Nonprofit jobs: Maximizing staff efficiency

A nonprofit's relationship to its employees is directly linked to its ability to achieve its mission. As with any position, nonprofit jobs require a certain amount of structure to make employment expectations clear and make the employee feel more secure. This means establishing human resources policies that are fair and providing outlets for meaningful and effective performance evaluation.

Nonprofit jobs personnel policies and performance evaluation

A nonprofit should have written personnel policies and procedures that governs the work and actions of all employees. In addition to covering basic elements of the employment relationship (benefits, vacation, sick leave, etc.), the policies should address employee evaluation, supervision, hiring and firing, grievance procedures, confidentiality requirements, and employee growth and development. New employee orientation should include a review of these policies.

Every nonprofit job should also have a clearly written job description that states roles and responsibilities. Additionally, there should be a system for regular, written evaluations of employees that should take place at least annually.

Once an employee has clear answers to these basic yet vital questions, they are free to work effectively and therefore maximize the efficiency of their nonprofit job role.