are increasingly seeing employers asking twice as much of them, failing to offer a penny more in return, and wondering why they’re not interested; candidates preferring to hold out for somewhere that values the extra work, skills and experience being requested at slightly more than zero.

Easier at the top

Perhaps unexpectedly, candidates for more senior positions are currently proving easier to find than their junior counterparts, but roles at any level below £35,000 (or equivalent) struggle to drum up interest, as do roles requiring more than two days a week on site.

Both problems can be solved by raising the salary, but if that option is out of stock, some are happy with extra flexibility as a substitute.

The bigger picture

It’s not all about salary, however: candidates increasingly want to know more about pensions and benefits, weighing up the whole package, and offering good schemes in these areas can at least partly compensate for lower pay.

Charities can be sure of getting who they want by moving more quickly – many an ideal candidate is lost during the long wait for a decision.

Meanwhile for their part, some senior candidates (although by no means all) could help their own cause by doing more to tailor CVs and research organisations ahead of interview. Perhaps understandably, having landed good jobs with little effort in the past, some see no need to start trying now, but are losing out on some great opportunities as a result.

What's happening in the job market for those in charity finance, and for temporary and interim staff throughout the sector? Here's what our specialists had to say in our 2024 Salary Survey , where you'll also find the latest rates for around 200 charity sector positions .

Finance market trends

Temp, contract or freelance?

In the past year we’ve seen contracts starting to overtake traditional temp roles, making up more than 50% of our placements. Employed directly for an agreed term rather than week to week through an agency, it tends to be slightly cheaper for the organisation and gives everyone a little more security.

However, if an extra contract on the books isn’t ideal, charities can also turn to the highly skilled and increasingly available army of consultants and freelancers working as sole traders. This route requires a little care to stay on the right side of IR35 regulations, but is no more expensive and can lead to a valuable trove of talented available candidates.

Ask us if you’d like to know more!

When two become one: rise of the Frankenjob

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 10:37:43 GMT

Jobs, as you'll know if you've ever had one, have a way of expanding over time.

Which is very often this way (courtesy of the excellent Work Chronicles ):

There are other potential positives too: in order to perform both parts of the new role at once, postholders will generally have to delegate a fair chunk of each to their teams, giving others an opportunity to grow.

In small organisations particularly, where people are used to having to wear several hats, it might also provide much-needed progression for senior talent who otherwise have nowhere to go.

And while it’s generally a cost-cutting measure, amalgamating smaller roles can also be a way to prevent them becoming redundant altogether, helping to retain valuable – if not continuously required – skills.

So what's the problem?

If we’ve learned one thing from bingeing Netflix dramas in our – let’s call it ‘loungewear’ – it’s that there’s always a price, and in this case, much of it paid by the postholder struggling with a challenging workload, more responsibilities, and often a whole new arena in which they’ll be expected to know their stuff.

As a result, many report feeling overloaded, while some see it as taking advantage of their naturally giving disposition, one that happens to be fairly common in the charity sector.

It doesn’t help they’ve rarely had much say in the matter – restructures tend not to offer an ‘Or, y’know, you can just stay as you are’ option, so people often feel obliged to accept the dual role, but may not necessarily be thrilled about it.

Nonetheless, they'll do their best to do the job as well as they always have, and there lies another hazard.

Delivering 100% in both capacities is unachievable, and while some find a level they can live with by delegating as much as they can, others will struggle to stop themselves trying to do everything, generally to the detriment of their health, wellbeing, social and family life, and more.

In some ways, it’s better they can’t, because if you can do two roles perfectly well, cost-cutting logic says ‘why not three?’ Why not four? Pretty soon we’re in a world where the only options are a) no job, or b) a job where you do the work of six people. Many would argue we’re already well on the way there.

Two for the price of one?

Still, at least staff can be sure that all this extra work and responsibility will be appropriately rewarded, right?

Well, in most cases, to a degree: no-one expects their hybrid-role salary to come anywhere close to the sum of its constituent parts (which is just as well), but there will usually be at least some degree of uplift to acknowledge the greater demands of the role. Unless, of course, it’s a role in marketing, where seemingly no increase in workload or responsibility need be recognised nor reflected in pay. How about pizzas on Friday instead?

Unsurprisingly, marketers – who might be able to party like it’s 1999 but would quite like to stop being paid like it – often feel rather short-changed and move on before long, be it for financial reasons or increasingly, burnout. But in that, they’re far from alone.

Yet there’s a sting in the tail for employers when they do. New hybrid roles are almost inevitably shaped by the particular strengths, abilities and experience of the individual doing them. Which is fine until they move on, leaving a uniquely-shaped gap in two or more teams that can be exceptionally difficult to fill.

Every extra string that’s been added to their bow limits the candidate pool exponentially, and the prospects of finding someone who can simply take over in every capacity are slim, to say the least. It might even be that their particular dual role is only viable when you start with someone who’s already doing half of it.

A familiar scenario for many in the charity sector, we suspect, and for just about anyone working for an organisation of any size. Not least because, as younger generations (and many of their elders) know only too well, the reward for excelling at your job is no longer a promotion or pay rise, which apparently went out with the ark, free tuition, and any realistic prospect of home ownership.

No, the reward is of course more work, on top of (not instead of) your original work, and thus your responsibilities grow. Although this isn’t necessarily or always a bad thing, to be scrupulously fair.

However, what’s exploding across the sector right now (not literally) is a slightly different, more official kind of job expansion that typically comes with a new, double-barrelled name: Head of Finance and Resources, Director of IT and Operations, Head of Fundraising and Communications.

Why now?

In most cases, these double-aspect roles are two existing jobs knocked together, often due to restructuring of the relevant areas. As such, it’s no surprise to see them proliferate during times of economic gloom, when the cost-cutting imperative elbows all other concerns out of the way.

From an employer’s perspective, it’s easy to see the appeal: savings need to be made, and this seems a relatively painless way of doing it.

After all, why have a plain old Director of Finance when you could have a Director of Finance and Resources, Finance and IT, Finance and HR? The world’s your overstretched, underpaid oyster, and done at the right time (ideally when one of the roles is being voluntarily vacated) it’s a good opportunity to reduce headcount without having to lay anyone off.

How to handle a hybrid

Ultimately though, with any significant improvement in the economy still likely to be some way off, Frankenjobs seem unlikely to be killed off any time soon.

 So, here's what we suggest if you find yourself face-to-face with one:

Push for as much input as you can into how the role is defined

Be realistic with yourself about what you will and will not be able to deliver, and establish clear boundaries for the role

Don’t attempt to do everything, or burnout beckons: learn to delegate a lot more than you probably do now

And if you’re thinking of creating one:

Listen to those who’ll be doing the work and ensure they’re well supported

Have realistic expectations: tasks may be easily manageable in themselves, but managing them all simultaneously may not be

Crucially, make sure that the extra effort staff are putting in is properly recognised and rewarded. Yes, it will cost a little more, but it’s always significantly cheaper and less disruptive than having to replace them.

Although if it comes to that, or you run into any other unexpected horrors with a hybrid role, we can recommend an excellent specialist recruiter who’d be happy to help…

Team HH

For more information on hybrid roles, or advice on dealing with a current situation of this kind, please speak with one of our specialists.

Meanwhile you can also find this, along with news of other charity recruitment trends and the latest rates for around 200 charity sector positions, in the Harris Hill Salary Survey 2024 .

Introducing the hybrid job: part one thing, part another, the Cockapoo of careers, employment's answer to the reversible duvet, a hastily bodged-together Frankenjob, think of it as you will.

These two-part titles - Director of Finance and Resources, Head of Fundraising and Marketing - are turning up across the charity sector in ever greater numbers, but what's behind it, what are the implications, and how should you handle a hybrid if you have to?

Read on as we investigate...

2024 Salary Survey: business services market trends

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 16:05:50 GMT

You can find all the figures via the link above – but for the context behind them, here's what our specialists had to say about the current market for charity professionals in these areas.

For the business services figures, as well as those in all other major charity departments, see the full 2024 Salary Survey here , while for help with recruiting or your job search in this field, please contact our specialists:

Lizzy Clark

020 7820 7333

Email Lizzy

Emma Stone

020 7820 7304

Email Emma

Faye Marshall

020 7820 7303

Email Faye

The future of flexibility

As in most areas, employers seem broadly in favour (though not overbearingly so) of more time on site, but feelings vary between different groups.

Those in EA or governance roles remain very keen to stay remote, while others in operations or projects often want and need to be more hands-on.

It’s almost as if grown adults can work out for themselves where they’re most productive, and indeed, it’s become clear that what candidates really want from flexible working isn’t x days on site or at home: it’s the flexibility to decide for themselves where they can best complete their tasks on any given day.

Offer that, and watch a queue of top talent forming outside the office. Or more likely, smartly dressed from the waist up, waiting to join your Zoom call from the tidier side of their kitchen. Ladies, gentlemen and others: the 2020s...

Among the role-by-role rates you’ll find in our 2024 Salary Survey are those in operations, HR, data, projects, admin and support, central to the day-to-day running of charities and generally making things happen.

Business Services market trends

Although the areas we bundle under ‘Business Services’ are fairly diverse, encompassing most of those who deliver an organisation’s work or provide essential support, there are plenty of commonalities around salary increases, which have slowed down across the board.

Relative to other areas, we haven’t seen organisations combining roles in quite the same numbers (although it certainly happens), but perhaps because many of these roles already have a broad range of responsibilities that require what you might call ‘a very particular set of skills’, before remembering why you don’t do impressions.

Organisations seem well aware that there won’t be a plethora of available candidates fitting the bill, and that shortlists are likely to be exactly that, but most will sooner wait for what they want than raise salaries to get it faster.

That’s why filling these positions requires a proactive approach rather than waiting in vain for applications, so we’ve been delighted to see many organisations raising their candidate-attraction game with better-written job descriptions and more helpful information packs, containing fewer arcane organisational details and more of what candidates actually want to know.

Compatibility matters

Increasingly, that’s also extending to providing interview questions ahead of time, a more inclusive approach that lets employers hear candidates’ considered responses, not what they blurt out on the spot under interview pressure, which tend to give a better indication of what to expect from them day to day.

As we see it, this applicant-friendly approach largely stems from a desire to better understand potential candidates, to hire people who genuinely share their values and who fundamentally want to achieve their mission: a necessary and sustainable source of motivation when, let’s be honest, it’s never going to be the salary.

For their part, candidates are frequently keen to know if there’s any room for movement on that salary – generally not – but they’re increasingly looking at the whole package too: in the last year we’ve heard a lot more questions about other aspects, like the pensions and benefits on offer.

2024 Salary Survey: marketing, PR and digital trends

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:19:18 GMT

You can view the full survey via the link above, but here's what the team had to say about the current market for charity professionals in marketing, communications, PR and digital roles.

For the marketing figures, as well as those in all other major charity departments, see the full 2024 Salary Survey here , while for help with recruiting or your job search in this field, please contact our marketing specialists:

Hannah Whittington

020 7820 7302

Email Hannah

Tim Iredale

020 7830 7330

Email Tim

Well, this is awkward...

Things get particularly tricky when it comes to manager roles around the £38-42k mark, where candidates looking to step up from more junior positions find themselves competing with managers who already had, but are now having to go backwards to find work at all.

The latter’s broader experience will often swing the vote in their favour, although no-one should be overly surprised if their tenure lasts only until the first opportunity to return to their previous level comes up. The best hope for more junior candidates lies with relatively young hiring managers, who are often a little wary of managing someone more experienced than themselves.

Meanwhile the most challenging positions to fill tend to be very technical digital roles and those in paid marketing and search, where those with the necessary skills are almost exclusively outside the sector, earning far more than charities can offer and reluctant to give that up.

Focusing on one area of expertise gives our specialists a clear view of what's happening in their field across the sector, insights you'll find in the 2024 Harris Hill Salary Survey , together with current rates for around 200 charity and not for profit sector positions.

Marketing, PR and digital market trends

It’s a case of spot-the-salary-increase this year in marketing (‘When is it ever not?’ wonder weary marketers), with many of this year’s figures looking suspiciously like last year’s copied and pasted into place. Largely because they are.

Salaries are ultimately driven by supply and demand, and marketers have simply never been scarce enough to command significant increases, not least because in contrast with fundraising, candidates from outside the sector are not just welcomed, but often actively sought, giving charity marketers a run for their limited money.

That’s particularly true of marketing and digital roles (where commercial experience is usually considered a plus, if not a must), although slightly less so in communications and PR roles, where charity sector contacts and know-how may be the higher priority.

A proliferation of applications

Making the market even more competitive this year has been the conclusion of many short term contracts, coupled with significant restructuring both within and outside the sector that has reduced marketing teams and left large numbers looking for the much smaller number of jobs available.

To quantify that, we’re typically receiving around six times as many applications per job as even just a couple of years ago.

With numbers like these, charities can afford to be choosy, and most favour waiting for someone with exactly the right experience over compromising on the job requirements or salary.

Extra points for braving the bus

As in fundraising, we’re seeing a gradual increase in the time on site required by employers, with many of those obliged to commute receiving some form of supplementary payment for doing so. For this reason, fully remote candidates are sometimes favoured, given the lower total cost.

And as elsewhere, the big trend is for rolling two or more roles into one, with employers expecting more for their money. However that’s a particularly bold ask in marketing, where that money has barely increased in a decade, even as living costs have recently soared, leaving marketers substantially worse off in real terms by the year.

2024 Salary Survey: fundraising market trends

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 16:37:58 GMT

Market overview

This year’s figures (drawn from the salaries of charity and not for profit jobs in the year to 31 March 2024) tell a very different story from those of the year before, an exceptionally favourable period for candidates when their scarcity met high vacancy numbers to power above-average increases in many areas.

It wasn’t to last, however, as organisations have faced an increasingly challenging environment over the last 12 months, with costs and demand for services rising faster than funds can keep up, leaving 12% of charities (including some of the very biggest) forced to cut staff , and only 40% feeling confident they won’t have to in the year ahead.

That’s meant fewer vacancies, more available candidates, and pay rises from ‘very modest’ to ‘almost imperceptible’. Which rather makes the many official assurances in recent months that ‘wage growth is outstripping inflation’ seem bafflingly at odds with charity sector experience. So what’s really going on?

