Hiring new staff for your charity: 5 top tips
Hiring new staff for your charity can be an exciting process. But finding the best people to help your organisation grow comes with its own challenges.
There are lots of important considerations to take into account when recruiting new staff. This can seem daunting if you’re a relatively new organisation.
However, with careful planning and the right procedures in place, the process of hiring new staff for your charity can be incredibly rewarding.
Here are our five top tips for hiring new staff for you charity:
Structure your recruitment process
Plan out your entire recruitment process before you begin. If your organisation doesn’t yet have recruitment policies and procedures in place, now’s the time to create them.
Set a recruitment schedule and stick to it. Include dates for advertising the vacancy, inviting candidates to interview, holding interviews and selecting a candidate.
Identify the main purpose of the position you’re recruiting for, and communicate this clearly in your job description.
Plan your interview questions in advance, and the system you’ll use to assess candidates at interview.
Advertise in the right places
Advertising job vacancies can be costly, which can be prohibitive for smaller organisations. However, there are ways to do it on a budget.
Social media is a great way to reach potential employees, and usually costs little or nothing.
Clued-up job seekers search LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for opportunities, so make the most of these channels. Make sure you repost frequently throughout the vacancy window.
List the vacancy on your charity’s website, and add it to your e-newsletter. And don’t forget to ask colleagues for recommendations.
Consider equal opportunities
Employers have an obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to treat candidates fairly and objectively.
It’s against the law to discriminate against a candidate because of any of the nine ‘protected characteristics’.
These are: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; or sexual orientation.
Make sure your job description is free from discriminatory language, and base your recruitment decisions purely on occupational requirements.
NCVO Knowhow Nonprofit provides some useful guidance on developing an equal opportunities policy for your organisation.
Be aware of employment law
If you’re employing staff it is, of course, absolutely essential to be aware of and comply with employment law.
This includes health and safety, pension rules and laws regarding payroll and the minimum wage.
For more information, check out the government’s guidelines on hiring new staff for your charity.
Carry out background checks
Once you’ve interviewed and selected your new employee, it’s vital you carry out the requisite background checks.
Depending on the nature of their role, your new employee may be eligible for a DBS check. If so, carry out the check to ensure you’re recruiting safely.
If your new employee’s role involves handling cash, consider undertaking a credit check on their financial background. This should uncover any unfavourable circumstances, like bankruptcy, and help protect against fraud.
Seek references to confirm your employee’s good character and suitability to undertake the role. Two references from previous employers should suffice.
Hiring new staff for your charity: a summary
With the right policies and procedures in place and a well-thought-out plan, the process of hiring new staff for your charity should be satisfying and – with any luck – painless.
If you’d like advice on carrying out DBS checks on your new employees, get in touch with our expert team today – we’re always happy to help.