So I’ve got some good news and some bad news, folks. The good news? Nonprofit organizations are hiring up a storm this summer. The bad news? Their job descriptions suck. People send me links to their job openings all the time, so I get to see all the great nonprofits that are hiring right now. Yet, all too often the job descriptions don’t mesh with the organization’s brand. AT ALL. I’m seeing way too many boring job descriptions that list the 9,000 duties of the position, but nothing about the organization’s culture, perks or benefits of working for the mission. If you’ve ever wondered why I didn’t share your job description with my network, it’s probably because it makes the job sound horrible and I don’t want to refer any of my peers to a jacked-up position. Now I don’t know if what’s happening is that all the nonprofit HR folks are using the same job description template, but what I do know is that by my completely unscientific hypothesis, over 90% of them are all about the organization and NOT the candidate.
My sense is that most nonprofits just don’t realize how important their job description is for the perception of their organization. As @CGCareers points out, it’s one of the most prominent marketing tools you have at your disposal:
Here’s a quick random example (these horrible job ads are a dime a dozen on idealist.org; I’m not intentionally picking on AWIB)
Program Associate, Asian Women in Business
Duties:
-Assist with implementing AWIB programs, (i.e. coordinate logistics, secure speakers, work with vendors, and lead volunteer teams) with an emphasis on income generating events.
-Assist with communication strategies, development of marketing collateral for programs and events and manage social media to build awareness, engage the community and increase attendance at events
-Contribute to and maintain content for website
-Assist in maintaining AWIB’s extensive database
-Draft press releases and manage press contacts
- Interact with members, donors and supporters and professionally represent the organization at meetings and eventsQualifications:
-A college degree and a minimum of one year (three years preferred) full time professional work experience (post-college).
-Must have good writing skills and be able to generate well-written content with little supervision
-Articulate and mature and able to perform under pressure
-Possess high proficiency in MS office skills, including spreadsheets and databases
-Organized, detailed-oriented, team player and possess great interpersonal skills
-Passionate about working for a non-profit, energetic, curious, and a self-starter
-Ability to speak one or more Asian languages is a plus, but not required
-Prior experience working in or volunteering for an Asian American cause or organization is highly desired.Salary:
Competitive salary, depending on experience, plus benefitsMust presently reside in NY, NJ or CT area. No relocation expenses.
To apply, send cover letter and resume to jobs@awib.org
Yep. That’s the entire job description. Does this sound like the kind of job anyone would be champing at the bit to apply for? And we wonder why organizations end up attracting employees who aren’t passionate about the mission. The organization doesn’t even sound passionate about the mission themselves!
Like I said, that was just one example, but it serves to illustrate the many reasons why most nonprofit job descriptions suck, how to improve them and what some of my Twitter followers had to say about the subject.
1. They don’t list a salary range for the position.
By far the biggest pet peeve I hear from nonprofit jobseekers is that organizations don’t post a salary range. This blatant lack of information makes it hard to tell if the job is even worth applying for. To me, adding a salary range seems like a no-brainer for nonprofit job descriptions. Why waste your organization’s time if the salary isn’t going to work for the candidate? Psst. Here’s some insider wisdom from @idealist themselves:
See? It pays to list a salary range. Win/win for everyone. Unless, of course, this is true:
Do better: Stop putting “salary commensurate with experience” on your job description and list a range instead. That statement is absolutely useless and does nothing to help you or the candidate. What are you hiding, anyway? Plus, we all know what that phrase really means, as @eklova points out:
2. They don’t give any insight into the culture of the organization.
What’s it like working for your organization? What’s the team like? Are there any special perks like casual Fridays or employee birthday parties? These things are more important than you think! One thing candidates always remarked upon at my old job was that we put “must have a sense of humor” in our job ads. It showed that the staff had personality and made our organization seem human. Without any insight into what it’s like working at your office, it makes it hard for nonprofit jobseekers to gauge whether they would fit the bill. Sure, duties are duties, but culture is equally important. Here’s what @ebonidunbar had to say about the importance of organizational culture:
Do better: Share details about what it would be like to work at your organization. Get creative! Brag a little. Especially if your nonprofit is hiring for a development job. Fundraisers in such high demand right now. Give them a reason to come work for you! Another great suggestion comes from @ltjoyslin:
3. They make the organization sound like a sweatshop.
Most nonprofit job descriptions seem written from the perspective of a top-down organization that overworks their employees. The listing of responsibilities, duties and qualifiations are usually highly unrealistic for a 40-hour/week position, hell even an 80-hour/week position. Yikes. How many talented candidates is your organization losing out on because your position seems impossible? At least one aspiring nonprofit professional, @parisianfeline:
Normal? No. Common? Yes. Our friend @TracyMoavero says it best:
Do better: Be realistic about what one person can humanly accomplish in a reasonable amount of time (without having to sacrifice their personal life). One useful strategy to help set better expectations for everyone right from the start comes from @MsQuarter:
Moral of the story
Get feedback on your nonprofit job descriptions before posting them. Add some humanity. Lead with the benefits of working for your organization, NOT the myriad of duties. And for the love of everything that makes sense, please list the salary range! It’s one of the most important steps your organization can take to attract great talent – and keep it.
What are some other suggestions for how nonprofits can improve their job descriptions?
Read my follow-up post: How to Write an Awesome Nonprofit Job Description
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