Four top tips to recruiting staff in difficult times.

By Mark Freeman, CEO. May 2023.

Introduction

This blog is to share our experience of recruiting staff. We definitely have not got all the answers, but we had a very successful recruitment round, and this was based on a new recruitment process. As such we want to share our thoughts in case they are of interest to others. You can read our procedures here https://www.cambridgecvs.org.uk/download/527

The statistics tell us that it is getting harder to recruit staff as vacancies rise and unemployment lowers. This blog explores what we did to successfully recruit to our development worker role and looks at what we got right and wrong, as well as what we might do to recruit and retain paid staff in the future.

In December of last year we went out for recruitment for a development worker here at CCVS. The advert and job information can be found on our website here https://www.cambridgecvs.org.uk/about-us/ccvs-staff/jobs

Our top four tips

How and where you advertise is important

We kept the applications open for a long time, including for the period over Christmas and the New Year. This worked well but it does prolong the application process. In future we will always look to have at least a 5 or 6 week application period if possible. This allows us to cover two of our newsletter cycles and to make sure we get our message shared widely.

We know that it is unlikely that someone will want to move to Cambridge for the salaries we offer. We also know we want people who understand the local area and live close enough to come into the office occasionally. As such we do not advertise in any of the paid national publications or websites. We make the most of our networks and contacts to share our adverts to as wide a community as possible. This includes working with statutory partners as well as with other local charities. We treat the recruitment like a campaign so that we are constantly sharing across all our communication channels, and always looking at how we can reach a wider audience.

Be clear what you ask for, and make sure adverts and job descriptions reflect that.

We want to ensure that we are getting the right person for the job, but at the same time we have to realise that the perfect experience and skills might not exist in anyone. We work to distil out what we need in a person and try to limit the skills and experience and recruit someone with the right beliefs and values as it is easy to train someone to gain skills, but less easy to get them to alter beliefs etc.

We work to ensure that the advert as well as the job description and person specification does not exclude people who may be good candidates and we are explicit about what we want. We write the advert and the job description to concentrate on the type of person and the attitude rather than a long list of experience. As the advert says

“We are looking for someone who cares about the voluntary sector and supporting people and who is conscientious, passionate, positive and ready to learn.
We are looking for someone who will thrive in a changing environment and will be willing to ‘muck in’ in order to ensure we are delivering a responsive service.”

We also stress in the advert that there will be training, and support and that the person will work as part of a team. We believe that we have the capacity and skills within the team to teach the skills and build the knowledge of someone who is passionate about the sector, eager to learn, and willing to muck in. These qualities are harder to develop than the skills, so we try and stress their importance.

Do your best to offer a benefits package that will make you stand out.

We know that we are not able to offer high salaries and lots of perks as we do not have the money. We try and ensure our salaries are comparable to (or better) than similar roles in charities but we have to look at what else we can do to ensure we are a place people want to work.

We try to ensure that we are flexible about the hours we want someone to work and put this prominently in the advert. This may mean we end up with less capacity than we would like, but it may well mean that an applicant who is brilliant may apply as they can see how the role fits around their lives or caring responsibilities. Trying to offer flexible options can be difficult, but it is a great way to broaden the appeal of the role.

How we would like to improve – In future we need to look at how we treat job share requests and how we make that level of flexibility work. This may increase some costs, but we were asked about this and were not able to accommodate it for a recent role.

Whatever people think about working in the sector salary and benefits are important. We still see too many adverts that don’t include the salary, and this can cause issues. The show the salary campaign https://showthesalary.wordpress.com/why-show-the-salary/ (which we are signed up to) explain why it is important.

We have tried to ensure that we offer other benefits and have a better than average holiday entitlement and a better than average pension contribution. We are also a Real Living wage member and we would encourage all charities to look at how they to could sign up to this. https://www.livingwage.org.uk/what-real-living-wage

How we would like to improve – We would like to explore how we can offer child care vouchers and we are exploring the cycle to work scheme. These initiatives do cost us in terms of time but it is about helping us to stand out.

Hybrid working and a four day week

For a number of years now we put all staff on hybrid working contracts and we are working on a trial to see how we can move to a four day week. Our hybrid working does not mandate a minimum number of days in the office, but we do encourage staff to get together when they can, and when they need to, and we have a hot desk system in our office. We also organise in person staff socials every couple of months and have a weekly online coffee meeting as well as conventional team meetings.

We are starting to work towards a four day week and have agreed to trial the 4 Day Week Campaign silver standard for a year with a view to move to the gold standard after that. This has involved us reducing the working week from 37 hours to 35 hours. We will be testing this out and more information about the benefits and how it can work are available here. https://www.4dayweek.co.uk/ We know that we can’t dictate how staff use their hours but we will be encouraging those who are full time to look at having an extra day off if possible.

Look at how you can improve the appointment process.