For the fundraising figures, as well as those in all other major charity departments, see the full 2024 Salary Survey here, while for help with recruiting or your job search in fundraising, please contact our fundraising specialists:

Hannah Laking

020 7820 7331

Email Hannah

Dagmara Wolosiuk-de Paula

020 7820 7315

Email Dagmara

Dominic Gilchrist

020 7820 7332

Email Dominic

Fundraising market trends

Even in fundraising, land of the eternal candidate shortage, organisations have eased off the salary accelerator this year, wage growth slowing to a crawl as activity has slackened across the sector.

That’s not to say there’s no movement at all, however, most of it occurring at officer/executive level – those above entry level but not yet managers – because it’s here that positions are proving the most challenging to fill.

Ideal for those with around 2-3 years’ experience, the trouble is that two or three years ago, entry level opportunities were no more plentiful than they are today, with the foreseeable-from-space consequence that such people are rarer than functioning bits of the public sector now.

Even if you’re lucky enough to land one of these elusive creatures, don’t expect to hold on to them for long: that same scarcity-driven demand means that opportunities to climb the ladder come quickly, although notably this year, they’re frequently coming from within the organisation, with internal promotions unexpectedly outnumbering external moves.

The 2024 Harris Hill Salary Survey is out now , and along with current rates for around 200 charity and not for profit positions, we look at trends in the job market by area of expertise and across the sector.

You can view or download the survey here to check out the figures, but here’s what we had to say about the market and current trends within fundraising.

In annual terms that’s a rise of around 9.7%, followed by another of 7.9%, much more than we’ve seen in the sector without a new job or promotion.

Our figures align more with CharityJob’s recent estimate of a 4% average rise (based on advertised rates) in the past year, though it’s worth noting that while annual pay reviews are a given for the vast majority of the sector, an estimated 12% (NCVO) will have seen nothing at all in this period, except the value of their pay declining sharply. Either way, we’ve seen very few increases that come anywhere close to inflation, so it seems safe to say there’s been no outstripping going on around here.

That’s not to suggest that charities are short-changing staff, to be clear. Having to meet higher costs from limited funding, many are spending a higher proportion than ever on staffing , particularly since the recent minimum wage rise.

It does mean, however, that the gap between salaries in the charity sector and elsewhere – currently estimated at 7% – is growing, becoming a bigger obstacle to hiring and a greater risk to retention the more it does so.

Salary vs flexibility

To state the bewilderingly obvious: salaries play a big part in attracting candidates, but these days they’re in a sequin-strewn catfight with flexibility (why I picture them as Dynasty characters is unclear) over who gets to wear the ‘Number One Factor’ sash.

Remote roles are enormously popular with candidates, who are often prepared to compromise on salary to get one, presenting cash-strapped charities with one possible route forward.

On the whole however, employers seem keen to engineer a gradual move towards more time on site, specifying a minimum of two or three days in the office, where one or two may have previously sufficed.

This doesn’t apply to all organisations equally: those directly providing services, education or care, such as hospices, typically need a bigger on-site staff presence than some of the more commercially-focused charities.

The big squeeze

On the subject of working schedules, we’ve also seen a notable rise in fundraisers seeking to compress their hours into fewer days – cramming five days’ hours into four, for example, or ten days into nine. But is there any effect on salaries?

Back at the dawn of this new flexible working world, we half-expected to see a two-tier system developing by now, led by employers offering lower rates for remote workers in light of their savings on travel.

In practice, it seems more likely to be driven by employees themselves, as along with those who will compromise on salary for a remote role, an increasing number of those required to commute are seeking (and often getting) additional payment to cover the costs of doing so.

That being said, perhaps the year’s clearest trend is the growing number of what you might call ‘hybrid jobs’, where what used to be two separate positions are combined into one – a Head of Events and Community Fundraising, for example - although in fundraising it’s primarily those at manager level who are taking on two or more people’s jobs in return for their decidedly one-person salary.

Let’s look at the numbers.

To have kept pace with inflation since it took flight in early 2022, here’s how your salary would need to have increased: 

Source: Office for National Statistics data, via Hargreaves Lansdown

Thinking of temping? Here’s what to consider…

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 13:30:35 GMT

How does temping work?

Working as an agency worker in the charity sector, commonly known as a ‘temp’, is not the same as being an employee or worker. Instead of being directly employed by the charity, you're employed by the 'employment business' that supplies agency temps (such as Harris Hill for instance).

In essence, you're on the agency’s payroll and entitled to their benefits. However, during your assignment, you will work under the direction and supervision of the hosting charity on a day-to-day basis.

Working in the charity sector as a temp can provide you with more flexibility and breathing space, especially if you're considering making a change to your regular work routine. It gives you the chance to develop your skill set, learn new systems and processes and gain experience in a range of work environments.

Although it can be scary to make a career change, even a temporary one, you don't always need to take drastic steps to improve your work-life balance.

So, what are you waiting for? 

Nicola Greenbrook , London based freelance writer, podcaster and HR Specialist

Contact Nicola

Why do people temp?

Temping has become increasingly popular over the last three years. The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how people work, and it seems that things may never go back to the way they were before.

Temping is appealing to those who value flexibility, diverse work opportunities and adding different work experiences to their CV just as highly as salary and promotion. If you have multiple interests or creative endeavours or find the idea of being tied to one job, industry or role stifling, then you might well be a ‘ multipotentialite ' - a term coined by award-winning author Emilie Wapnick and discussed in her TED Talk, 'Why some of us don’t have one true calling' .

Moreover, the rise in the ‘portfolio career’ has opened up avenues for people to leverage multiple skills and interests and generate income from different sources.

Not everyone finds career success by pursuing a linear path, and temping provides a great opportunity to apply transferable skills across various roles and disciplines, regardless of age or stage in life.

According to Recruiter magazine, older workers are leading the way, with 41% of those exclusively doing temporary work aged 50-70. So, whether you're a university student looking to earn some extra money, a mid-career professional switching careers or someone who is semi-retired, temping can be a viable option.

Do you ever catch yourself gazing out of the window, dreaming about a work life that breaks away from the conventional nine-to-five?

Are you someone with multiple interests and many interconnecting capabilities? Are you keen on the idea of becoming a ‘portfolioist’, acquiring new experiences in a variety of charities? Or are you considering a career change, but keen to experiment before taking the big leap?

Whatever the reason, temping in the charity sector can be a smart move, but what does it actually involve, why do charities need them, is it a good time to temp and what are the benefits for you? Read on to find out.

Why do charities need temps?

Charities often rely on temporary or seasonal workers to fulfil various business needs and there are several reasons why they bring temps on board.

Some of these include:

• Seasonal fluctuations - Charities experience fluctuations in their workload, often tied to seasonality or a specific fundraising campaign. Hiring temps during this period can help meet an increased need.

• Niche/specialist projects - Charities frequently work on projects or tasks that require specific skills or expertise that may not be readily available internally, such as legacy fundraising.

• Cost-efficiency and flexibility - Hiring a temp can be more cost-efficient, especially when the need is sporadic. Charities can adjust staffing levels in line with changing needs without the long-term commitment associated with permanent positions.

• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion - Temporary staff can bring fresh perspectives and diversity to charities and can contribute a broad range of ideas and experiences.

• Covering absence - Temps can fill in for permanent employees during annual leave and sickness absence or to cover a sabbatical, career break or parental leave. They can also cover the interim period when a charity is waiting for a new hire to work out their notice period

Is it wise to consider temp work now?

If you are contemplating temp work, this could be the right time. In September 2023, a report by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation revealed that long-term economic uncertainty, increasing costs and budget restraints have affected hiring decisions. Consequently, the number of placements for permanent staff declined as organisations were hesitant to commit to new permanent hires and there was an increase in the reliance on temporary staff.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Labour market overview for November 2023, temporary work (and sectors like hospitality and healthcare) are performing better than permanent roles.

What are the benefits of temping?

In a nutshell, plentiful! However, if you're new to temping or have a preconceived notion that's holding you back, don’t worry - you're not alone.

Harris Hill temp Dion explains:

“Temping in the UK was a bit of a mystery to me as it's never been required in my working life to date. I contacted Harris Hill through a friend who is currently temping, as I'd been for several interviews but hadn't secured a permanent role. I always had a perception that temps were there just to help companies who needed cover.”

Charities hire temporary staff to meet their business needs, but temping can be advantageous for individuals too. Whether you're on a career break, in between permanent roles or running your own business, temping offers flexibility and the opportunity to experiment and gain experience in different work environments. It can give you some much-needed breathing space without the restraints of a longer notice period that is typically associated with permanent work.

Temping also demonstrates to potential employers that you are motivated, proactive, adaptable and hardworking.

Temping can introduce you to a different pay schedule compared to permanent work, with fortnightly or weekly pay that could better suit your budget, plus the accrual of benefits.

The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 grant temporary workers certain rights and entitlements, and after a 12-week qualifying period, agency workers are entitled to equal treatment regarding "basic working and employment conditions”. This may include pay, working time and annual leave (although to qualify for this, you must be working in the same role with the same hirer for 12 months, regardless of the hours worked each week). Dion says:

"I was put forward for a three-month role with the flexibility of working from home most days which meant no daily commute or stress but weekly regular income. I'm even accruing holiday pay! These roles offer both flexibility and regular income that suits an individual’s needs - making temping very attractive and worth considering for anyone.”

It can also help you to gain experience and develop skills in a particular field before committing to a long-term role. Fellow temp Avalon says:

“When I moved from Sydney to London over the summer period, I underestimated how long it would take to find the perfect permanent position. Luckily, temping through Harris Hill has provided me the ability to work in my desired field, build on my existing skills and get my foot in the door in the UK market”.

It can also be a great way to expand your CV, especially if you're someone who loves to learn, craves variety and is constantly curious. According to temp worker Funmi :

“I enjoy temping with Harris Hill because of the wide range of clients they have, and I always get interesting assignments. I've enjoyed the fact that over the years I've worked for many great organisations, which has enhanced my skill set through learning to use different databases and work processes".

Working as a temp in the charity sector can also help you achieve a better work-life balance by allowing you to set your hours around your family or other caring responsibilities, while making a difference to your community or supporting a cause you feel passionate about.

Temping offers flexibility, variety and a chance to boost your CV - but is it right for you? Hear from current Harris Hill temps as freelance writer and guest blogger Nicola Greenbrook explores...

Many thanks to Nicola and contributors, and we hope that gives you a good indication of whether temping could be right for you.

Thinking of temping? Here are the next steps...

This is where you'd probably expect us to point you in the direction of our very own temps team, and you'd be absolutely right (feel free to award yourself a biscuit, or at least loiter in the vicinity of a rice cracker if you've sworn off enjoyable snacks). That's because the agency you choose to work with will have a big impact on your experience of temping.

For best results you'll want one with a regular stream of temp vacancies in your chosen field, so that ideally you can have the next placement lined up before the current one ends, avoiding unwanted gaps.

However, for the right jobs to start coming your way, your agency needs to have a good understanding of who you are: your skills, experience, aspirations and the kind of roles you're looking for. That's a two-way process, so the more detail you can share about your strengths, requirements and availability, the better your recruiter's understanding will be. Then if they're listening to your needs, you won't be bombarded with unsuitable opportunities, just those that are genuinely worth considering.

If you're reading this, you've found at least one such agency already, so we'd suggest having a chat with our highly experienced temp specialists Ryan Elmer, Sekai Lindsay and Hannah Gibson, who take pride in providing a great service for temporary workers in the charity sector.

If you're considering temping or would like to discuss potential opportunities, just get in touch with the team via the details below.

Ryan Elmer, Divisional Director ▪ 020 7820 7313 ▪ ryan.elmer@harrishill.co.uk

Sekai Lindsay, Principal Consultant ▪ 020 7820 7307 ▪ sekai.lindsay@harrishill.co.uk

Hannah Gibson, Senior Consultant ▪ 020 7820 7328 ▪ hannah.gibson@harrishill.co.uk

Harris Hill is now a Certified B Corporation

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 14:36:02 GMT

"3% isn’t much though - what’s wrong with that?"

"Nothing, for the first year. But the next year, you’re starting with a bigger number, so 3% of that is bigger too, and so on. In less than 25 years, you’ve doubled in size."

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

"For a small company maybe, but at twice the size, you'd use twice the resources (give or take), so if the whole world did that, it’d be catastrophic. Yet that’s still what everyone's trying to do.

"Oh dear. So what do we do?"

We transform the global economy. Before breakfast, if possible. We stop putting profit above all else and balance it with other factors, like a company’s purpose, their impact on society and the environment, how they benefit their customers and staff. Ultimately, we make business a force for good, not just for shovelling money to shareholders. "

We'll step out there - after this point it veered off into discussion of Christmas plans, Uncle John's bunions, and the obligatory updates on people we've never met who may or may not be related to people we apparently went to school with but don't remember - so you don't really need all that.

But hopefully this goes some way to explaining why this certification is such good news, and not only for ourselves. There'll be more to share with you in due course, but if you'd like to know more about the B Corp Movement , just check out their website here , or for any other queries, call us on 020 7820 7300 or email info@harrishill.co.uk

"Guess what Nana? We've just heard that Harris Hill is now B Corp certified, so we’re officially a Certified B Corporation!"

"Certified B?"

"Yes, a B Corporation. They’re a new kind of company that doesn’t just exist to make profits for shareholders, but has a purpose and benefits all their stakeholders – clients, customers, staff and so on. They’re companies with high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency, and being certified means we’re meeting those standards."

"You didn’t want to be certified ‘A’?"

"I knew you were going to say that. But no, that's not how it works. ‘B’ is for B Lab, the non-profit network behind the B Corp movement, which aims to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet."

"What’s wrong with the global economy?"

"Put it this way. You know at the end of a game of Monopoly when it’s clear who’s going to win, and the rest can only keep trudging around the board, trying to delay the inevitable, and getting fleeced at every turn? That’s basically where we are now: most of the wealth in very few hands, everyone else battling to stay afloat as costs go up and up, desperately chasing profit and trashing the planet in the process. And of course, once one player ends up with everything, it's game over for everyone. Including them."

"Ah, so it's some sort of communist thing is it, the bee people?"

"It’s B Lab , and no, not at all. They’re all for successful enterprise, but it’s about how we define success.

