Why Nonprofits May Want to Consider Job Hoppers to Find Talent

Today’s talent market keeps many recruiters and employers up at night. Among nonprofit talent professionals, there is no shortage of job applicants with the proverbial spotty resume. A candidate who moves around a lot is sometimes known as a “job hopper.” The term arose in the early ‘90s and is used to describe a professional history of being employed two years or less before moving to the next job.

Previously, this type of candidate wouldn’t get a second look but a lot has changed. Just as our workforce is evolving, so too are hiring strategies and principles. Hiring leaders must adapt to the new landscape of a nimbler workforce if you want to acquire and retain top talent.

Changed job expectations

Many Baby Boomers stayed with their employers for most of their careers. Job satisfaction, employer expectations, and work values reflected the state of the world back then. There was a clear divide between workers and management, which led workers to adopt an “above my pay grade” approach to work, and employers to embrace a “stay in your lane” philosophy for overseeing employees.

Workers rarely questioned supervisors on fairness and consistency, nor challenged the status quo. If passed over for a promotion, they humbly looked forward to the next year, even if favoritism and nepotism crashed and burned their dreams.

Today’s generation of worker takes a completely different approach. They seek career fulfillment and will not hesitate to change jobs or even careers if they are not sufficiently fulfilled. Many expect a more collaborative workplace — including with their bosses — and want their opinions to be considered. The main paradigm of work today has completely flipped upside down compared to the Boomer generation.

Why employees change jobs

Many preconceived notions of why today’s employee bounce from job to job are fiction. For a new perspective, consider the following reasons recent jobseekers gave for leaving an organization:

• They’ve taken charge of their career and stepped away from an organization’s inequitable practices
• Job expectations didn’t align with how the role was sold to them
• The organization’s culture failed to align with the vision and mission of the work
• Their supervisor’s leadership style did not promote collaboration and inclusiveness
• Tenured staff created an uncomfortable work environment

Hidden in these candidates’ decisions may be character and leadership traits that won’t come to light on a resume. Without the proper hiring mindset, these candidates may never advance to an initial interview.

Almost without exception, organizations want workers who seek purpose in their career. They desire people who want to be there. Candidates who are true to themselves embody traits that indicate they are more likely to stay with your organization. They are also the hardest to glean from a two-minute review of work history in a pile of a hundred resumes.

For the latest nonprofit labor market trends and how they may impact your organization, watch this related webinar.

How we can help

Nonprofits must adapt to a changing workforce to stay competitive and find good candidates. Hiring practices that worked well 20 or 30 years ago must evolve, or your organization may find itself on the outside looking in.

Our talent solutions team can help your nonprofit craft new strategies and policies to attract new employees. Contact us to get started.