While generally working behind the scenes, information technology (IT) professionals have long been important to nonprofits as they strive to function as modern, efficient organizations. The importance of IT in most organizations continues to increase as nonprofits seek to fully utilize social media and online fundraising and as they explore the potential of technologies such as content management systems (CMS), contact relationship management (CRM) and software as a service (SaaS).
Last month, the annual conference of the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) in Atlanta brought together more than 1,400 professionals with various roles in nonprofit IT. In advance of the conference, NTEN released its fourth annual IT Staffing and Spending Report. The survey offers a broad range of nonprofit IT management benchmarks drawn from the survey responses of more than 1,000 respondents representing a range of nonprofit organization types and sizes. In reviewing the report, I was particularly interested in staffing-related issues that emerged from the survey results.
What Matters Most?
Among the most interesting findings for me were respondents’ views of the most important factors to consider when hiring IT staff. The following chart summarizes their ratings of a variety of factors on a scale of one (not at all important) to five (extremely important).
Perhaps not surprisingly, past experience with technology was viewed as the most important factor. But, ranked right behind this were the “softer” factors of fit with organizational culture and attitude/personality. Possession of a degree/formal education was a distant last.
How’s the Market?
At times during the past two decades, IT professionals in various disciplines have been among the hottest employment commodities. Organizations in all market sectors often have been compelled to pay significant premiums relative to other staff and to take other steps to attract or retain qualified IT staff. In the NTEN survey, respondents were asked if they were currently utilizing any targeted recruiting or retention practices for IT professionals that are not being used for other staff positions. The majority (57%) indicated they were not. Among those organizations utilizing targeted approaches, the most common considerations included offering higher pay scales for IT staff, telecommuting opportunities, alternative/flexible work schedules and professional development opportunities.
A recent Chronicle of Philanthropy article painted a picture of an even softer market for IT professionals, suggesting that nonprofit organizations nationwide seeking to hire IT staff are encountering a more than adequate supply of qualified candidates — and a surplus of overqualified individuals. The Chronicle article points out a very important consideration given these market dynamics: nonprofit employers should “find workers who will serve their needs, embrace their missions — and also stay at their organizations when the job market thaws.” The concern is that as the job market improves, qualified or overqualified individuals who lack commitment to nonprofit missions might leave for higher salaries.
Your Next Move?
In addressing IT staffing needs, organizations should:
- Carefully consider needs. Ensure the organization is able to explore and utilize current and emerging technologies.
- Proceed with caution when hiring. Seek IT professionals who fit the organization’s culture and will remain committed to the organization and its mission as the job market improves.
- Focus on development and retention. Identify and implement attractive and relatively low-cost practices including professional development and flexible work schedules.
What has your organization’s recent experience been with recruiting and retaining IT personnel? Does your organization have the talent needed to take advantage of the full potential of today’s technologies?
This post originally appeared on the Mission Connected Blog on April 27, 2010.
photo credit: KaVass
Hey Joe,
My background is not IT, so I’m coming at this topic without the benefit of that experience…which I guess is what my friend, Devin, was telling me when he corrected some of my assumptions.
My first thought was that the ranking seemed odd. Degree and certifications so low on the totem pole? Experience far and above the highest ranked job-related category? When looking at just these two stats, I would assume that they’re very similar – the employer was not there to see the applicant do the work, and so the employer has to judge them on the basis of the applicant’s description.
Devin told me that experience wins out every time, because a degree program or a certification often does not inform the employer of their actual skills, whether it be the programming language they’re versed in, the hardware they’ve dealt with, whatever. To me, that seems like a failing of the certification systems in place.
I guess it also depends on the definition of “experience,” but since we’re breaking out degrees/certifications, I’m assuming that experience refers only to jobs held or projects managed. To this end, I feel that it would be more beneficial if 1) degree programs and certifications find a way to provide more consistent results, but that if that’s not going to happen, that 2) IT applicants produce a more skills-based resume during their job search. This way, they could showcase the skill set and the experience gained through their more formal programs, and perhaps give themselves an edge up in a category that otherwise receives less attention.