As it stands, profit is really the only thing that counts, because most businesses have to put shareholders first, and that’s what matters to them. But shouldn’t it also matter how that profit was made, like whether they’re exploiting workers or harming the environment? Right now they might get some negative press and a bit of noise on social media, but as long as the profits keep coming in, they can pretty much ignore it.

That’s one problem. The other is that our system insists on perpetual growth, typically 3% per year, whether you’re a company or a national economy. "

"And is that what the bee people say?"

"Yes. Do you want to hear the B Corp Movement Manifesto?"

"I'm going to, aren't I?"

"Correct again. Here goes...[clears throat]:

Together, we transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

Together, we lead economic systems change that will realise our vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.

Together, we create standards, policies, tools, and programmes that shift the behaviour, culture, and structure of capitalism.

Together, we’re changing the rules of the game so that all businesses have to balance profit and purpose.

Together, we’re building a movement of people using business as a force for good.

Together, we won’t stop until all business is a force for good."

"Amen."

"You don't have to 'Amen', Nan, it's not an 'Amen' thing-"

"I know, just my little joke. Well, it all sounds very good, yes - but are you absolutely sure you haven't accidentally joined a cult?

"Quite sure, yes. We've learned a lot about it - there's plenty of information online and some very respected names involved. We just found the whole idea, the ambition, and what they’re trying to achieve really resonated with us. It's a great match with our values, but more importantly this kind of change has got to happen, and it's got to start somewhere, so we wanted to be part of it and applied.

For that, we had to supply a lot of information about the company and what we do, how we work, our policies, processes and so on. It’s quite a project, very comprehensive, but good that it's so thorough - it makes certification meaningful, because it's not just given to anyone; there have to be genuine reasons behind it."

"Like what?"

In our case, working with under-served communities (people often overlooked by big business) is a positive, as is our open and transparent approach. We don’t have shareholders, so we don't have to put profit ahead of everything else; people stay with us because we value them and the internal processes are good, and because we’ve embraced digital and remote working in a big way, we’ve got a pretty small carbon footprint.

"I see, very good, yes. But do you think all that matters to your customers?"

"Fair point – it might not affect them directly, although obviously everyone benefits from protecting the planet, but I think people prefer to work with companies they can trust to be honest and who care about getting it right. It's about being a force for good and putting something positive into the world that benefits people, and if anyone can relate to that, it's surely people in the charity sector, who are the experts, after all.

Plus we'll be regularly reassessed to stay certified, which means standards have to stay high, and we're publicly committed to maintaining continuous improvement, considering all stakeholders in our decisions, and being fully accountable - you'll be able to see how we're doing on our forthcoming B Corp profile.

"And is that why you're doing it?"

It's great, but it's not really about us or what it says about the business: we got involved because we fully support what they're trying to achieve, and we want this movement to succeed. It's vital that it does.

Everyone knows the current system is broken - it's just not working for people (apart from the super-rich) and we know it leads to higher inequality, social fragmentation and environmental disaster. So it has to change, and if enough people get on board it actually might do, so we want more businesses to join us!"

We're delighted to share the news that Harris Hill is now B Corp Certified! It makes us part of a global community of businesses meeting high standards of social and environmental impact, accountability and transparency, and leading the transformation of the global economic system.

That's a big ambition, but at the simplest level, being certified is recognition that we're here for the right reasons, a vote of confidence in the way we work, and verification that we're not just mindful of our impact on people and the planet now, but committed to continuous improvement.

It also means that we recognise the flaws in an economic system that puts profit before people, and that we're ready to play our part in building something better.

Meet the 2023 Charity Softball finalists!

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 15:51:06 GMT

How long have you been involved in the league?

I believe the BHF were one of the league’s founding teams and have been ever present since then. Rumour has it that some of our current kit dates all the way back to 2003. Well, many of the gloves certainly smell like they do.

What's been your most unusual moment this season?

Over the years, we’ve stopped matches for all sorts of reasons: injury, rain, civilians wandering across the pitch, through to collective confusion over exactly what just happened in that last play. However, this season saw a new first with a match halted because a crow was attacking a fox in the outfield. We paused to wonder if this bird’s vulpine assault was perhaps a metaphor, a reminder of nature’s ruthless circle of life, or a terrifying portent of a complete breakdown in the natural world. But as we really needed to get the game going, we ultimately never came to any conclusions.

Best catch/longest hit?

I’ll skip giving an answer on longest hit as it’ll only trigger angry emails from someone else saying theirs was longer. But as for best catch, that must go to Dr. Dan who seemed to bend time, Matrix-fashion, to snag an incredibly high ball that had gone deep into the outfield. I don’t know what colour pill he swallowed that day, but I hope he keeps taking them.

THE HARRIS HILL PLATE

It’s a battle between the British Heart Foundation and the combined forces of Social Finance and the RNLI – no strangers to the finals themselves - collectively known as Sibs n Ribs.

For this one it’s over to Will Slater, Basemakers captain and Communications Manager at the British Heart Foundation.

THE BLUESTEP CUP

Next up is the brand new Bluestep Cup , which sees two hybrid teams going head to head: the Food Fighters (featuring Fareshare and the Felix Project ) versus Sloths & Centipedes ( Centrepoint and Hospice UK ).

Answering the questions is Centrepoint Senior Employer Relationship Officer turned Sloths & Centipedes co-captain Lara Johnstone !

Landing just ahead of the big day and 20th anniversary celebrations, meet the teams playing for glory in the 2023 Charity Softball League !

Who’s been your MVP this year?

You raise a sore point among the team. With her peerless batting and fielding I don’t think there’s any denying that Rachel has been our MVP this year, but she has rather hogged the weekly title. Mercifully for the rest of us she went on holiday for a couple of weeks which gave us mere mortals a chance to have a moment in the spotlight. She’s back now though *sigh*.

What's the secret of your success?

To be honest, I find it hard to attribute our success to anything as motivation in the team remains highly variable – ranging from hardened softball competitors to those looking for some fresh air, an excuse for drinking alcohol in public spaces or an opportunity to avoid childcare responsibilities.

However, a growing number of our team have an almost cult-like belief that any success we enjoy is down to the ‘vibes’ – a mysterious, intangible, and elusive force that players may experience collectively or individually.

Among those attuned to this nebulous energy, there’s always much discussion about what the vibes are, who’s bringing the vibes, and who in particular is feeling the vibes. Apparently, a couple of weeks ago we achieved ‘maximum vibes’ – which I’m told is the most desirable form of this altered state.

Sadly, I have yet to experience the ‘vibes’ myself. There was one game where I thought I might finally be tuning into them, but it turned out I was just feeling a bit chilly, so I put my jumper on.

Like any other year, 2003 gave the world some things we’d rather it hadn’t - war in Iraq, the SARS outbreak, the Black Eyed Peas – but over the course of that long hot summer, it also gave us (courtesy of founding father Leo Visconti) something we’re very glad it did: the London Charity Softball League!

Yes, celebrating its 20th fantastic season (note for maths pedants: not the 21st, having skipped 2020), this very Thursday brings the grand finals of this year’s league, which just keeps getting bigger and better.

So much so, in fact, that there’s now a fourth trophy up for grabs on the night: the Bluestep Cup, joining the regular Cup, the Shield, and the legendary Harris Hill Plate, which boasts its own shiny new trophy in honour of the occasion.

All of which means there’ll be eight teams slugging it out for the silverware, and due to overwhelming popular demand (two, maybe three messages...) we're once again interrupting their vital last-minute preparations with a bunch of questions about the highs and lows of the season, and just how they’ve made it this far.

Fortunately not everyone had time to answer or you’d still be reading this next year, but we’re delighted to bring you one of the teams from every contest, starting with the aforementioned Harris Hill Plate!

What do all those buttons do?

That’s an excellent question, and here to answer it is the relevant section of the official Recite Me User Guide!

Friendliest team you've played?

Amnesty were by far the friendliest team we played, they were patient, friendly and gave us the most wholesome arch tunnel to run through as we lost yet another game.

Greatest player you’ve seen grace the diamond?

Markus Tralla.

What do you think has got you to the final?

Hard work and determination! We’ve come a long way from our consecutive losing streak, to winning every game since our first win! We’ve worked really well and bonded as a team, always taking advice from more experienced players and other teams and of course, had fun whilst doing it!

Thanks Lara and good luck to both teams! It seems like this hard work thing might be a factor in getting to the final, but surely/hopefully no-one works themselves harder than our next team....

THE SHIELD

Last but by no means least is the Shield, in which the Parkinson’s UK Peacocks take on frequent finalists and veterans of this very feature, the Sustrans Sluggers! Over to team co-captain and Sustrans Evaluation Manager Will Wright, who helpfully did…

Any mascots, MVPs or special mentions?

Our team mascot is Slugs McKenzie (the original party Slug) who has been a key part of the squad since 2019. They’ll be on the sideline cheering us on and will no doubt be found at the bar afterwards. Wimmy Wham Wham Wozzle! [we're really hoping this is slug-speak, or something's gone very wrong with our Boris filter - Ed.]

You've made the finals in three of the last five seasons - what's the secret?

Our Exec rejected our request earlier in the year to employ Daryl Strawberry in an entry level role, so we had to fall back on our tried and tested approach of overcomplicated spreadsheets, unbridled enthusiasm and an unmatched team spirit. Plus, it’s been a mild, damp summer – perfectly suited to Slugs. The team has also switched to a salt free diet which has helped immensely.

And finally, what are you hoping for from the night itself?

We can’t wait for finals night! We’re hoping for a buzzing atmosphere, an entertaining Cup final, a karaoke afterparty, and of course, the Sluggers lifting the coveted LCSL Shield!

Tell us about the team and your charity?

The Sustrans Sluggers are the team making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle to their softball game.

How long have you been involved in the league?

Our first season was back in 2016. Since then we’ve made it to two finals – the Plate in 2018 and the Cup in 2019, both times ending as runners up. We’re hoping it’s third time lucky this year!

Friendliest team you've played?

There have been so many amazing teams and this is what makes the LCSL so special. We had a great game against the Sporks in our group, who we’ll be cheering for in the Cup final (sorry CRUKs !) And each year we always have a friendly against our BFFs, Mind . But the friendliest team we played this year has to be the ROBOT COCK SOX [that's Age UK and CharityDigital to us civilians - Ed.] – massive shout out to Kiki their captain!

Who’s been your MVP this year?

The whole team have been fantastic but our new co-captains Chris and Tash have struck up a pretty deadly Pitcher-First Base combo this season. Of course, the real MVPs are the LCSL Committee who work so hard to make this happen each year. You guys are awesome (and we’re not just saying that for some favourable base calls on finals night…)

We’re pretty sure at least three of those are a nailed-on cert, and best of luck with the fourth!

Huge thanks to Will, Will, Lara and Tom, and good luck to all eight teams who’ve been smashing it week after week to make it this far.

As for Team Harris Hill, we’re delighted to be sponsoring for something very close to our 20th year, and even happier that after a few years off-site we’ll be back in Hyde Park to help celebrate in person. Just look for the bright blue t-shirts (thanks, Bluestep! ).

Yes, the trusty Harris Hill Bar has been tracked down, exhumed from storage, cleaned up and will be ready with the refreshments throughout.

IMPORTANT NEWS: under new park rules we can only hand out water and soft drinks at the bar, but don't worry: plans are in place to ensure each team gets their own stash of grown-up drinks too. Just look and listen out for details of how to collect them, which are coming soon.

There’s also the small matter of our Softball Emoji Quiz , where one lucky winner will bag their team a sizeable bar tab for the post-match celebrations. A big thank you from us for all the entries – we’re working through them now, ready to announce the winner (if there’s a single highest score), or draw a winner from all those with the joint highest score, which will be happening somewhere among the post-match awards.

That just leaves us to echo our appreciation for the tireless LCSL committee who’ve been making it all happen for 20 fantastic years, it’s a huge achievement – and to wish the very best of luck to everyone taking to the pitch on Thursday – we'll see you there!

Team HH

How to secure new talent (without spending a fortune)

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:31:48 GMT

3. Be flexible

Flexibility: essential in a beanbag, and just as popular in the workplace, with flexible working being a major draw for the majority of candidates.

In the last few years, flexibility has grown from a fairly niche concern to challenging salary as candidates' number one requirement. So even if raising the salary isn't an option, offering greater flexibility may be just as effective.

And with studies and experience consistently showing there’s little downside to doing so, becoming applicants’ most flexible choice could be a smart way to make you their first.

2. Be fast

If you can’t outbid the competition, outrun them: being quick off the mark is a real asset in this fast-moving market.

The key is to ensure candidates are never waiting too long without news. Acknowledge applications as they arrive and if interviews are some way off, an initial screening call can at least engage them in the process early on.

Online interviews save a lot of time, and in our experience, often yield better results as candidates are more relaxed in their own environment.

Either way, make swift decisions and share them promptly: at least half of today’s workforce have grown up in an on-demand, instant-feedback world where more than a week feels an impossibly archaic time to wait for anything.

Again, remember time is money: if protracted negotiations result in saving £3k on the salary, but the vacancy goes unfilled for another two months as a result, is it really a saving?

Candidate scarcity and high inflation have made securing new staff more challenging (and expensive) than ever, but there ARE ways to improve your hiring prospects that needn't cost a thing...

Of course, in a cost-of-living crisis, there's no denying that the highest offer on the table will often win the day.

However, by making the salary a known quantity, moving fast and out-flexing the rest – probably not a word but go with it, we’re nearly there – you provide multiple grounds for candidates to consider your opportunity the better offer.

Beyond the world of marketing, where they grow on carefully-branded trees, our latest Salary Survey finds candidates in short supply and high demand throughout the sector.

It’s the classic recipe for rising wages, but with charity sector pockets only so deep, what happens if there's no more money to throw at the problem? How can you attract the new staff you need to move forward?

Well, the good news is that while the general outlook might still seem bleaker than a week in Walford, there are (at least) three key steps you can take to maximise your chances of a successful hire, at no extra cost.

For more on salaries, hiring trends and current rates for more than 200 charity sector positions, check out the Harris Hill Salary Survey here , contact our specialist consultants , or give us a call on 020 7820 7300.

1. Be specific about the salary

‘Say what it is’ might seem to come straight from the insultingly-obvious school of advice, but being upfront and transparent really does make a difference.

