April 1, 2026 Culture and Values, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Recruitment

Six ways to make your recruitment process work for First Nations candidates

If Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates aren’t applying for your roles, the barrier may not be a lack of interest – it may be your recruitment process. Even when NFP employers are working to build a more inclusive workforce, the way roles are designed and advertised can unintentionally exclude First Nations applicants.

The good news is that NFPs can make small changes to create genuinely welcoming, culturally safe hiring processes – and increase engagement from First Nations candidates.

We asked Australia’s only 100% Aboriginal-owned executive recruitment firm specialising in Indigenous appointments how to craft a recruitment process that encourages First Nations people to apply for a role.

March 25, 2026 Recruitment

Does checking references really help you find the best candidate? Here’s what the evidence says

Does checking references really help find the best candidate?

When hiring a new employee, you likely consider information from several sources beyond just a CV and an interview.

One of the most common is to check applicant’s references by speaking to their referees – previous managers or colleagues. Reference checks tend to be the final hurdle; a sort of background check for the candidate’s job history and credentials.

But research suggests there are important limitations to reference checks that are worth keeping in mind.

February 26, 2026 Recruitment

10 things you need to know before you engage a recruitment agency

For NFPs, the decision to use a recruiter can be a difficult one. While they can open doors and save time, they are very expensive – up to 20 percent of the first year’s salary for the role you’re recruiting. So if you decide to go down that path, you need to ensure you’re doing it for the right reasons, and you’re going into it with your eyes wide open.

March 13, 2024 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Recruitment

Why clear job descriptions matter for gender equity – and how to write them

There it is, gleaming at the top of your screen: your dream job, a high-level, well-paying position in your field. Are you qualified enough? Should you apply?

New research shows that talented women are more likely to shy away from applying for job opportunities, particularly more advanced, higher-paying positions, because they’re concerned they aren’t qualified enough, whereas men don’t seem to worry about their skills matching the specific job requirements as much,

Here are three key things that NFP organisations can do to draw more, talented women to apply.

November 29, 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Health & Wellbeing, Recruitment

This ‘tick’ can help make your organisation more attractive to candidates

While the ‘war for talent’ is a terrible metaphor, in a time of record-low unemployment almost every NFP organisation is looking hard for ways to make themselves more attractive to the best candidates.

And with more than 10 percent of Australians identifying as LGBTIQ, a June 2023 survey of 5,474 people who identify as LGBTIQ across Australia and 12 other countries found that one-third were looking to move to a more LGBTIQ-inclusive employer.

One tool that can help you to attract more LGBTIQ candidates and volunteers to your organisation – and better retain your existing LGBTIQ employees and volunteers too – is the ‘Rainbow Tick’.

November 16, 2023 Onboarding, Recruitment

How to onboard a new leader for your organisation

Most NFP board members know that their most important responsibility is to make sure their not-for-profit’s leader has the support and tools they need to make the organisation thrive. Despite this, almost half of all surveyed NFP CEOs saying that they didn’t get a proper onboarding when they started their jobs.

But given that NFP boards are made up of volunteers it’s understandable that many organisations struggle in this area. So here are five recommendations to give a new leader the best start at possible at your NFP.

September 14, 2023 Managing People Well, Recruitment

Different types of job titles & how to use them effectively

You probably know that making a small change to a job title when you advertise a job can make a huge difference to the type and volume of applicants that you get.

But that’s just one of many reasons why making sure that every role in your organisation has the right job title is a key part of attracting the right people and aligning them with your organisation’s mission and goals.

This post looks at four things you should always consider whenever you’re deciding on a job title.

August 9, 2023 Recruitment

We asked the NFP sector about how they use employee referral programs. Here’s what they said

One recruitment tool that many NFPs have yet to embrace is an employee referral program. So we surveyed and compiled benchmark data from Australian NFP organisations of all sizes, showing how they’re currently using employee referral programs.

This post has the full low-down, including some tips on how to get started if you’re part of the 63% of NFP organisations without one.

June 22, 2023 Recruitment

9 things to do differently if you’re struggling to find the right candidate (or any candidates) for your job

What to do if your job ad doesn't get the response you're looking for

It’s a difficult time to recruit staff for just about every not-for-profit organisation. The Australian job-market as a whole is tighter than ever, with record-low unemployment. That means fewer people than ever are looking for a job – and job vacancies are up 95 per cent in the last three years.

So if you’ve tried to fill a role and haven’t found the right candidate – or perhaps haven’t found any candidates at all – here are the top nine things you should consider changing.

July 15, 2021 Human Resources, Recruitment

Should you re-hire an employee who left your organisation? Here’s what the evidence says

So you lost a superstar employee to greener pastures – perhaps enticed by a promotion, a salary increase or an opportunity to take a new direction or explore a long-held passion.

But now they’re keen to come back and you’ve just come across their updated resume in your applicant management system. What should you do?