September 17, 2018 Recruitment

How to improve reference checking at your NFP

Reference checking can sometimes seem like a final box-ticking exercise before you hire the person you’ve already decided is the best candidate.

But taking the time to do your due diligence is, in fact, a non-negotiable part of recruitment. And it’s an easy thing to get wrong, exposing your team or whole organisation to potentially toxic employees – or worse.

So how do you make the most of your reference checks?

That’s something David Meere knows intimately. As the National Manager – Talent and Attraction at for-purpose organisation Life Without Barriers, Meere has many years of experience with conducting reference checks – from the best questions to ask to red flags to watch out for and everything in between.

September 10, 2018 Leadership, Managing People Well

The 10 design principles that could make you a better leader

The growing popularity of “design thinking” shows just how much leaders at all levels can learn from designers.

A “design mindset” can give a leader a clear thinking or problem-solving process that works well with everyone from family members to a community, or whole organisation.

Leaders with a design mindset “paint” the way forward with colourful, wide brushes to ensure a diverse range of perspectives.

The trick is knowing which aspect of our thinking processes to listen to at which time. Is it time to converge on an idea or action? Or is it time to diverge to create more options?

September 5, 2018 Onboarding, Recruitment

Recruiting in regional Australia? Here’s how to make relocation more attractive

In the last five years, more than 17 per cent of new jobs created in Australia have been in regional areas. At the same time regional job vacancies have grown by 20 per cent since the beginning of last year, compared to a 10 per cent rise in cities. Despite strong jobs growth in regional […]

September 3, 2018 Human Resources, Legal Issues, Managing People Well

Everything you need to know about the Fair Work Commission’s decision on domestic violence leave

On 1 August the Fair Work Commission’s ruling that anyone working under a modern award is entitled to five days’ unpaid leave if they are affected by domestic violence came into effect – a welcome, and arguably necessary, development at a time when domestic violence has a firm place in the social conscience. In making […]

August 27, 2018 Conference, Organisational Strategy

Dealing with high staff turnover? Here’s what you need to do

Change can often make people feel stressed and uncertain of where they stand, which can lead to dissatisfaction, low morale, increased absenteeism and presenteeism – and, eventually, high staff turnover. It’s an issue that affects many organisations, with change often being a constant in NFPs. So how can you ensure your organisation can keep your staff on […]

August 21, 2018 Conference

Need to convince your boss that attending the 2018 Not-For-Profit People Conference is essential? Here’s how

Want to hear from some of Australia’s most successful NFP organisations on how they attract, train and retain the best staff and volunteers? Then you can’t afford to miss the 2018 Not-For-Profit People Conference! But if you need help convincing your manager before you can join us and hundreds of other NFP professionals on November […]

August 17, 2018 Culture and Values, Organisational Strategy

How co-designing your values can improve your organisation’s culture

Collaboration isn’t just a buzzword – getting input and buy-in from your people can have huge benefits for a project and for staff too. Yet many organisations still rely exclusively on their HR function to establish their organisational values. Organisational values, by definition, affect every single person in the organisation, so it actually makes little […]

August 13, 2018 Managing People Well, Organisational Strategy

Could greater autonomy be the secret to growing your impact and improving staff engagement?

The introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been a catalyst for high levels of change in Australia’s NFP workforce.

With greater empowerment and choice for NDIS participants has come greater demands on service providers and their staff.

In turn, old workplace structures, processes and practices have sometimes struggled to keep up with new demands for flexibility, responsiveness and client-centred approaches.

One innovative solution lies in equipping staff with the autonomy to make their own decisions.

August 8, 2018 Health & Wellbeing, Productivity

Five things you can do to make work less stressful for your staff – and yourself

Stress. It’s normal. Every one will feel it at some point, and individuals have their own stress triggers.

At the same time, workplaces have a duty of care to ensure they offer their staff a physically and mentally safe and healthy space in which to work in.

So what could you be doing to ensure that there’s a little less stress in the day for your team, and for yourself?

July 30, 2018 Health & Wellbeing, Organisational Strategy

Working four-day weeks for five days’ pay? Research shows it pays off

Employees at a New Zealand company behind an innovative trial of a four-day working week have declared it a resounding success, with 78% saying they were better able to manage their work-life balance.

An analysis shows that the employees working four-day weeks felt better about their job, were more engaged, and generally reported greater work-life balance and less stress – all while maintaining the same level of productivity.

Latest from the NFP People Blog