Keen to maximise applications, many employers like to leave salaries open to interpretation, and if you happen to interpret more than is actually available, well, that’s on you. And often intentional.

Take a job advertised at £38-44k. In the minds of many candidates, that’s a £42k job at least, because with their skills and experience, of course they’ll be offered something towards the upper end. To the employer, it’s a £38k job they might just have to pay a little more for, in exceptional cases.

Meanwhile, the top end of £44k may be less a potential salary than simply a bid to attract high-calibre candidates currently at that level, hoping they’ll miraculously accept a lower rate once they get to know the organisation.

However [SPOILER ALERT]: they won’t. Not even for you. Which likely means repeating the process, with all the time, resources and cost that implies.

Ultimately, there’s no point attracting talent with salaries you’re not going to pay. Don’t say ‘circa £70k’ if the maximum offer will be £65k, or ‘£36-42k’ if Mother Teresa herself wouldn’t get more than £37k.

Overstating, exaggerating or giving a misleading impression of the salary might initially attract more eyeballs, but the real figure will have to be disclosed at some stage. If it's lower than candidates were led to believe, their trust will evaporate and the time (which, as we all know, is money) will be wasted, since someone who feels lured into applying under false pretences is never going to take the job.

Even if it's not particularly impressive, stating a specific salary has several advantages:

It becomes a known quantity, which can often win the day against an offer that claims to be higher, but isn't confirmed.

It says several good things about the organisation: that you're open and honest, that you respect and value applicants enough not to waste their time, that what you say can be trusted, and that the same salary applies regardless of who gets the job, suggesting a fair and equitable approach overall.

Those who apply will be doing so with their eyes open, fully aware of the pay, and having done their sums to make sure it's viable for them. As such, when you come to make an offer, there's a very good chance they'll accept, filling the vacancy at the first attempt. It's far more efficient and cost-effective than taking someone all the way through the interview process, only to lose them with a lower-than-expected offer and having to start again.

Considering hiring a temp? Here’s what you need to know…

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 09:02:09 GMT

The technical stuff...

The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 affect the use and supply of agency workers and here are the key points.

Firstly, on rights:

From the first day of their placement, agency workers have the right to equal treatment in relation to collective facilities and amenities (such as a canteen, toilet and shower facilities, and a prayer room) and the right to the same information about job vacancies (known as "relevant vacancies”) as comparable workers.

Following the completion of a 12-week qualifying period, agency workers are entitled to equal treatment in relation to "basic working and employment conditions”. Although not an exhaustive list, this normally includes the relevant terms and conditions included in the contracts of the employees of the organisation they are hired to work at. This may include pay, working time and annual leave. In order to qualify for this, the temp must be working in the same role with the same hirer for a 12-month period, regardless of how many hours worked on a weekly basis.

On completion of the 12-week qualifying period, agency workers also become entitled to certain family-friendly rights, including the right to paid time off for antenatal care and the right to be considered for suitable alternative work if an assignment is not suitable on maternity grounds.

And on payments:

Most temps are employed via an agency on a PAYE basis (HMRC’S system to collect tax and National Insurance [NI]) and any hours worked are paid weekly, with tax and NI deductions made on their behalf. However, as of April 2021, new off-payroll working rules were introduced which aimed to stop ‘disguised employees’ - workers operating as contractors for tax purposes who are engaged in the same capacity as salaried employees. There are further considerations when it comes to tax legislation and status:

Limited Company/Personal Service Company (PSC) – Temporary workers known as PSC contractors can be used by recruitment agencies if they have their own limited company. The off-payroll working (IR35) rules ensure that they pay broadly the same tax and NI as an employee would. However, the client must determine whether the temp is inside IR35 (i.e. employed for tax purposes and the agency removes tax and NI) or outside IR35 (self-employed for tax purposes and the agency doesn't remove tax and NI). Therefore, the agency has no control on whether they have to (by law) remove tax and NI before they pay the ‘PSC invoice’. This is often a favourite method for candidates providing they can be outside IR35, but when the client determines it inside IR35, however, this usually results in a non-application.

Sole trader – If an individual is self employed, runs their own business and can work for themselves, they are also known as being a ‘sole trader’. However, this can be a challenging area for recruitment agencies, and many choose not to use sole traders. They are naturally outside IR35, which makes status determination simple for the individual, but less so for the recruitment agency. Some agencies tend to offer these candidates on the basis that they bill the client directly, however, whether they will allow it is at the client’s discretion.

Generally, if an individual is interested in temping, and regardless of their status, the recruitment agency will discuss it with them upon application. If they are right for the job, the consultant will propose their case to the client, their options based on the candidate's preferences, and the legal aspects they need to consider.

It's time for temps

The working world has changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the way we approach how and where we work has shifted. For many, creating a ‘ career portfolio ’ , rather than prescribing to a typical 9-5 schedule, is no longer a dream but a way of working that can be realised. Temporary positions offer flexibility, a variety of different experiences and the opportunity to explore multiple interests alongside regular work.

The cost-of-living crisis and ongoing uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased the uptake of temps, and it’s not just younger workers who want to temp. Recruiter Magazine reports that older workers are leading the way, with 41% of those exclusively doing temporary work aged 50-70.

According to the Office for National Statistics there were estimated to be around 1.53 million temporary workers in the United Kingdom as of November 2024. This presents an exciting and lucrative opportunity for charities to increase cost-savings and widen their market adaptability - and there’s an army of temps ready to work!

Hiring temps is a flexible and cost-effective way to fill gaps and bring in extra resource or skills, but if you haven't before, where should you start and what are the benefits? Freelance writer and HR specialist Nicola Greenbrook talks us through everything you need to know.

How to effectively onboard temps

Onboarding temps effectively and preparing for their arrival is an important step in ensuring a successful placement on both sides; maximising the opportunity for the charity and also providing a memorable experience for the temp. This is especially crucial in a hybrid working environment or if the temp is working remotely.

Here are some ideas for successful onboarding:

Create a personalised and tailored programme , and establish if the temp has any needs or would like any reasonable adjustments to be taken into account before they join.

Sharing information about the dress code and some helpful intel about the local area and where to grab lunch can really make a difference to alleviating any first-day nerves! Better still, set up a team lunch in their first week for a warm welcome.

Organise relevant induction meetings and welcome sessions with key stakeholders they’re likely to work with during their placement to ensure they have a broad overview of the charity and consider the best delivery method; whether face-to-face, virtual or a blend of the two.

Ensure the right IT equipment and tech is in place and configured before they join, and that they are trained on any specialist or customised systems in place at the charity. Cyber Awareness Training is essential.

Finally, do all you can to make sure they feel connected and part of the organisation and the team. Assigning a buddy can be helpful as can outlining what communication channels are used at the charity, so they feel comfortable and part of the team. Maintain regular contact, especially if they are working remotely, to avoid any feelings of isolation or negative impact on mental health.

What is a temp?

A temporary agency worker or ‘temp’ differs from a permanent member of staff as, rather than being directly employed by your organisation, they are employed by the 'employment business' that supplies agency temps.

Technically, they are on the agency’s payroll and entitled to the agency’s benefits, but under the care and command of the organisation they have been placed in and, typically, for an agreed length of time.

Ultimately, hiring temps can bring multiple benefits to your charity; including time and cost savings, a flexible resource that meets different business needs throughout the year without the financial burden of a permanent hire and a fresh perspective and new ideas.

With the right advice and effective onboarding, it’s a win-win situation. The addition of skilled and knowledgeable temps can be a key component of your resourcing strategy and helpful in navigating the challenges of an unstable economy.

Nicola Greenbrook , London based freelance writer, podcaster and HR Specialist

Contact Nicola

Why hire a temp?

The REC reports that lingering uncertainty around the economy has led to a greater reliance on temps. They offer a wide range of skills, insight and experiences, and therefore hiring temps and gaining from their expertise could be an important consideration when developing a resourcing strategy.

Hiring temps can drive cost and time savings as the advertising and screening process is undertaken by the recruitment agency as well as the administration of payroll, holiday pay and Statutory Sick Pay. It also provides the opportunity to assess an individual’s ability and performance in a specific role without the financial burden of a permanent job offer - and the temp can themselves assess the charity and the role before they make any firm decisions.

Temps can meet a variety of different business needs and scenarios, including:

They can also bring a fresh perspective and exciting new ideas as they can apply a specific skill set or experience of working on unusual or niche projects. Temps often make an instant impact.

How to write your charity sector CV - part 1

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 18:15:45 GMT

Things to consider for a charity sector CV

Charity CVs aren't radically different from anyone else's, but if you’re used to the corporate world, there are a few things to be aware of:

• It’ll be read by actual humans

Much current CV discourse concerns the latest dystopian wheeze: automated readers that can reject your CV before it ever reaches human eyes. Popular with big business (naturally), they’re known as applicant tracking systems, presumably because the alternatives didn’t make candidates sound enough like hunted prey.

Happily, at the time of writing, things are a little less Hunger Games in the charity sector and here at Harris Hill. Gone are the days when you'd have to print your CV on paper, slide it into a paper packet, stick a tiny picture of the Queen in the corner and push it into a sort of giant red pepperpot in the street - I’m honestly not making this up - but we’re a long way from it being read exclusively by robots.

Which means you can write for a human audience, so it’s less about regurgitating keywords in the right place and more about painting a meaningful picture of what you bring to the table.

• Charity experience matters

…and should feature prominently, so if you haven't worked for a charity, make space to flag up anything charity-related that you’ve done in your job or your free time. Charities like to see an ongoing commitment to the sector, so give yourself plenty to say by getting involved in charity activities, which ideally means more than simply wolfing down macaroons at a bake sale (although arguably a skill you may need).

Fortunately, through the magic of volunteering, charities are among the easiest organisations to get involved with: far more of us have done something for charity than have had a bash at selling derivatives, for example, and not only because we don’t know what they are.

• Different skills have value

Some qualities – being resilient, self-motivated, proactive – are an asset wherever you work, but 'softer' attributes - sensitivity, empathy, compassion - can be highly valued by charities, while apparently a hindrance in certain parts of the private sector.

• Supporting statements

Instead of a covering letter, you’ll more likely be asked to pair your CV with a supporting statement, a slightly more structured way of showing you have the skills required. For more on these, see our earlier blog on how to write a great supporting statement.

How to write your charity sector CV

There are, you may have noticed, quite a few CV-writing guides around already. Some very sound, some a little dated, and some by Americans who insist on calling it a résumé , unaware that stealing French words to mask gaps in your language is a shameful faux pas . Steal a bit of Latin from the Romans or whoever once they've died out and nobody can sue.

So why are we adding to this giant adviceberg?

Well, not counting 'for the clicks, obviously', there are three reasons. First, because many of us go for years without updating our CV, and what worked back then won’t necessarily do so now. Second, because most CV advice assumes you're applying to businesses, not charities. And third, because as we still see only too often, sometimes bad CVs happen to good people and it breaks our gin-soaked recruitment hearts.

Simply put, we want to see you succeed, so let’s look at how to write a CV that will maximise your chances.

Having established the approach to take and what you're trying to achieve, what should your CV actually say?

And what can you easily get rid of to free up valuable space? Read on to find out in part two .

What you're aiming for

First, it’s worth stepping back to look at what a CV is, and what it’s there for.

‘Curriculum Vitae’ might sound like some dusty old artefact of historical record, but far from it. More than anything, it's a communication, a present-day profile designed to market you and your very best qualities to the recipient. Like on many of today’s popular ‘socialising’ apps but without the unrequested photos o f mystery genitalia.

As such, you don't need to try and emulate some antiquated formal style, but it does make sense to apply some time-honoured marketing principles. Specifically:

1. Understand your strengths and identify your key selling points.

The more clearly you can define and explain what you’ve got to offer, the more people will buy into it.

2. Identify your target audience and focus on appealing to them.

If you’re urgently job-seeking, it’s tempting to cast the net as far and wide as possible, but trying to offer something of interest to everyone is the path to interesting no-one, as you’ll know if you’ve ever seen The One Show.

3. Having identified your audience and what you’ve got to offer, tell them about it as clearly, effectively and engagingly as you can.

Which brings us neatly on to…

How to write your charity sector CV - part 2

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 15:39:17 GMT

Did you know?

Most recruitment agencies, ourselves included, actually remove your name and personal details before sending your CV to a client. This helps to protect your privacy and reduces the risk of discrimination due to unconscious bias: decisions can only be made on the content of your CV and not, for example, on the perceived ethnicity of your name.

What else to include

● Kicking off with some kind of grand personal statement is optional, but if you’re going to, keep it to a single paragraph, the best of which in our view tell us what you want to do, not just who you are.

'Inspirational' quotes, however, are best left where they belong: ruining perfectly good pictures of sunsets on your annoying friend's Instagram feed.

● Your key skills and professional or specialist qualifications, including any relevant training you’ve completed and software packages you’re familiar with. Details of your education too, but not too many, of which more in a moment.

Previously, on How To Write Your Charity Sector CV : how to approach your CV, what it's for and what you're aiming to achieve, with tips on format and design.

In part two, we're looking at your career history and what to say about your roles, responsibilities and achievements, skills and qualifications, and just as importantly, what not to say at all.

What should your CV include?

As we've established, it's a concise communication, not your life story, so it needn’t exhaustively track everything you’ve ever done. That’s Google and Facebook's job.

Everything on your CV is potentially your ticket to the interview, so focus on what’s relevant to the role in question, and what the employer needs to know.

Let’s start with the most important section.

Final thoughts

We hope you'll find this a useful contribution to the CV adviceberg, and helpful when it comes to writing your CV.

It's by no means the only way to approach your CV of course, and for legal reasons we should probably mention that it won’t guarantee you a brilliant job or a lifetime of success: there's still every opportunity to spend your later years an embittered husk of your former self, wondering where it all went wrong in a regional Wetherspoons.

But at least by applying these methods, it (probably) won’t be down to your job applications.

Good luck with your search!

David Young, Director of Marketing, Harris Hill, with the invaluable assistance of our charity recruitment specialists.

Your career history

● Presenting your roles in reverse order serves most people pretty well, as you'll start with the most recent, typically the most relevant. In each case, provide the job title/s, organisation and dates you worked there, along with a carefully-chosen selection of your responsibilities and achievements.