We want to make applying for the job and the interview as stress free as possible whilst at the same time giving us the opportunity to appoint the best candidate. As part of our recruitment procedure we have altered the application form so that we only ask the essential questions. We also limit the number of previous jobs people need to include so we don’t get pages of useless information that will not help us identify good candidates. We have put in maximum word counts for some questions as we want people who are succinct and precise in how they write and who can pick out the important details, and (if we are honest) we want to make our job shortlisting easier by reducing what we have to read. As highlighted above we have designed our JD and person specs to reflect the idea of selecting candidates as much on attitude as experience and this carries over into what we ask on the forms and into what we are asking or testing at interview.

We use tests as part of the interview process (generally is a presentation on a topic we choose). This helps us understand the candidate’s ability to deliver information in an engaging way as well as their ability to research a subject. The task is less about them getting the right answer but more about their presentation skills and how engaging they are. We recognise that some people struggle with time to do this preparation, so we ask them to keep things short and we try to give them at least two weeks between telling them they have an interview and the date so they have time to prepare.

We are not testing people on their ability to think fast but want people who will be measured and take their time to answer if they don’t have all the information at their fingertips. As such we send out the interview questions around 24 hours before the interview. This allows people to think about what they want to say. We stress to them that they should not read out answers but we do realise that some people, especially those with dyslexia etc. can find this easier as it gives them time to think about their answers beforehand.

How we would like to improve – We are thinking about whether 24 hours is enough time. We will probably extend it to ensure that all candidates have enough time to prepare. At the moment we ask all candidates set questions and do not do a lot of follow up questions. Having looked into this we need to develop our skills to improve our interview skills in this area, this is not about looking to trip candidates up but about how we get the most from candidates and have a better ability to judge their merits.

Conclusion

We must be doing something right as we got a great bunch of applicants and we are delighted that Jigna has joined us (more info here https://www.cambridgecvs.org.uk/about-us/ccvs-staff). I think we have more to learn but we do have a positive process in place according to those that have applied in the past.

Whilst the voluntary sector offers much in the way of job satisfaction and interest, we will not be able to match pay and pensions from other sectors. In the past we tried to offer more flexible working, but this is now a universal offer. We need to look at what helps us stand out against other charities and other sectors. This may be a four day week, it may be greater emphasis on job satisfaction, it may involve better coffee. Those of us working in the sector know how fantastic it can be, but we do need to ensure that we are better at convincing others of this, or recruitment will only get harder.

CCVS has a new Chair of Trustees – Welcome Flóra!

By Lorna Gough. February 2022.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Flóra Raffai as the new CCVS Chair of Trustees.

Mark Freeman, our CEO welcomes Flóra and gives thanks to our outgoing Chair, Mary Sanders:

“I am really pleased that Flóra has been elected as the new Chair of CCVS and I am looking forward to working with her as CCVS moves into the future. I know that all the staff will join with me to welcome her into the new role. Flóra brings knowledge of the sector and a keen insight into the work we do, and I know that she will help us on to bigger and better things.

I am grateful to Mary for all the support she has given me, and the organisation over the years. Having such a knowledgeable and respected chair has been a real benefit to CCVS, and I am incredibly glad that she will remain as a trustee. Mary has overseen some big changes at CCVS and has helped to steer the organisation to where it is now. What is more she has helped me in the transition to the CEO role and I am hugely thankful for all she has done to support me.”

Flóra has been a CCVS Trustee since November 2018. Flóra tells us:

“I am honoured to be appointed as the new Chair of the Trustee Board at CCVS. Having previously benefited from the outstanding support CCVS provides to local charities, I am delighted to have an opportunity to give back. I am very much looking forward to working with my fellow trustees, the CCVS staff team, and the entire CCVS membership to champion local voluntary and community groups, the need for which has never been greater.”

Read more about why Flóra became a CCVS Trustee and what she enjoys about the role in this blog written for Trustees’ Week 2021.

Welcome to the role Flóra!

I feel honoured to be part of the organisation, by Flóra Raffai. Trustees’ Week 2021.

Tell us a little about yourself and your work and/or volunteering experience.

My name is Flóra Raffai and I have spent my career leading charities and non-profits, predominantly in the health and education sectors. Alongside work, I have volunteered as a mentor for small rare disease charities and I am currently working towards becoming an accredited transformational coach. I am driven by my passion to help people live their best possible lives and to make the future a brighter place.

Why did you become a trustee of CCVS?

I became a trustee of CCVS three years ago, in November 2018. At the time, I was the Chief Executive of a local charity that was a member of CCVS. I had greatly benefited from the membership, having attended useful training events and networking sessions. Working at a small charity, it can be difficult to know where to get information and who to turn to when you are stuck. CCVS provides that trusted, supportive guidance you need so that you can do your best in working with your community. When I heard that CCVS was looking to recruit new trustees, I jumped at the opportunity to give back to the organisation that had given me and others like me so much.

What does your role as a trustee entail?

Along with my fellow trustees, it is my role to oversee the charity’s management, administration, and strategy. The board of trustees has ultimate responsibility for the charity, to make sure it fulfils its aims and creates benefits for our community. From a practical point of view, this entails attending our quarterly trustee meetings to review the charity’s strategic and financial position, working closely with CCVS’s excellent CEO Mark Freeman to give advice on new initiatives and funding bids, and taking on additional responsibilities to support the team when needed. At the moment, I am also coaching two members of the lovely CCVS team.

