My post last week explored some of the challenges facing fundraising professionals and their employers. This week, we’ll take a look at current staffing trends in another important function that has traditionally received less attention in nonprofit settings.
While generally working behind the scenes, information technology (IT) professionals have long been important to nonprofits as they strive to function as modern, efficient organizations. The importance of IT in most organizations continues to increase as nonprofits seek to fully utilize social media and online fundraising and as they explore the potential of technologies such as content management systems (CMS), contact relationship management (CRM) and software as a service (SaaS).
Earlier this month, the annual conference of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) in Atlanta brought together more than 1,400 professionals with various roles in nonprofit IT. In advance of the conference, NTEN released its fourth annual IT Staffing and Spending Report. The survey offers a broad range of nonprofit IT management benchmarks drawn from the survey responses of more than 1,000 respondents representing a range of nonprofit organization types and sizes. In reviewing the report, I was particularly interested in staffing-related issues that emerged from the survey results.
What Matters Most?
Among the most interesting findings for me were respondents’ views of the most important factors to consider when hiring IT staff. The following chart summarizes their ratings of a variety of factors on a scale of one (not at all important) to five (extremely important).
Perhaps not surprisingly, past experience with technology was viewed as the most important factor. But, ranked right behind this were the “softer” factors of fit with organizational culture and attitude/personality. Possession of a degree/formal education was a distant last.
How’s the Market?
At times during the past two decades, IT professionals in various disciplines have been among the hottest employment commodities. Organizations in all market sectors often have been compelled to pay significant premiums relative to other staff and to take other steps to attract or retain qualified IT staff. In the NTEN survey, respondents were asked if they were currently utilizing any targeted recruiting or retention practices for IT professionals that are not being used for other staff positions. The majority (57%) indicated they were not. Among those organizations utilizing targeted approaches, the most common considerations included offering higher pay scales for IT staff, telecommuting opportunities, alternative/flexible work schedules and professional development opportunities.
A recent Chronicle of Philanthropy article painted a picture of an even softer market for IT professionals suggesting that nonprofit organizations nationwide seeking to hire IT staff are encountering a more than adequate supply of qualified candidates — and a surplus of overqualified individuals. The Chronicle article points out a very important consideration given these market dynamics: nonprofit employers “find workers who will serve their needs, embrace their missions — and also stay at their organizations when the job market thaws.” The concern is that as the job market improves, qualified or overqualified individuals who lack commitment to nonprofit missions might leave for higher salaries.
Your Next Move?
In addressing IT staffing needs, organizations should:
- Carefully consider needs. Ensure the organization is able to explore and utilize current and emerging technologies.
- Proceed with caution when hiring. Seek IT professionals who fit the organization’s culture and will remain committed to the organization and its mission as the job market improves.
- Focus on development and retention. Identify and implement attractive and relatively low-cost practices including professional development and flexible work schedules.
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- What has your organization’s recent experience been with recruiting and retaining IT personnel?
- Does your organization have the talent needed to take advantage of the full potential of today’s technologies?
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Joe Brown is the Principal and Founder of Slope Resources, LLC. Slope Resources provides a range of human resources and organization management consulting services to nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes. Joe is also the author of the blog Done by People, which focuses on human resources and organization management in the third sector. For more information about Joe Brown and Slope Resources, please visit sloperesources.com.
photo credit: KaVass
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Last updated on October 24th, 2017 at 09:36 pm
Hi mjfrombuffalo! Thanks for reading and for your comment. I think your point about lack of recognition is a good one. As I mentioned, it has been my experience that IT has traditionally received limited attention in many if not most nonprofit organizations.
The NTEN report has great benchmark information on staffing and funding levels, which might be useful in making an argument for more resources in your organization.
To your point about not having enough staff, I was struck by the report’s finding that participating organizations have, on average, 1 IT staff person for every 32 employees, and that this is up from a 1:26 ratio just two years ago.
Your third point is also a good one. With technology becoming so much more than just infrastructure, but much more integrated with programs — as well as communications and fundraising — many organizations will need to assess the positioning, structure, and capabilities of their IT function to ensure that IT has the information, input, authority, and resources they need to help the organization succeed.
Hope that network virus check is done! Thanks again for your comment — hope to hear more from you in the future!
.-= Joe Brown´s last blog ..HR Carnival: Human Resources Maturity =-.
By far the biggest problem I see when it comes to IT professionals in my area of the nonprofit world is agencies’ lack of recognition that they NEED IT staff in the first place.
– those that have IT staff generally don’t have enough staff
– those that have IT departments don’t fund them well enough to do everything the Administration and users want
– Administration does not involve IT staff in agency decision-making, strategic planning, or policy-making, but gives them directives after the fact; especially bad now that agency programming is dependent on technology
I could go on, but I won’t, I have to run antivirus software on my agency’s network now that everyone’s gone home. 🙂