● Getting that selection right is the challenge, so keep the formatting consistent, but everything else flexible so as not to restrict your choices. For example, don't feel you need five bullet points on every job, just because one has - it's likely to mean skipping relevant recent details in favour of pointless filler later on. If there's one thing we know, it's that getting the job will not come down to those six months in 2009 where your ‘duties included photocopying and answering the telephone’.

Give yourself more space for roles that are relevant to the application, and tailor your descriptions to the audience. Which is to say, if your application's going to the Head of Events, they'll have a pretty good idea what an events manager does, but if you’re looking to move into events from a different field, you may need to provide more detail, to highlight transferable skills.

● R emember that responsibilities and achievements are different things. Saying you 'were responsible for x' tells us what the job involves, but not how well you performed. For that, you’ll need achievements: tangible results, outcomes or pieces of work for which you can legitimately take credit. Where it was a team effort, don’t claim otherwise but do highlight what you personally brought to the project that contributed to its success.

Where possible, quantify your achievements with numbers, because it gives them a clear, unambiguous meaning: 'improved x significantly' is subjective, but we all know exactly how impressed to be with 'increased x by 30%'.

● Most employers still prefer to see a history of fewer, longer-term jobs over a succession of short term roles. This might seem a little harsh in the current climate, with its ‘flexible workforce’, ‘gig economy’ and other popular euphemisms for ‘zero job security’ that may have left you little choice.

What's behind it, however, is the cost and time involved in securing new staff: hiring managers like to feel confident you'll stay in the post for several years, so they won't have to repeat the process in just a few months' time. If your career history doesn't give that impression but you're looking for something long-term, address it head on and make that abundantly clear both here and in any accompanying communications.

What not to include

Two A4 sides is already pretty tight for all the things you need to cover, so the last thing you need is pointless clutter. Here's what you can safely ditch:

Photos

This one’s partly cultural as it’s standard practice in certain parts of the world. However under the UK's 2010 Equality Act your appearance should not be considered when hiring, and nor should your age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or other ‘protected characteristics’. Except in very specific circumstances, prospective employers should not ask about these matters, and whatever they know already must not influence their decisions.

So definitely no photos. Not even if you’re ridiculously attractive: it may just result in the decision-maker being overly critical to ensure they can't be accused of bias.

Personal details

Interests and hobbies

Interests are really only worth mentioning if they're directly relevant to the role, or at a push, something genuinely impressive.

We'd skip it altogether, but if you're going to include interests, try to explain why you enjoy them, what skills they require/have given you, and how (ideally) that relates to the job.

‘References available on request'

As are everyone else’s. It goes without saying, so ditch it to claw back space for something more useful.

Salaries of previous roles

There’s nothing to be gained by listing these - you’re simply telling employers what you’re likely to accept, which may be considerably less than they were planning to pay. There's no reason you should be paid less in a new role just because you were underpaid in the last one.

Your full academic history in unrelenting detail

Look away now in the unlikely event you’re under 16, but once you’ve started working (are you looking away?), hiring decisions are never going to hinge on your GCSE Geography grade.

Your most recent/highest qualification – and I wish there were a better word here - trumps the others: once you have a degree, no-one cares about your ‘A’ Levels, just as they mark the last point at which anyone cares about your GCSEs. Although if you are under 16 (you can look back now), it’s also very important to remember that your GCSE grades are Vitally Important For Your Future. Yes indeed.

So include academic qualifications, but not in great detail. Subjects are fine for your highest level, but something like ‘10 GCSEs at grades A-C’ is the most you need say about those, if anything.

If they’re not great, leave them out, or better still convert to the new grading system so the employer has no idea if they’re any good, but now feels too old and out of touch to be judging you. You’re welcome.

For more advice and assistance with your CV, contact your specialist consultant , call us on 020 7820 7300 or get in touch via info@harrishill.co.uk

To sum all this up in seven points:

1. Remember it’s a communication and a marketing tool, not some ancient official record.

2. Know your target audience and your strengths, then tell them in a way that’s clear, concise and consistent.

3. Write for a human audience and bring your charity experience to the fore.

4. Focus on what’s relevant to the role and what the employer needs to know.

5. Tailor your work history to your audience: say more about the most relevant roles and less about the rest.

6. BRING IT ON: simple layouts, Word docs, quantifiable achievements, skills and professional qualifications, short personal statements, clear commitment to the sector.

7. BE GONE: elaborate designs, photos, overly personal details, irrelevant interests, references on request, meaningless jargon, what you scored in Miss Richardson’s test at the end of Year 9.

How can charities support financial wellbeing in a cost of living crisis?

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 15:37:29 GMT

How is it affecting us?

The effect is far-reaching. The impact on our personal finances is inevitable, and it is likely that more people will experience poor financial wellbeing, with lower income families shown to be most at risk. In its July 2022 report on the cost of living, the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee said the greatest impact of increased costs was being felt by the poorest in society.

A significant hike in bills, food and the general cost of living means that, for many individuals, their monthly salary or annual pay rise is not sufficient to prevent serious financial detriment. The ONS reports that around 9 in 10 adults (93%) declared that their cost of living had increased compared with a year ago. Those who have seen their incomes squeezed and are struggling may be forced to rely on a quick fix to mitigate the financial pressures, such as a high-interest credit card or loan, which could lead to long-term, spiralling debt.

The cost of living crisis has also been linked to a reduction in wellbeing, and the British Medical Association considers the cost of living crisis to be a health crisis, as well as an economic one. Some individuals may be forced to cut back on the essentials needed to maintain their health; the absence of sufficient food could lead to malnourishment and living in a home that is not adequately heated could lead to the development of respiratory conditions or worsen existing ones, putting them at serious risk.

Mind reports that the cost of living crisis is also taking a huge toll on our mental health with increased anxiety and worsening mental health. It recognises that poverty and mental health problems have a two-way link; poor mental health can make earning and managing money harder, while worrying about money can worsen mental health. All too soon, this can feel like a vicious circle.

Finally, the CIPD’s Reward Management Survey (April 2022), reports that one in four employees say money worries affect their ability to do their job.

Worries about the cost of living aren’t just affecting physical and mental health, but also our ability to work, making a business case for shielding workers from the worst financial blows. But how can charities support their staff with financial wellbeing during an economic crisis, particularly when they may be struggling themselves?

Guest writer Nicola Greenbrook has been finding out, exploring how this can be done as part of a charity's overall wellbeing strategy.

As we continue to live through the crisis, employees are faced with critical financial challenges which can have a devastating impact on their day to day lives, health and work.

Employers have a crucial role to play in supporting their employees' financial wellbeing, and while charities may not have the funds to offer monetary help, there are nonetheless steps they can take to provide advice, information and support to help protect staff from poverty and mitigate against the most damaging effects of the cost of living crisis.

Nicola Greenbrook , London based freelance writer, podcaster and HR Specialist

Contact Nicola

What is the cost of living crisis?

We are facing the biggest cost of living crisis in a generation. According to The Institute for Government, the ‘cost of living crisis’ refers to the fall in ‘real’ disposable incomes (that is, adjusted for inflation and after taxes and benefits) that the UK has experienced since late 2021. The main cause of the crisis is levels of high inflation that outstrips wage and benefit increases, and it has been further exacerbated by tax increases.

The cost of living crisis continues to be a huge source of concern for many of us, as the price of food shopping, gas and electricity bills and fuel continues to soar. In addition, high customer demand, supply chain issues and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have contributed to the sharp rise in costs. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) statistical bulletin Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: 21 December 2022 to 8 January 2023 (released 13 January 2023) reports that 92% of adults consider the cost of living to be an important issue facing the UK today.

How is the crisis affecting the charity sector?

Soaring costs are impacting households across the UK, but charities supporting people through the crisis are also feeling the consequences:

The ICAEW reports that rising bills are taking their toll across the sector, and the Charities Aid Foundation notes that 82% of charity leaders are concerned about how to pay their own utility bills. As more people rely on charitable support to survive the crisis, and find themselves tightening their budgets with less to give, many charities are seeing a fall in charity income due to the decline of public giving as noted by the NCVO’s CEO, Sarah Vibert.

Charity Excellence Framework reports that the ability for charities to meet demand and maintain service standards continues to decline and those at the front line of poverty, such as food banks and advice centres, are being hit hardest.

Finally, Charity Digital reports that charities are responding to the crisis in several different ways for themselves, their service users and society in general. This includes an increase in campaigning activities and calling upon key policymakers and parliamentarians to further support their service users, sharing advice via information hubs and considering more innovative ways to meet their service users' needs such as reframing the typical food bank. The charity also offers some suggestions on how charities can protect themselves from rising inflation.

How can charities support financial wellbeing?

Some UK businesses have been able to offer a discretionary ‘cost of living bonus’ to mitigate the financial pressures, which can provide temporary relief, boost morale and reduce anxiety.

However, these incentives could set an unfair expectation or precedent among staff and affect some individuals in receipt of Universal Credit or Tax Credits.

So how can charities, particularly those not in a financial position to offer monetary incentives, support their employees and their financial wellness?

Here are some suggested initiatives:

Should you be working for a large or small charity?

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 15:54:27 GMT

Starting out

If it’s your first charity job, the best place for your baby steps may be the biggest organisations. That might sound counter-intuitive but as with any new job, there’ll be downtime while you learn the ropes and won’t be fully productive. You’ll also need training, and someone with the time and resources to deliver it.

All of this means there are costs, which are often unaffordable for small charities operating on little more than Hobnobs and hope.

However their larger counterparts are more likely to have support for new starters in place, as philanthropy manager Annabelle Burt told us of her role at NSPCC : "Starting my charity career in a large organisation has without a doubt been the best decision I’ve made. The organisation invests a great deal in personal development, and they’ve already given me countless opportunities to attend nationwide conferences and training with the best in the business. I’m given all the support I need to succeed in my role and really value being able to learn about different areas of the charity sector from collaborative working with other departments."

Does size matter? It’s a question we’re certainly not the first to tackle - if that’s the word - but what size of charity is best for your career? The bigger the better? Or do the best things really come in small packages?

Here's what our fundraising team and deputy CEO Faye Marshall had to say in a recent article for The Fundraiser (relevant for most other charity jobs too), updated here for the blog.

What about salaries and benefits?

Things are more evenly matched when it comes to things like flexible working and staff benefits. Both large and small charities tend to score highly, but large-scale events and the social side of bigger organisations may give them an edge, depending on your preference.

As for salaries, check out the Harris Hill Salary Survey which has market rates for more than 120 different roles in the sector, including differences in pay between smaller and larger charities. While larger organisations do appear to pay a little more in general, as you might perhaps expect, the full picture is rather more complex. Most of the disparity is at senior levels, based on larger remits and scope, but at the junior end there's often very little difference. There are certainly big name charities who offer small starting salaries, knowing their brand alone will bring in new talent, just as there are smaller organisations paying above average to attract potential staff.

So at least in the early part of your career, charity size is unlikely to have a huge impact on pay. You might earn a little less at a smaller charity, but that could pay off handsomely in future thanks to your greater breadth of experience.

Should you be working for a large or small charity?

As specialist recruiters we work with charities of all sizes, helping fundraisers find those best aligned with their priorities. For some the environment or location will be more important than progression, for others career development may be paramount, and for many of course, the cause in question will be top of the list.

Sometimes only one type of charity will do, but in many cases there are both larger and smaller options, each with their own advantages. So how do you know where to go?

Appropriately enough there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but what we'd recommend generally depends on three things: where you are in your career, your experience to date and where you ultimately want to go. Let's start at the beginning.

Stick or twist?

Perhaps you’ve now got a couple of years under your belt, doing direct marketing for a major charity. You're enjoying it, maybe even to the point you can't imagine doing anything else - but nevertheless it’s usually wise to diversify.

Specialising too soon may limit your options later – for example after six solid years when you see the perfect direct marketing job, but the candidates you’re competing with have four years in DM and two in other fields. Many employers will favour your competitors for their more varied, well-rounded experience. And the same of course applies should you change your mind and want to branch out later.

So it’s worth trying different things: don’t put yourself in a pigeon-hole unless you’re prepared for the possibility of living there permanently. Like beanbags, debt, and conversations with people who’ve taken up CrossFit, they’re easier to get into than out of, and best avoided if possible.

► Autonomy can be huge part of the appeal: if you’re the entire corporate fundraising team, guess who’s in charge? If you’re used to following procedures and losing even your most brilliant ideas to multi-layered, glacially-paced approval processes, the freedom to chart your own course is both liberating and exhilarating.

► As a result you’ll be very hands-on, designing and delivering your campaigns from end to end. You’ll get to do it all yourself, the only drawback being that you’ll have to do it all yourself, but there’s a lot of satisfaction in making things happen. Whatever you do will be noticed, so you can bask in the credit when it works - though of course with nowhere to hide if it doesn’t.

► That close connection with leadership helps small charities to be more agile, changing course more quickly than their bigger brethren. Getting the whole organisation on board with your new initiative is a lot easier when you can fit everyone in one room.

► Usually you’ll also be close enough to your beneficiaries to see that you’re making a difference – something fundraisers buried far from the frontline in a major charity HQ may envy.

Shifting down can be the best way up

Moving to a smaller charity is often a fantastic way to branch out. Leaving that large DM department behind, you might now be a team of one - and it's unlikely to be the only thing you do.

Whatever your job title might suggest, in a small team you’ll always need to help each other out, which could mean events, community projects, partnerships with local businesses and more. And with few support staff you’ll likely do more than just fundraising, which could mean admin, marketing, media relations, procurement (somebody’s got to buy the teabags) or even catering and hospitality, because those cakes for the big event won’t bake themselves.

It's a challenge for sure, but a great way to develop existing skills and discover others you didn't know you had, while gaining diverse and multifaceted experience that's likely to broaden your future options. Speaking of which...

Further into your career: where next?

By now you’re perhaps looking for your third or fourth fundraising job, and having worked for both larger and smaller charities you’ve got the experience to go in either direction.

The best move now largely depends on where you're ultimately looking to go, so it's a good time to take stock and think hard about where that is. Then, consider what you've done and more importantly, what you haven't yet done to help you to get there, and aim to plug any gaps that could hold you back. If you’re aspiring to a directorship with a top ten charity for example, you’ll need to start boosting the big-name experience on your CV.

