Make Work Awesome

According to our Not-for-Profit Employee Engagement Report, employees working for nonprofits are less engaged than the national average. In fact, engagement in the nonprofit industry has been consistently lower than the national average over the last three years. Why is this? To us, it seems odd that almost 50 percent of employees at nonprofits can be devoted to its cause but not necessarily to the organization itself. So, we decided to investigate.

Below are comments that give some insight as to why almost 50 percent of nonprofit employees aren’t fully engaged.

• I am not sure where the new executive leaders are taking this organization; recent organizational changes bring about uncertainty.
• Much of my autonomy has been curtailed by management. It is building animosity and reducing the desire to put in the extra effort.
• There are not enough opportunities for someone to receive training in order to advance within the company. There is also not any detailed feedback on things you would need to work on if you’re not getting promoted.
• This organization does not offer competitive pay.
• There is no need to hire outside individuals when the company has individuals who have knowledge about the company and are capable to perform the duties asked.
• There is no opportunity for growth.
• This organization should operate in an environment that rewards hard workers and recognizes dedication.
• Individuals constantly overstep their authority and intrude on the work of others.
• It seems as though threats of errors are the normal means of motivation. There is no individual praise.
• This organization does not fairly compensate employees according to their skills and the work that is done.