Retention Report Special Features - Challenging Positions to Fill

-We are doing okay with retention, but have a hard time recruiting talented professionals to work in the nonprofit field.

-We are a small non-profit. Part-time positions can be difficult to fill and we don't have the financial resources or the need to have all full time employees.

-We are a small non-profit organization. Our biggest challenge in retaining good employees is that we have no opportunity for promotion. After an Events Coordinator has been with me for 1 to 1 1/2 years, they are ready for a greater title with greater pay and I am not able to provide this for them and they move on.

-The majority of our turnover occurs in non-professional direct care positions

-Succession Planning for mid-career professionals. We lose MA/Ph.D. employees due to lack of career growth opportunities.

-Positions that vacate frequently tend to be at the administrative support level. It is very difficult to retain a bright, talented person beyond one year -- particularly if growth opportunities are limited. Development positions also seem hard to fill -- with applicants either being over-qualified or under-qualified. Under qualified, younger applicants often require high salaries, despite limited job experience.

-Physician recruitment is our issue. Primary Care had taken a HUGE hit in terms of a big drop in the number of docs willing to go into primary care for poor pay and too much work.

-Our service jobs tend to be burn-out positions and do not pay much. There will probably be a wage increase in January along with the raise in state minimum wage.

-Have had a terrible time finding/keeping an administrative assistant. In the 2.5 years since the position was created we've had five people. Two people had less skill than represented at hiring but three people had the skills but were unable to work without direct supervision at all times.

-As a small to medium size organization, it is very difficult to recruit for top management and fund development positions. Program staff is much easier to fill. Most of our staff has been with the organization for more than 5 years, with the on-going exception of the fund development professional.

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