Ultimately it may just come down to the environment you prefer, and on which side of the whole big fish/small pond question you feel more at home. Both have their advantages (and drawbacks) of course, so here are some that we've yet to cover:

► Having a well-known name can have significant advantages in key areas like fundraising and marketing. For one thing, if you don’t need to explain who you are, you’ve got more time or space to make your case. And there’s no denying it looks good on your CV. That said, while a big name might open some doors, it isn’t always an advantage: a 2018 study by the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership found public trust in national charities significantly lower (at just 29%) than in local community charities (43%).

► However, you’ll have more resources to call on in your fundraising efforts, and often on a larger scale: partnering with a major corporation for example, or a national TV advertising campaign, experience you’re unlikely to gain locally.

► Arguably the clearest advantage is the prospect of progression. If you’re the events person for a small charity but want to manage a team, you’ll either need to grow the charity considerably (and fast) or move somewhere big enough to have one. Even if there’s a role above you to aim for, there could be a long wait before it’s a vacancy. By nature, larger organisations will have more opportunities more often, so there’s more chance of moving up without having to move out entirely.

Final thoughts: we've inevitably made some generalisations here, and for every trend we’ve mentioned there are charities busily bucking it. But both large and small charities can offer superb career opportunities, and the best advice we can give is to make the most of them however you can.

Plenty of factors can make a great employer, so a charity’s size isn’t everything. Believe it or not, it really is what you do with it that counts.

Faye Marshall, director of permanent recruitment and deputy CEO, Harris Hill

How to negotiate a pay rise in the charity sector

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 16:09:36 GMT

Firstly, why is it so hard to talk about money?

According to Dr Rebecca Newton, psychologist and author of Authentic Gravitas: Who Stands Out and Why , women tend to be less likely to shout about their accomplishments which can lead to their work, at times, being overlooked.

Yet, it’s a topic that causes discomfort for most of us. It’s easy to talk yourself out of asking for more money and allow that pesky inner critic to persuade you that ‘it’s not the right time’ or ‘they’ll think you’re being greedy’ and so you put it off for another month. Perhaps you’re afraid of how to handle it if the increase is rejected or maybe the actual meeting itself causes you great anxiety? For those who are naturally unassertive, discussing the M-word is off bounds.

You may be familiar with Noah Kagan , CEO of AppSumo , and his ‘coffee challenge’, where he encourages people to walk into a coffee shop and ask for 10% off their purchase. Daunting as it sounds to ask a complete stranger for a discount (not to mention the queue of grumpy, caffeine-deprived people behind you), it forces you out of your comfort zone. You may not really be fussed about a few pence off your morning coffee, but it could help you tackle a difficult conversation if you generally squirm at the idea of asking for money off.

Why not give it a go tomorrow? Starting small could help talking finances a little more easy to handle.

Requesting a raise in the charity sector can be uniquely awkward: feeling undervalued helps no-one, but does more for you mean less for those in need? Guest writer and freelance HR specialist Nicola Greenbrook has a wealth of charity HR experience and is here to tackle this tricky dilemma.

How to negotiate a pay rise in the charity sector

Why is it so difficult to talk about money at work? We share our career experience and notable skills to strangers at interview, we present brilliant ideas in all-department meetings and reveal our goals and ambitions in our performance review. Yet, when it comes to ensuring that we’re fairly compensated, it’s tricky to engage. Asking for a salary increase can often be shrouded in utter awkwardness or sheer terror.

This apprehension can be exacerbated for those working in the non-for-profit sector, who have chosen to work there specifically for the cause and its mission. Some charities simply can’t afford to pay more than others, and in smaller organisations when funds are precious, asking for an increase can leave people feeling guilty and uncomfortable.

However, as a recent article by CharityJob explains, not asking for what you deserve and have worked hard for may cause bitterness and frustration to bubble over and ultimately impact on your work and performance. Ensuring you’re sufficiently paid a salary commensurate with your talent, contribution and market worth is not only crucial for your own money management, but ensures you’re motivated to deliver on your best work for the charity.

Here are some strategies to help you successfully negotiate a salary increase, guilt-free.

I hereby state my case

In Otegha Uwagba’s Little Black Book - A Toolkit for Working Women, she presents invaluable advice on negotiating a pay rise. To ensure your salary negotiations have gravitas, the words you use will need to carry weight. She suggests outlining ‘what you’ve contributed to the organisation, presenting tangible achievements and quantifiable wins’. Be very clear on how your individual contribution to the charity justifies the need for you to earn more than you currently are.

Place the focus firmly on your value by converting your successes into tangible achievements - your second to none campaigning techniques which resulted in a high profile campaign, your unrivalled ability to build long-term relationships which brought in a major donor - rather than simply discussing how busy you’ve been.

Career expert Jill Jacinto, writing for Refinery29, makes the point that when asking for an increase, don't make it personal. Although it's likely your request for an increase is for valid financial reasons (a hike in cost of living, your desire to get on the property ladder, going to your tenth wedding this year), this shouldn’t be raised when seeking a raise. As Jill points out, if every manager awarded an increase on the basis of personal needs then businesses, especially charities, would cease to survive.

Here are some final tips for making the request meeting, gulp, a smooth one.

• Practice your talking points on a partner/flatmate/friend etc - Seek their honest feedback on your delivery. Are you umming too much? Are you speaking with conviction? Is your request clear and your reasoning sound? Perfecting the dress rehearsal could make the main performance a show stopper. If no-one’s around, video it. It might feel completely daft watching yourself talk, but you might even start to believe in yourself. Be authentic on the day though, and be prepared to go 'off script’.

• Set the scene -Arrange a proper meeting with your manager, booked in with their PA if they have one, and ideally outside of a structured one-to-one where the matter could get lost amongst operational stuff. Frame it as a business discussion, although going too ‘hardball’ may not fit with your charity’s culture, so always be yourself.

• Don't say sorry - Be assertive (not aggressive) and unapologetic. Be firm with your expectations and once you've stated the figure you are seeking, wait for a response rather than filling the silence. It’s now over to your manager…

• Open negotiations - If you’re offered an increase, either during or after the meeting, that's lower than your expectations get ready to negotiate. Consider what’s best for the charity as well as for you - this is how the best deals are secured. If it’s an outright no, for valid reasons, be prepared to query what you need to do to get a 'yes' next time. Set a goal and a deadline to revisit, so you come away with something concrete to work on.

Do your homework

If you’re ready to take the plunge, don’t even think about diving in without getting your data in order. Do your due diligence; the more intelligence you gather, the stronger your case for an increase will be.

Determine your market value by considering the following options:

• Use guides like the Harris Hill Salary Survey to benchmark where you currently sit, and where you should. Drawn from thousands of genuine UK charity and not-for-profit vacancies from the previous financial year, you’ll find current market rates for hundreds of different roles, so yours is likely to be covered.

• Know your numbers; get savvy about the charity’s financial performance and demonstrate how your individual contribution has impacted on the company’s bottom line (effectively, the line at the bottom of of a financial report that shows the company’s net profit or loss).

• Ask your HR team about any rewards strategies or policies already in place or when any salary reviews take place so you can choose your timings wisely.

• Dip into your trusted professional network; sector or industry professionals, mentors and recruiters and those who may be willing to disclose a genuine salary comparison, to get a broad perspective. Consider ways of posing the question rather than asking outright what their salary is. Avoid asking friends or co-workers.

• Consider testimonials from trusted sector contacts, clients and suppliers. This could demonstrate you’re not the only one who thinks you’re smashing it and could further enhance your value.

Money talks are terrifying, no doubt. But by avoiding the topic and saving yourself the discomfort, you could be holding back your career progression and full earning potential long-term.

Asking for a raise is not a confrontational discussion, it’s an honest, professional request to be paid what you deserve. As Aliya Vigor-Roberston states in People Management Magazine, open and honest discussions about money can benefit both individuals and businesses.

So, there you go. No more excuses…

Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer

Contact Nicola

How to handle the holiday handover

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 16:47:24 GMT

Before you go...

(Excited! Full of anticipation! But a bit stressed!)

American polymath Benjamin Franklin quite wisely said “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. He was spot on. Nailing a holiday handover is all in the preparation; giving yourself sufficient time to organise everything weeks in advance.

Forewarn your absence

Make sure your holiday dates are in your team and key stakeholders’ diaries as soon as your leave has been authorised; even if you sort the finer, exciting details later.

If you’re client or supporter-facing or manage multiple projects, consider adding an extra line to your email signature a few weeks in advance that clearly outlines the period of your absence.

Rather than appearing smug (‘I'M GOING ON HOLIDAY FOR TWO WEEKS AND YOU'RE NOT’) it instead ensures your contacts are notified well in advance and can plan accordingly at their end. It also prevents any nasty surprises on your last day.

The art of the handover note

It’s always a good idea to start your Holiday Handover Notes (HHN) a good few weeks before, even if you jot down headers or topics in the first instance, rather than frantically wracking your tired brain the night before you fly.

Consider always having the document open in the week before you go, for ease of brain-dump, rather than scribbling a note on a Post-it that gets lost in a yellow sea of more Post-its or overloading your already full head.

Be it a glamorous getaway or simple staycation, holidays are a chance to relax and recharge. Which you'll probably need after the frantic fortnight of frenzied preparation that all too often comes first. So how do you take a stress-free break without simply cramming it all in beforehand? And what if you're left holding things together on the home front?

In this month’s guest article, freelance writer and HR specialist Nicola Greenbrook has advice on pre-holiday planning to help you head away with everything in hand, keep calm with your carry-on, and be raring to go on your return.

Holiday season is well and truly upon us. Oh, the anticipation of what’s to come! An opportunity to get stuck into the book gathering dust on the bedside table or to broaden your horizons at a bucket list-worthy destination. A chance to recharge and refuel. According to Dr Christian Jarrett, holidays can make us happier, healthier and even prolong our lives.

Sometimes though, the pace and pressure in the weeks leading up to the holiday almost negate the benefits of the break itself. Here are some tips to help you deliver a successful handover - keeping your credibility, peace of mind and work relationships intact.

Be a clever planner

In the weeks before, keep your diary as clear as possible and stay focused.

It may feel a wrench missing Steve from Events’ birthday lunch, but avoiding social engagements or non-urgent appointments wins you back a few hours of uninterrupted work time. At 7.00pm on your last day when you’re panicked and finishing with all your holiday toiletries still to buy, you’ll be grateful for that hour. You can catch up with Steve and the gang on your return.

If you’re a freelancer or consultant in the not-for-profit sector with no-one to actually hand over to, it's even more crucial to plan ahead.

CJ finds that scheduling everything in advance with calendar reminders or apps like Later and Tailwind , can be helpful. Although "it does mean a lot of work beforehand to get it all done”, she also notes “it’s amazing how much technology can help to give you a little respite!”

Avoid dumping-disguised-as-a-handover-task

Be reasonable and conscientious, and tie up as many loose ends as you possibly can before you go.

Don't be tempted to use your absence from the office as an opportunity to slip in a few projects that have been on the back burner, or to dump tricky tasks you’ve been putting off on to an unsuspecting colleague. This may cause resentment in your absence, confusion or delays to a project.

CJ Sinclair , founder of Go Travel and Talk , a network that provides detailed travel guides to worldwide destinations with solo travellers in mind, is always on the move; and therefore well-practised in the art of the perfect handover.

She breaks her HHN down into critical priorities, current and upcoming projects and ‘things to watch’ and ‘worry or pain points’. CJ also cleverly adds screen shots and media, to break up the words and highlights important text for an easy at-a-glance view.

Aim to strike the balance with a comprehensive but concise approach to your HHN. HR News suggests that ‘…there’s no need to cause an unreasonable amount of stress on the employee/s covering you whilst you’re away, so highlighting all the ‘need-to-know’ points will help them keep on top of things’. Order tasks by priority and include key delivery dates or deadlines, with the most recent first.

Schedule in a face-to-face meeting with your colleague who’s taking the reins . You can talk through the HHN before you go, so they can ask questions and jot down their own points. Avoid being patronising; your team are knowledgeable enough to know what ‘pass invoice to Finance' means in practice. There's no need to go into intricate detail about the ‘third cupboard on the left with the squeaky drawer’ if everybody knows perfectly well all about the squeaky drawer.

Set boundaries

Depending on what works for you, let your direct reports and manager know how and when you can be contactable if a genuine emergency arises while you’re on the beach.

Otherwise, you should trust your team and colleagues to adequately manage things in your absence, especially if you’ve put all of the above into place. Prioritise your wellbeing, family and friends during that precious break, and where possible, learn to switch off.

Don't use OOO to get a LOL

It’s tempting to set a comedy out of office message, but the best advice is to save it for the comedians.

As funny as they might be to read, there's a fine line between light-hearted and inappropriate, and it's not necessarily in the same place for everyone. Getting it wrong and causing offence can reflect badly on the charity, its purpose and mission.

A simple message that clearly states your return date and who to contact in your absence will do the trick, although it can be a nice touch to highlight a particular campaign your charity is running. Oh, and don’t forget your voicemail too if you receive direct calls.

If it's your turn to hold the fort...

I t can be tough being the stand-in. You’re managing your own workload as well as bearing the responsibility of doing a good house-sitting job.

Be assertive. Even if your colleague is looking rather up to their eyes in it, ask all the questions you need before they go so you’re well informed and can maintain the proper functioning of tasks in their absence - it’s for both of your benefits.

CJ Sinclair especially looks after her colleagues by cc’ing them into emails in the weeks leading up to her holiday and keeping them 100% in the picture. If the work is project-facing, she also arranges calls with clients to introduce them to the person holding the fort - so why not consider asking for the same treatment?

Be proactive and schedule a meeting with the hander-over on their penultimate day to avoid a last minute panic on the final one. Politely ask that their handover notes are in good shape so that you can go through the entire document together, check your understanding and fill in any gaps. Then schedule one in the early afternoon of their first day back.

Consider using Google Docs so that you can update the document with your own notes as you go along. It will save you time and allow your colleague to read through and extract the key points and actions before their return if they fancy, making their first day back easier (and yours; you’ve now just the one workload to juggle. Hurrah!).

It can be hard bearing the weight of managing tasks in someone else’s absence and the risk of being overwhelmed is high.

