Three Ways to Reduce Turnover in Community-Driven Organizations

People are disengaged at work. You know this. Whether it's you, your team, or organization as a whole, you're hearing it and seeing it. The layoffs. The non-existent career growth. The revolt against corporate culture. The inequality. The lack of community. The struggle between work and life. The shift in priorities. The desire to do something that makes a difference. The pay that's not enough.

The last few years have forced a lot of stuff out of the shadows (my kids would say, things that give you the ick) and it'll continue in the next several years.

And many of us, myself included, are HERE. FOR. IT.

As the caption on my best friend's Instagram profile says..."pay me like a white man". It sometimes feels like an unreal sci-fi dystopian movie on Netflix - one of the unpopular ones that's three levels deep into your "you might like this" search. So what is going on?

Let's start with some background ...The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)reported that in 2021, over 47 million Americans (said in Dr. Evil's voice) voluntarily, eh hem, VOLUNTARILY quit their jobs, sparking what everyone now knows as the Great Resignation...dun, dun, dun.

Two years later, worker shortages are still everywhere causing all sorts of supply chain issues, small business closures, flights being canceled, my favorite coffee shop going out of business. I miss you and your breakfast burritos, Azukar on Central and Baseline.

Yes, there was a spike in 2021-2022, but interestingly enough, the workforce has actually been on this trend since 2009 according to the BLS, with the Employee Quit rate falling 0.10% every year. And they believe these are the reasons employees are quitting:

• They're retiring in greater numbers.

• They're prioritizing work-life balance and have more caregiving responsibilities for their elderly parents and kids.

• They're making industry switches versus leaving the job market entirely.

• They're reluctant to return to their in-person jobs or just not returning at all because of the increase in fully remote jobs.

Does this all sound familiar to you? I see you nodding your head in agreement.

Workers like yourself or people you know are reassessing their values, protecting their free time, finding a greater sense of purpose, making their travel dreams come true, taking their dogs for midday walks, saving gas and commute time, not feeling guilty for going to a therapy session during work hours, going full-time on once side hustles, being home to prep after-school snacks for their kids, and paying less for child- and doggy-daycare (it's a thing).

It's hard to go back to the way it was. And if you DO have to go back to the way it was, hell yeah, you're gonna resent it and not be engaged.

Many for-profit companies have been able to meet the demands of the new Midnights-Taylor workforce that's been enlightened and empowered. Just like those of us who fought TSwift's pre-sale tickets because we deserved them, for-profit companies said, "Take my money"...increased pay, better benefits and perks, more flexibility, and remote work options.

However, nonprofits, small businesses, and community-based organizations (you'll see me coin these as "community-driven organizations") were already operating with limited resources before the pandemic. And they don't have World Tour budgets. Some have open-mic-night-at-your-local-dive-bar budgets. #nonprofitlife

Despite community NEED increasing over the past few years, many community-driven organizations have been left with less resources, less funding, remain understaffed, and are experiencing even higher turnover rates as these big-heart employees tell themselves, "Maybe I don't want open-mic night, maybe I want to go on a stadium tour after all".

Community need isn't going away. We know that. So if you're involved in a community-driven organization, here's three things you can do to reduce employee turnover (whew, finally):

1. Assess what's happening now and back it up with data.

What's your turnover rate? What's your retention rate? How do you organize and track salaries? Are those salaries comparable to similar roles in similar-sized companies? What reasons are employees telling when they leave? Have you comped your benefits lately? To know where to focus, what goals to set, and come up with a retention strategy and plan, you've got to Drake yourself up and start from the bottom.

2. Focus on employee engagement, well-being, and culture.

Most disengaged employees are actively looking and applying for other jobs. Intrinsic, feel-good benefits like "don't you want to make a difference in the world?" only goes so far in keeping employees engaged and not wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. Creating a positive culture, a clearly communicated system for recognition and rewards, allowing them some flexibility, and encouraging them to take a freaking vacation once in a while without their inbox turning into Mt. Everest, should be at the forefront of your retention plan and strategy.

3. Offer professional AND personal development opportunities.

"Lack of career growth" is the top reason many employees leave the nonprofit sector completely. You ask, "Niki, why take the time to train someone if they'll eventually leave anyway?" Take advice from the National Park Service (or maybe Ralph Waldo Emerson, it looks like many people may have said this quote): "Leave it better than you found it." By investing in the whole-person, not just the employee, helping them build their professional and personal skills, supporting opportunities to explore what they get excited about, giving honest feedback but creating projects where they can practice getting better, and making network connections for them...those are the employees who will be loyal whether they move on to other companies or not. No one is staying for the gold watch and the pension anymore. In smaller nonprofits and companies, instead of letting them make up their own stories about THAT promotion one day, be honest that career growth and advancement is not always possible, but you'll do everything you can for them to be successful here or elsewhere.

There, you've got it. Three starting ways to reduce turnover in community-driven organizations. Notice I said "starting" because there's a CVS-receipt long list of things you can do and this is only three.

If you're experiencing turnover or your employees (or you!) are experience burnout, let's talk. You need a partner who's an expert in this stuff, so let's go to coffee. Obviously, not at Azukar because it's closed. You pick your favorite local coffee shop and we'll pray it remains open for many years to come. Because they're doing these three things and more.