Happy new year! We can’t believe we’re back for another year of NFP People advice and tips already!

What a year 2018 was for the team at EthicalJobs.com.au: We helped thousands of employers connect with purposeful candidates, hosted over 550 people for our our sixth annual Not-For-Profit People Conference, and published almost 50 NFP People posts with the best advice you’ll find anywhere for NFP leaders, managers, volunteer managers and HR professionals.

We’re pretty sure you had a busy year too, so to kick 2019 off, we thought we’d share the posts from 2018 that you found most interesting and useful – in case you missed them.

From legislation changes to people management, this is the content that engaged you and your peers, and got them thinking about the best way to manage their people, and deliver the greatest impact:

Number five: Five valuable things we learned at the 2018 Not-For-Profit People Conference

The atmosphere at our 6th annual Not-For-Profit People Conference was electric; the speakers inspiring; and the delegates’ enthusiasm was contagious.

With 36 speakers and 23 sessions it was super-difficult to hand-pick the key takeaways from the conference – but here are our top five. (Don’t miss Ross Reekie’s “seven elements of meaning for all staff” – we reckon it’s an invaluable list for all managers to keep in mind daily.)

Number four: How to hire great managers for your not-for-profit

Great managers are critical to an organisation’s ability to make an impact. They drive staff engagement, set the tone for the organisation’s culture, have a significant impact on staff retention and much more.

But what does a great manager or team leader look like on paper – or in an interview? And how can you ensure you’re hiring the right person – and not someone who’ll end up becoming a liability for a team or a whole department? We’ve distilled the essential elements from HR leaders across the NFP sector.

Number three: How to write clear and effective HR policies for your organisation

HR policies may not be glamorous – and they are definitely the butt of endless jokes – but that doesn’t make them any less essential to a well-functioning organisation.

Covering things like codes of conduct, health and safety, and performance management to name just a few, HR policies are the indispensible framework within which people in your organisation work.

These are five tips to help you write more effective HR policies in your NFP.

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

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

This is why it’s important to not have a blanket approach to mental health in your organisation. Instead, recognise that a stress reliever that works for one person is not necessarily the solution for everyone in your organisation.

Click though for five different ways you can ensure that there’s a little less stress in the day for your staff – and for yourself.

Number one – New Fair Work ruling sends warning about “award-free” employees

Lawyers have warned that a recent decision by the Fair Work Commission should make employers “very cautious when attempting to classify their junior or low-paid employees as ‘award free’”.

While most employees in the NFP sector are covered by a Modern Award, if your organisation has previously assumed that some junior employees aren’t covered by an award, you’ll now need to reassess that – or potentially be faced with future underpayment claims.

And look out for all new recruitment, HR, leadership and management tips coming to your inbox this week!