Accept that you can’t do everything and be aware of what you can reasonably do. Focus on the deadlines and priorities, and don’t fret if you didn’t even get a peek at the ‘non-urgent’ section of the HHN. These can be picked up when your colleague returns. If you’re struggling, talk to your manager and shout for help. This Harvard Business Review article has some great tips on what to do when you’re covering for colleagues - and can't keep up.

When you get back...

(Jet lagged! With post-holiday blues! Slightly full of dread!)

It's tough coming back from a holiday. Even worse when you’ve had to come straight from airport to office, you’re desperately missing the pool/beach/mountain/all-inclusive buffet and were not at all prepared for a painful reunion with the tube. Here’s some final tips on how to restore some of that holiday-energy.

• Keep your diary as clear as you can. Prioritise the meeting with your colleague who managed your work (who hopefully would have scheduled it for early afternoon) and use the morning to clear/organise your emails and get your task list up to date. The responsibility is back with you, and the chances are your colleague will be relieved to relinquish the extra load.

• Be gracious and thankful for the support you received from your colleagues. If time hasn’t allowed them to complete all tasks, keep your cool and try not to be angry or concerned that things haven't been done ‘your way’.

• Avoid a post-holiday grumble. You fully deserved your break and it’s always hard to come crashing back to reality when you’ve had the time of your life. However, be mindful that while you’ve been travelling they’ve been sweating it in your absence. Don’t moan about being back or repeatedly say ‘this time last week I was *add fabulous holiday thing*' and sigh, loudly. Be grateful for both a super break and a supportive team of colleagues.

• Come bearing gifts. Like a bottle of that funny-coloured liquor from the local supermarket, unpronounceable sweets or some local delicacies. It doesn’t have to be expensive or purchased from somewhere impressive; a box of fudge can go a long way to say thank you.

So, there you go. You’ve notified people way in advance that you're jetting off. You’ve planned, scheduled, created perfect handover notes with no nasty surprises, and your team know how to track you down in an emergency (unlikely as they’re so well-informed).

Now, swap sandwiches at your desk for something delicious al fresco and lose yourself in a good book rather than a report, safe in the knowledge that everything's in hand. You deserve it.

Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer

Contact Nicola

I QUIT! How to leave a job gracefully

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:00:06 GMT

Why is it so hard to leave?

After conducting a quick straw poll, I discovered that people feel a range of emotions when resigning, regardless of whether they’d been in post for 12 weeks or 12 years. “Absolutely sick to my stomach”, “terrified”, “disloyal” and “guilty” were just some of the responses I had.

Many people feel a deep sense of commitment to their job and employer, even if they’re stagnant or deeply unhappy there. If you’ve been personally invested in - via training, a paid qualification, a coach or mentor, supported through a difficult life issue or have formed close relationships with your colleagues, it can be difficult to choose between devotion for your company and the best career move for you.

When work-family boundaries become blurred, you can show disproportionate levels of commitment and fidelity - and neglect your own interests. Even the best organisations can’t choose employee loyalty over what’s best for business. As Allison Green , founder of career advice blog Ask a Manager says, “There’s nothing wrong with loving your work, enjoying your company and having good will toward your co-workers… But it’s still O.K., and even good, to put yourself first in the long-run.”

Every role has an expiry date and so when it’s time to move on, move on.

After considering a career move for some time and exploring new opportunities, at last, you're invited to an interview. You’ve faced your fears and carefully prepared, and after an excruciating wait, discover you’ve nailed your dream job. You feel on top of the world!

Temporarily. There’s just one small thing left to tackle… leaving your current one.

For this month’s guest post, Nicola is exploring why resigning can feel painful, how to do it gracefully and avoid making a spectacle of yourself at your leaving do.

There’s a quote I like by an unnamed author; “You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one” which aligns nicely with this month’s topic. It’s a natural stage in our professional growth to want to move on; to experience a different culture, sector, city (or country) or to build a portfolio career. It’s also not uncommon to feel deep sadness and a fear of the unknown when resigning.

I’ve resigned... But need to change my mind!

Generally, once a resignation has been given it can't be withdrawn; unless the employer gives their express permission or if it was given in the heat of the moment, and then promptly retracted. Although most resignations are straight forward, sometimes… well, life gets in the way.

A friend of mine had resigned, then discovered she was pregnant on December 23rd. She needed to ask her employer to take her back; a rather nerve-racking prospect by anyone’s standards. The office was closed until the New Year and so, after agonising over Christmas, at 8.30 am on January 2nd she went immediately to her department director. They had built an excellent relationship based on mutual trust and respect, and she told them honestly the reason for retraction. That they were expecting and that their plans to move cities - the original reason for resignation - had changed. With a deep breath, she asked if she could stay. The director congratulated her, smiled at what my friend describes as her "crazy, messy life", accepted immediately and consulted with HR to get things sorted. A masterclass in managing a potentially tricky situation, brilliantly.

I’d like to thank...

When your last day finally comes around, don’t let others dictate your ceremony; do it your way. If it’s the done thing in your company and there’s an expectation you’ll say a few words, have a speech prepared with genuine thank yous. When I left Breast Cancer Care the first time in 2007 to work in Australia, I stood in front of my lovely manager, team and colleagues, who I’d worked with for four years and who had given me so much, and sobbed uncontrollably. It was very ‘Gwyneth Oscar Acceptance 1999’, but with not a single word spoken at all. I still regret it to this day. I atoned the second time around by planning my leaving speech properly.

Enjoy your leaving do, but go easy, too. You may not be returning to the office on Monday, but your colleagues are potential future contacts. In my early twenties when leaving one of my first jobs in HR, I began my leaving celebrations at 4pm in the local pub and accepted the generosity of my colleagues in buying me drinks. The leaving do ended abruptly with me literally falling out of a nightclub at midnight and incurring a black eye which required treatment by a St John’s Ambulance first aider and my arm in a sling for good measure. When I started my new job on the Monday, I was armed with an elaborate story about a gardening injury. Thankfully, social media did not exist then and fortunately for me, I’ve grown up quite a lot.

What shouldn't I do?

You may be familiar with the scene from 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary when Bridget, utterly fed up with her sleazy boss Daniel Cleaver, leaves on the spot for a job ‘in television’. When he tries to enforce her notice period, she responds in the open plan office, "If staying here means working within ten yards of you, frankly I'd rather have a job wiping Saddam Hussein’s a**e.” before spinning on her heels to the tune of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”.

We’ve all dreamt of a similar (and brilliant) departure but in real life, storming out is not recommended. It’s also not the same as resigning, as ACAS notes in their useful article. Instead, put your resignation in writing and always work your full notice unless you mutually agree otherwise or there are extenuating circumstances. It shows commitment, avoids leaving your colleagues in the lurch and allows sufficient time to find a replacement.

Departure - Final call

Some further suggestions on executing a graceful departure are below:

► Plan your exit story and tell the same narrative to all. Keep it positive so you don’t burn any bridges.

► If an exit interview is not on offer, suggest one - the company will benefit from feedback on your time there. Be constructive and genuine, stick to facts and suggest ideas for improvement based on personal experience if you can. Polite and positive critique keeps everyone’s dignity intact.

► Deliver an excellent handover - verbal and written if you can manage it. Add to it daily, rather than scribbling a panicked, fragmentary list on the last day. Be thorough and review your task lists, diary and projects to avoid any nasty surprises when you’re gone.

► Build your networks in your final month by arranging lunches and attending internal events (balanced with getting your head down and delivering an excellent handover of course!). This creates some lovely memories, but it’s likely your paths will cross again - potential mentor, future hire/hirer or business partner - so make strong connections now.

► Take your personal items home gradually during your notice period, rather than necessitating the hire of a removal van for your shoes, personal memorabilia and plants on your final day or leaving your colleagues to arrange a courier.

You’ve approached your manager in the right way with a professional letter, your desk is spotless and you’ve totally aced your handover. You’re leaving with great memories and even better connections, with the backing of your manager and colleagues behind you as you go forth into the unknown. You did it! As Liz Carroll, Chief Executive of The Haemophilia Society wisely says "it's not about how you leave, but how you are throughout your time. Be fair, supportive and honest and it will be positive in leaving".

Congratulate yourself on a job well done and take a breather before your exciting new challenge begins. It’s going to be great!

Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer

Contact Nicola

I’ve made up my mind... where do I start?

Always finalise the details with your new employer before taking action with your current one. Get the offer in writing and carefully review the contract, be clear on the package offered and if you want to negotiate terms, do so before accepting. Once that’s clear, it’s time to, gulp, resign.

Consider giving your manager a heads up in advance - and prior to your formal resignation. A good manager will know your long term plans and have actively supported them - but it might still come as a shock if you hit them with a letter out of the blue. As Alex Dawson, Director of Technique Training and Development notes, "If you’ve got the kind of line manager who is invested in your career, knows where you want to get to, gives you the support and challenge you need to get there AND makes sure the organisation gets what it needs from you, then leaving feels likes a very natural step".

When you’re ready, ask your manager for a private meeting and always ensure they’re the first to know. Hold this face to face if you work in the same location, or consider an initial call / Skype if you don’t. Only send an email if there are unusual or unavoidable circumstances.

Keep your resignation letter brief but professional with a warm tone, but don’t over do it. A separate card for your manager is a good way to express your gratitude and appreciation.

Inevitably, it’ll be daunting but it’ll be over before you know it. In a previous role, I’d emailed my manager to ask for a catch up (to resign) and we booked it in for later that morning. I’d just printed off the maternity policy for another meeting and as she handed it to me off of the printer, she shot me a expectant look and a grin. It was NOT AWKWARD AT ALL when I had to deliver my actual news.

Why a workplace mistake could be the best move you've made

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 16:15:05 GMT

Why do we make mistakes anyway?

From clean forgetting the attachment on an all-company email to accidentally forwarding a highly inappropriate spam video to your Chair of Trustees - rather than flagging it with your PR team as you’d intended - the workplace gaffe is cringingly familiar.

It’s safe to say most people have experienced the palpable gut-wrench of making an absolute clanger. So why do we make mistakes? Are we simply being careless or in a rush? Ignoring our intuitions and pushing ahead with an approach we know deep down will fail? Or is there more at play than personality and intelligence?

American journalist and author Joseph T. Hallinan thinks so. In his book ‘ Why We Make Mistakes ’, he believes humans are pre-programmed to mess up because of our inbuilt ‘design flaws’. That it’s the way we think, see and remember - and forget - that leads us to make mistakes. By delving into psychology, neuroscience, and economics, he deduces that the same qualities that make us efficient can also make us prone to error.

These design flaws, like when our eyes play tricks on us, are all-too-relatable. ‘I once sent an email about how incompetent and what a pain in the a***e a client was - only to send it directly to him’ said one of my friends.

Not spotting a missing letter can also wreak havoc, as a teacher friend discovered. ‘My teaching assistant was responsible for the gardening club and needed to write an emergency flyer home to parents due to bad weather. She intended to ask them to wear wet-weather gear - wellies in particular. But, the note read something along the lines of... ‘Dear gardeners, please don’t forget to bring your willies to school tomorrow!’. It was my job to check - I missed it and the note went home. Thank goodness our parents are fairly good humoured!’.

Made a mistake at work recently that was your fault? Are you still agonising over it?

For my guest article this month, I’m exploring why a work blunder might feel like your world has ended, never mind your career, but could turn out to be the best thing you’ve ever done.

Ah, the work blooper. Whether you’re an intern or the CEO, a self-orientated perfectionist or if you swear you triple-checked your email recipient, one day you WILL make a mistake. It’s an inevitable and unavoidable part of life.

In researching this article I asked friends, colleagues and LinkedIn’ers if they’d be willing to reveal their most unforgettable career-clangers. The responses wove a fascinating (and hilarious) tapestry of goofs. A helpful reminder that we’re all human - it’s the quirks of our mental make up that truly make us interesting - and that even the most painful slip-ups can be helpful…

Argh, I’ve made a huge mistake. Now what?!

Here are some suggested ways to navigate yourself out a potential crisis in the event of a blooper:

1. Clear your head. Stop, take a deep breath and consider what’s actually happened (i.e. did you email the person intended or the whole company?). In your eagerness for damage control, avoid sending an email immediately. It could make things ten times worse and appear you’ve lost control.

2. Face up to it. Don’t run away, hide in the loos or blame the whole thing on Stephen from Finance. Be upfront with your manager and apologise, but don’t over do it. Present a clearly thought-out solution for their approval and display a calm and professional exterior (even if you’re sobbing inside).

3. Try not to catastrophise. It’s natural to assume the worst - but don’t let panic or imposter syndrome overwhelm you. It’s likely your colleagues won’t notice your mistake, as everyone’s too busy making their own (I mean, getting on with their work).

4. A slip-up shared... Talk to a friend or loved one. What feels like the end of the world this morning could make for a terrific anecdote by this evening once you’ve nailed (1), (2) and (3). Swapping ‘you’ll never guess what I did today’ tales can offer reassurance, a reality check and a giggle. Then, stop obsessing and let it go.

5. Show em’ what you’re made of. Don’t let a blip derail you. Work extra hard over the coming weeks to restore your confidence. Genuine colleagues and good line managers will want to see you succeed.

6. Check yourself . If you’re making small but frequent mistakes at work, there might be something else at play. Are you overloaded with a heavy work-life balance or anxious about something in your personal life? Or are you bored, taking your eye off the ball? Consider talking to your manager or HR, or access other support mechanisms like an employee assistance programme or a work/life coach.

No matter how agonising at the time, work mistakes can provide invaluable lessons to file in our ever-growing life manual. Although it’s hard to visualise in the moment, the personal growth you’ll experience will make it all worthwhile.

Trust me. It’ll all be OK.

Nicola Greenbrook - HR Specialist & Freelance Writer

Contact Nicola

So, what can I learn from a mistake?

The cringy, 'it feels like my career is over' kind of mishaps are often unforgettable. Yet, for most people their world didn’t actually end, it got better.

Mistakes can:

► Embed a valuable skill. When one senior designer first started out in publishing, he printed '10,000s of John Grisham audiobooks with the title misspelt on the spine. It was…quite a biggy’. Gulp. Yet, the one thing they’ve carried with them, apart from an innate fear of a legal thriller, is how crucial it is to double check anything that goes public. My friend who sent a disparaging email about a client TO the client? ‘I never wrote a single bad word about anyone on my work email ever again!’.