What do you most enjoy about the role?

I most enjoy seeing the impact of CCVS’s work on the Cambridgeshire community and voluntary sector. I love reading our annual report, which summarises all the work done across the year to support hundreds of small groups and charities. I feel honoured to be part of the organisation and play a small part in making sure the charity continues to act as a multiplier for the community.

What would you say to anyone thinking about becoming a Trustee, particularly if they are unsure whether it is a role they could undertake? What do they need to consider?

The most important thing to consider before you become a trustee is whether you have enough time available to do a good job. A trustee role comes with legal responsibilities, so you want to make sure you have enough time to review papers, attend the board meetings, and respond to support requests. Talk to the charity to find out what time commitment they are expecting and when those time commitments take place (e.g. during the workday or outside working hours). Be honest with yourself and the charity about what you can take on.

I would highly recommend becoming a trustee, especially of a small local charity. If you have benefited from a charity’s services and support, then you have valuable lived experience that can be hugely beneficial to the charity’s board of trustees. If you have a background in finances, legal, people management, strategy, communications, service delivery, all of these skills can enhance a board of trustees and expand the knowledge within the team. If you have passion for the cause and time to help out, then you can make a real difference to a small team who need more hands on deck.

Time to give back, by Nicki Glen. Trustees’ Week 2021.

I have lived in Cambridgeshire for over 30 years and work with local, UK and international companies which have the health and welfare of people and animals as their core principles. Before becoming a charity trustee, I volunteered on an ad hoc basis for like-minded groups. Taking on a trustee role formalised the support I gave to various charities and showed me that I wanted to contribute on a more solid basis, using my career skills to benefit others.

It was time to give back: I wanted to be involved in a local charity. The Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service (CCVS) offered the perfect opportunity to do this, educating and supporting small and evolving charities in the area.

I am also a trustee for StreetVet. The charity’s team take their experience out to people living on the streets,  delivering veterinary care and support to them and to their pets, thus benefiting their combined well-being.

Becoming a trustee is a relevantly straightforward process so long as one realises the responsibilities this entails. It is important to engage fully in the charities’ activities and to understand the importance of decision-making and support for the team running the day-to-day work.

As a trustee for CCVS, I have gained greater insights as to the support needed in my locality and how I could use my skills in strategy, decision making and communications to support the CCVS team. I really enjoy the engagement I have with them. During the pandemic, the role of trustee presented no problems as the meetings are virtual  and we have continued as before. However, it is lovely to meet face to face as this brings a different dimension to our meetings.

CCVS are very successful in delivering education and support to other charities and members. We have made significant changes in the way we deliver this support. This has proved invaluable during the pandemic..

If you are considering becoming a trustee, it is important to think about the time commitment, responsibilities and legal implications involved. Overall, it is a very fulfilling volunteer role.

The importance of having an inclusive and representative board of Trustees, by Ellie Lee. Trustees’ Week 2021.

Something I have learned working with people with additional needs, mental and physical health issues, and those who are facing isolation and hardship, is that they are the real experts of their condition. They are resourceful and use everyday creativity and innovation to manage and overcome their difficulties.

They might not be aware of their potential and finding the right support often means they are finally able to explore possibilities they could not see before. Once they see that, they are capable of really making a change, for themselves and for others too, involving people with similar experiences on their journey.

We charity workers, are people who have dedicated our professional lives in helping others, giving them the support, but also the choice and the trust that they need most. We believe in their abilities to rise above challenges, because otherwise we would not do what we do.

Every day I see the impact of hard work with clients. I see them embracing a journey which improves the quality of their lives, fights isolation and loneliness, improves skills. I feel proud. Having somebody fighting their corner, the battle is not as bad with an ally. I also see that one of the fruits of that work is for clients to want to give back in a way they received help. They want to volunteer, to be an active part of the community they belong to. They want to use the strength that you helped them to build, to help others. And I personally believe that we should encourage them to take that path as far as they can, because they can really make a difference.

Many groups already understand how having people with lived experience of the issues their clients face, on the board of the trustees, is an incredibly positive asset for the organisation. They can deeply understand the needs of the people the charity wants to help, assessing how things are done from their perspective, but also appreciating the work that everyone is doing behind the scenes. Most importantly, they can bring a creative, innovative, problem solving attitude that is a powerful features for a trustee. They will be the advocates, the champions and the example to look at for your service users.

Undertaking such a role can be incredibly rewarding, but also challenging. The board of trustees and staff should value and recognise the unique knowledge that comes with lived experience. This, although different from professional knowhow other board members might have, is just as important. It will be a sustainable and efficient way to make sure the group is achieving the best possible results, with a board of trustees that really can represent the heart and soul of the group.

This week is Trustees week and now more than ever I would like to thank all those who are giving their time and sharing the knowledge and skills of their lived experience in Trustee roles in our groups. I would like to encourage those who have not yet recruited trustees who can really empathise with their clients, to consider the option.

Happy trustees week everyone!