March 8, 2017 Human Resources, Recruitment, Workplace Diversity

Unconscious bias is keeping women out of senior NFP roles, but we can get around it

Most people would not consciously decide to hire candidates based on whether they remind them of themselves. But one unconscious bias – affinity bias – may lead people to favour candidates who are like themselves, research shows.

If senior managers and NFP boards are made up of mostly men who unconsciously engage in such bias, it stands to reason that more men than women will continue to be hired and promoted – particularly men who share the same background with current managers. This only serves to perpetuate the cycle of men outnumbering women in leadership positions.

So what can be done?

February 22, 2017 Recruitment

The three recruitment metrics that Australian NFPs say it’s most important to track

More than one quarter of Australian not-for-profit organisations aren’t tracking even basic data about their recruitment processes, according to the latest Not-For-Profit People survey. But for the other three-quarters, which metrics are the most – and least – tracked, and which are considered the most valuable?

February 10, 2017 Interviewing, Making Decisions, Recruitment

Five unconscious biases that could be ruining your NFP’s recruitment process

Hiring the right people for the right job is arguably one of the most important responsibilities in any not-for-profit.

But what if there was something interfering with your ability to do just that – and you didn’t even know it?

January 9, 2017 Interviewing, Recruitment

If a candidate turns down your job offer, do this next

You’ve gone through a thorough recruitment process, interviewed some exciting applicants and you’re ready to make an offer to the standout candidate.

But when you call to give them the good news, they turn you down. Now what?

December 7, 2016 Interviewing, Recruitment

The most revealing interview questions that NFPs ask their candidates

What are the best interview questions to ask to get the clearest insights into your candidates?

Last month, we asked our NFP People community to share exactly that – and here are the results.

November 23, 2016 Interviewing, Recruitment

How this simple scorecard can significantly improve your recruitment decisions

Have the hiring decisions you’ve made this year been a success? How do you know?

Few organisations measure the success of hiring managers in their decisions about who’s the right person to hire. But this simple process can help interviewers to improve their skills over time, as well as helping to prevent unconscious biases and stereotypes from creeping into your recruitment decisions.

November 7, 2016 Recruitment, Recruitment & HR Technology

Take the ‘gut feeling’ out of your NFP’s reference checking

Every new recruit needs at least a couple of reference checks. But no matter how excited you are about your new colleague, after leaving voicemails, sending emails and playing phone tag, it’s easy to get a little frustrated.

Surely there’s a better way to do your reference checks?

October 24, 2016 Recruitment

How GetUp! hired 39 new staff in just two months

Ahead of her presentation at the 2016 Not-For-Profit People Conference, GetUp!’s Operations Manager Aline Van Koninckxloo shares how the progressive community advocacy organisation managed to hire almost 40 new staff members in just a few months during the 2016 federal election campaign – and what you can learn from their experience.

September 19, 2016 Recruitment, Remuneration

Why you should (almost) always disclose salary range in your NFP’s job ads

When recruiting for your NFP, developing a great job ad is critical to attracting the best candidates for almost any role. But have you ever considered how the presence of a salary range – or lack thereof – could be affecting your applicants? According to one estimate, just 19 percent of Australian employers disclose salary in their job advertisements – and yet jobs that do disclose a salary range are more likely to be clicked on. Here’s what you need to consider.

September 14, 2016 Legal Issues, Making Decisions, Recruitment

Six things you just can’t discuss when assessing candidates for your next job

Up until 1975, employers could take almost anything into consideration when recruiting staff. But the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act – passed by the Whitlam Government – started a legislative trend towards protecting a variety of people from employment discrimination. And that means there are now some things you just can’t discuss when you’re making a decision about who to hire.