► Steer you down a career path you REALLY want to take. One of my great friends ‘invited 60 Financial Services big-wigs to a CPD event up in Liverpool, only to receive a call from an attendee telling me that the venue hadn’t a clue about the event and there was no booking. Yep - I hadn’t booked it. To be fair that season I ran over 140 events nationally, but that was a spectacular fail! It was then I realised events were not for me…’. They have since built a successful and exciting career in HRIS with notable brands on their CV - and haven’t given CPD events a second thought.

► Alter your behaviour. ‘I wondered and commented on why a young lad was looking at a notice up really really close’ mused one of my contacts. ‘Unfortunately he had a very bad eye problem. I was mortified that I had commented and have learned that all disabilities may not be that obvious. I’m very considerate and helpful to all my customers'. Although naturally respectful, it reminded her that consideration towards others goes a long way.

Why is it good to mess up?

Most people are compassionate enough to realise mistakes happen and see the funny side when wellies go rogue.

None of us are entirely flawless but we’re acclimatised to curated perfection in our virtual worlds. We share our successes and luminous achievements to our followers, but we rarely exhibit our failures when things haven’t gone so well.

Then again, messing up can feel like the end of the world. The immediate reaction is usually negative; panic, nausea, wild irrationality. As you simultaneously update your LinkedIn profile in readiness for a new-job search and WhatsApp your friends requesting an urgent wine-up to wallow in catharsis, you can feel like the worst (*add job title here) in the country.

Yet giving yourself permission to make mistakes could actually make you stronger. No matter how crushing they feel at the time, getting it wrong can be right in the long term. As Viv Groskop explains in her article for The Pool , ‘the more we stumble the less likely we are to head towards a major fall’. Making a mistake allows you to pause and reflect on the decisions made and actions taken which caused the error. Essentially, you get clarity on what’s gone wrong and can take steps to put it right.

Post-mistake anxiety - the I never want to experience this embarrassment or worry ever again feeling - can be the driving force to do better next time. You may also push yourself in a way you wouldn’t if you’re used to playing it safe and striving for perfection.

Author Elizabeth Day ’s inspiring podcast ‘ How To Fail With Elizabeth Day ’ celebrates the things that haven’t quite gone right. Every week, she asks her interviewee what they learned from their failures and how to do it better next time, - and succeed. In her article for The Guardian , she shares, ‘I realised that the biggest, most transformative moments of my life came through crisis or failure’. Crucially, she survived.

The truth about charity chief executives

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 12:39:53 GMT

A brief introduction to Harris Hill Executive Search

For more than 15 years, our executive team have been building a rock-solid reputation with charities around the country for exceptional service, a genuinely bespoke and consultative approach, and a record of successful executive and non-executive appointments that's unmatched within the sector.

Principally recruiting Chief Executives, Trustees and Chairs, plus SMT positions such as COOs, Senior Directors and Deputy CEOs, the team deliver superb results every time, thanks to their extensive candidate network, sector knowledge and search capabilities, coupled with an unwavering commitment to highly professional, diligent, ethical and inclusive recruitment practices.

► Harris Hill Executive Search

Every so often in the press - usually once we've finished frothing about GCSEs being too easy/too hard but before we start panic-buying for the Worst Winter In 200 Years (again) - we're all invited to be incandescent about the salaries of charity executives.

But when those winter warnings routinely spin something unremarkable ('Met Office says Carlisle to be bit chilly for fortnight in Feb') into dramatic portents of doom, are the stories of 'vast sums being pocketed by charity fat cats' any more accurate?

In the past ten years, Harris Hill Executive Search director Jenny Hills has recruited more charity CEOs than you'd fit on any of the superyachts they're alleged to sail around in, so for our 2018 Salary Survey, we asked her for the truth behind the tabloid tales: what do charities really pay their chief executives, and just as importantly, why?

Over to you, Jenny!

What is a typical charity CEO salary?

For roles at this level it's difficult to provide a meaningful or truly representative list of market rate salaries.

Firstly, non-executives in the sector very seldom receive salaries for their work. Secondly, for CEO roles, salaries vary wildly depending on the organisation. In the past year, we have placed CEOs on salaries of £45,000 to £100,000, and everything in between.

CEO salaries are dependent on the scale of the organisation, its complexity, location, geographical coverage, sector, regulatory requirements, as well as the particular challenges of the role.

For example, CEOs who are hired to turn around an organisation at risk of failure are often compensated for the additional work, compared to the same role at an organisation on a more even keel; or we often see higher salaries for CEOs who are expected to take on the lead fundraising role for their charity.

These multiple factors make setting useful categories for organisations and their CEO salaries more complex than we have space for here. However, a service we do provide is bespoke salary surveys for organisations looking to benchmark the salary of a particular role. For these pieces of work, we are able to focus in on, identify and interpret the data that is most relevant to your organisation and role, using all the criteria discussed above.

________________________

Pay and public perception

As ever, charity sector salaries are often a point of contention in the press and public consciousness, especially those paid to CEOs.

The myth of the typical charity executive being paid six figure salaries is just that - a myth. Of the 168,237 charities registered in England and Wales as of 31st December 2017, just over 0.5% of them had any employees earning £100,000 or more, according to official figures from Charity Financials.

Nevertheless, we regularly have conversations with boards looking to hire their next chief executive who are nervous about openly advertising the salary. To which our answer is always: are they worth it?

To really hone in on what trustees are looking for in their next CEO, we like to focus on the impact the board expects them to make. How is the organisation going to be different in one year, five years or ten years, if the new CEO is successful?

________________________

The shape of success

Most of the time, our CEOs are brought in to deliver significant change, such as dramatically growing a charity; turning around an organisation with tough challenges; or developing new services and income streams.

They need to do this in a highly regulated environment - always the Charity Commission, often CQC, Ofsted, the Fundraising Regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, not to mention the oversight requirements of statutory and grant funding.

They are also often in the full glare of the public eye: think of the difference in profile between the CEO, for example, of your local hospice, versus the CEO of the average local commercial business of comparable scale.

At the same time, they need to lead on strategy for the organisation, manage its finances (often taking a large chunk of responsibility for bringing in the income in the first place), manage the staff and volunteers and any physical assets.

They need to be skilled negotiators, managing relationships with stakeholders from the life-long supporter to the actively hostile, so to dramatically understate things, it's a big job. The smaller the charity, the more hands-on they have to be. As well as leading the organisation, we know many CEOs who, when needs be, will literally stuff envelopes.

________________________

Setting the salary

Every charity CEO role is different, but it's safe to describe it as a job that most people could not do, and of those who could, many make use of their skills elsewhere in the public or private sector - for considerably higher salaries.

We will always help our clients to set the right salary - one that will attract the talent they need, and that also fits the organisation's circumstances. Sometimes this involves tough conversations about the board's expectations versus the salary budget, and advising on what can be done to stretch it further.

Options could include offering the role on a part time basis, or offering home or more flexible working. On a few occasions this year, we have secured a new CEO on a lower salary than the board were expecting.

________________________

Ultimately, once the decision to pay a given salary is made, the strongest argument against those who object to charity staff getting paid at all is the complexity and breadth of the job description. Charity CEO is a highly skilled professional position with exceptional demands, requiring a highly skilled professional with exceptional capabilities in order to be successful.

Jenny Hills , Harris Hill Executive Search

How to write a great supporting statement

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 17:52:53 GMT

So where should you start?

First and foremost, the supporting statement is your opportunity to explain why you want the job - your interest in and attraction to the organisation. Charities want to hear why you're keen to work there specifically, in support of that particular cause.

Whether that's down to your knowledge of the organisation from personal contact or experience, research you've done, enthusiasm for what they do, or a great match between their values and yours, make sure it comes across loud and clear. Nobody ever hired the candidate who didn't seem that bothered about getting the job.

OK, but there are 30 requirements, yet they want a maximum of two pages?

Sadly there's no getting around this one: writing a really good (but concise) supporting statement is never going to be a five minute job. But here are some tips to make it easier:

• Firstly a little recruitment not-so-secret: 95% of person specifications are 95% the same. You know the score: communication skills, attention to detail, ability to multitask, demonstrating initiative, working within a team. Whatever your career, it's likely you'll run into certain requirements again and again. Create a master copy that covers all of these effectively and your future applications are already halfway done. Just be sure to tailor your responses to the role you're applying for, updating examples as your career progresses.

• Speaking of which, even when you're not job-hunting, keep a record of projects that go well, however large or small. Trying to remember a specific instance that highlights your amazing negotiation skills can be tricky at a year's remove, so note it down while it's fresh in your mind.

• Consider grouping requirements together: if a project you worked on clearly demonstrates three different skills, don't write about it three times. Group the skills into a single heading and write about the project once, highlighting each of the qualities in question. Use your judgement though - cutting 30 criteria down to 15 answers may be a sensible way of keeping the length down, but cutting ten down to three might mean you're skimming over things in insufficient detail.

• There might be one or two requirements you don't yet meet (if there are too many it's probably not the right job). It can be tempting to ignore these and hope no-one notices, but you'll create a much more positive impression by acknowledging them and giving an example that shows the employer you can pick up new skills quickly.

• If you’re clear on what to say but struggling to say it succinctly, why not enlist the help of AI? Sure, it’ll probably malfunction and enslave humanity at some point, but in the meantime, tools like ChatGPT can do a decent job of turning your wordy ramblings into punchier points.

One day, there'll be some brilliant bit of technology that scans your brain for all the qualities, skills and experience your prospective employer's been looking for, and delivers a whizzy presentation about them directly to their iPhone 27. It'll be great, if a little Orwellian.

Until then, most employers depend on application forms, the good old CV (so old we're still using the Latin name), and in most charity and not-for-profit organisations, the all-important supporting statement.

And it really is important, because it's your biggest opportunity to sell yourself to the hiring organisation.

Let's be honest though, it's nobody's idea of fun. If you've already spent hours perfecting your CV or slogging through an employer's 30-page online application (we won't name culprits, but you know who you are...) the last thing you're in the mood for is writing 500 words of chirpy copy about your listening skills.

So here's the first tip: resist the temptation to dash something off just to get it done. It might be the last thing you do but it's often the first thing an employer will read, and first impressions count. Unless you're right on deadline, come back to it when you're fresh and able to really think about your responses.

Speaking of deadlines, if you're applying through a recruiter it's well worth a chat with your consultant to make sure you're totally clear on timings and exactly what's required. The statement has to come from you personally, but there's no reason you can't ask your consultant for feedback, so don't wait until the deadline. Send it over sooner to give yourself time for a second draft if you need it.

So to summarise: use your supporting statement to make it abundantly clear to the reader that you're genuinely keen to work for their organisation, enthusiastic about the role, and that you can demonstrate (preferably with examples) all the skills and qualities they're looking for.

Which - at least until we get that brain-scanning technology - is your best route to getting the interview!

David Young, Director of Marketing, Harris Hill

For more advice on applications and supporting statements, contact any of our specialist consultants , call us on 020 7820 7300 or get in touch via info@harrishill.co.uk

Spell it out

You've already sent your CV and/or filled in an application form: surely the employer just needs to read these to deduce that you have all the right qualities?

Possibly yes, but unless you're applying to be Dr Watson, the hiring manager's probably no detective. Don't make them hunt for clues and piece your story together: use the supporting statement to highlight all the factors in your favour and make them crystal clear.

Also remember that the person screening initial applications might not be the actual hiring manager (or potentially even a person), so try not to assume they'll understand the finer detail of your previous roles. If you want them to know you're the ideal candidate, tell them clearly and explain why in straightforward terms that anyone can understand.

Lastly of course, proofread, proofread and proofread again. That claim about 'accuracy and attention to detail' won't carry much weight if your relationship with spelling and grammar is going through a rocky patch that day. If in doubt, get someone else to read it too, as it's easy to miss things in a piece you've read many times.

harrishill

Are two CEOs better than one for charities?

What is the co-CEO model?

Co-leadership in the charity sector

Shared leadership: the opportunities...

…and challenges

Final thoughts

The weight of the modern charity CEO role

How to nail your charity sector interview

How to nail your charity sector interview

1. Do your homework

2. Prepare your stories

3. Anticipate tricky questions

4. Sell yourself… without bragging

5. Ask thoughtful questions

6. Pay attention to practicalities

7. Mindset matters

Key takeaways:

How to handle competency-based interviews

Read more ►

How to write your charity sector CV

Read more ►

How to write a great supporting statement

Read more ►

How to handle competency-based interviews – part 1

What is a competency-based interview, and why do recruitment panels use them?

How can you tell if it's a competency-based interview?

Answering competency-based questions with the STAR technique

Why use the STAR technique?

Less is (usually) more

How to handle competency-based interviews – part 2

Bringing yourself to the interview

How to answer a tricky question

Taking your answers further

In summary...

2025 Salary Survey: Charity CEO salaries and executive trends

How much do charity CEOs get paid?

Executive recruitment trends in the charity sector

What are charity CEOs looking for?

What else attracts senior executive candidates?

What determines the salary level for a charity CEO?

2025 Salary Survey: temps market trends

Temp rates conversion tool

2025 Salary Survey: finance market trends

2025 Salary Survey: business services market trends

​ ​ Market trends

Where the opportunities are now

﻿

Charity salaries: the ten-year trends

How we’ve made these comparisons

2015: Setting the scene

Fundraising

Operations

Data Management

Finance

Human Resources

Marketing

What does this tell us?

Since 2015, the cost of everything those salaries have to pay for has risen between 36.1% and 53.3% , depending on your chosen measure of inflation.

How much does this matter?

2025 Salary Survey: marketing, PR and digital trends

2025 Salary Survey: fundraising market trends

It’s not who you are, but where you’re at

2025 Salary Survey: market overview

The pendulum swings back

Meanwhile if you’re seeking a move...

Has remote working replaced human connection?

A shift in workplace connection

Rebuilding connection in a digital age: practical tips

How digital tools power remote teams

Reconnecting with what matters

...and the downsides of digital dependence

Behold! Brand new branding for Harris Hill

Meet the new Harris Hill logo

How did we get here?

​But I fear change! Why have you done this?

1996-1999

2000

2002

2004

Market trends

But I fear change! Why have you done this?

First impressions count. Even for employers.

What’s the point of interviews?

2. Set a smart schedule…

8. Keeping it confidential