6 Tips On Managing Human Capital

It's the question all businesses and nonprofits ask: What's the best way to attract talent to the organization? One school of thought is that high-quality candidates will continue to flock to you as long as the service offered is good enough.

While this is certainly one thing that drives talent, a report compiled by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) indicates it's far from the biggest factor.

Distributed at the AICPA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference, “Talent Pipeline Draining Growth” offered several findings about human capital and the management of it. The findings:

• Inadequacies in talent management are hurting the competitiveness and financial performance of firms. Growth prospects are blighted by failure to make most of human capital.
• There is disagreement and disconnect at the C-level (most senior leaders) for talent and development, particularly in relation to succession planning and training and development investments. CEOs and CFOs differ from human resource directors in their perceptions.
• The majority of companies do not seem to be paying adequate attention to succession planning. Only a third of respondents see talent management embedded in business strategy.
• Many of the talent-management tools employed by organizations are ineffective. Performance-based bonuses and personal development programs are rated as effective by just a third of respondents.
• There is a lack of clarity on who has the responsibility for measuring the effectiveness of talent management. Again, CEOs and CFOs see it differently from HR directors.
• Business leaders are concerned about the quality of data and analytics they receive on human capital. Data need to be translated into actionable insights.

6 Ways To Ace A Video Job Interview

Video job interviews are an increasingly popular way for employers to talk with prospective employees. If you are not prepared for the intricacies of video chatting programs, you could find yourself left in the dust.

While having an interview on a program like Skype can save you time, it can take some time to get used to talking through a video camera. There are other hurdles to get past once you get over the initial awkwardness. One of those potential problems is not knowing the full capabilities of the technology. For example, did you know you can enable screens sharing so that you can show the hiring manager your resume or other important documents?

Here are some other tips to ensure that your Skype interview goes smoothly:

• It can be tempting to look at the screen during the whole interview, but you should really be looking directly at the camera. It's the same principle as making eye contact during an in-person interview: You want the person on the other side to feel you are paying attention to what they are saying.
• Be sure to get rid of all potential distractions. That means closing the door to your room, turning your cell phone off, and telling your family or roommates not to bother you for the next hour.
• One of the more jarring things about a video interview is being able to see yourself while you talk. In order to better prepare for this experience, talk in front of a mirror beforehand so you are familiar with your own facial expressions.
• Conduct the interview behind a plain background. You don't want the interviewer to be distracted by any "colorful" posters or objects.
• Just because you are at home doesn't mean you can wear shorts and a t-shirt. Dress the same way you would if you were going into the employer's office.
• Do a dry run with one of your friends to iron out any technical issues with your connection or computer. Disconnections are going to happen occasionally but you can still ensure your mic and audio are working properly.

5 Workplace Management Issues

The workplace is something of a second home for employees. It is important that managers treat their workers as family for this reason but, unfortunately, handling the problems of employees is never easy, and things just seem to get more complicated every day.

Speaking during the AICPA Not-For-Profit Industry Conference, Karl Ahlrichs, Michael J. Monahan and Peter Petesch bought up the various legal complications that can arise when managing employees, including the issues that come from a business background.

They took note of the following five business trends and the problems they can cause:

• Nonprofit mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the healthcare and healthcare-related communities, are trending up – activities have gone up more than 50 percent in the past three years;
• Compensation decision-making at nonprofit entities continues to evolve with compliant and effective governance models and processes being the keystone;
• Benefit costs often range from 30 to 35 percent of the total cost of compensation can be higher depending on location, collective bargaining agreement provisions and the types of ‘benefits” included in the calculation;
• During the past 10 to 15 years annual health insurance program cost increases turned up from 5 percent a year in the 1990s to 12 percent or more a year in the early 2000s with recent increases as high as 20 percent; and,
• Account-based health plans, whether using health savings accounts or health reimbursement arrangements should be an active consideration in plan designs for the future.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Chief Executive Officer -- Six Rivers Planned Parenthood

Six Rivers Planned Parenthood, one of the largest providers of reproductive healthcare for women in northern California, is looking to hire a Chief Executive Officer. If you are intrigued by this opportunity, read on for more details.

The chosen candidate for this position will work with the Board, staff and other key stakeholders to develop and implement short and long term strategic plans for the Six Rivers Planned Parenthood. The CEO must be committed to the mission of Planned Parenthood, and provide specific leadership in healthcare services, education, advocacy and fundraising in support of that mission.

Other main responsibilities of this position include:

• Identify, assess and inform the Board about internal and external issues that affect the organization.
• Continually build, engage, and communicate with the Board, including acting as a professional advisor to the Board on all aspects of the organization’s activities.
• Oversee clinical, education and public affairs service delivery and operations management.
• Oversee the development and execution of marketing plans that retain existing and recruit new patients.
• Serve as the final authority in all employee relations matters, including final decisions on all terminations and new hire decisions.
• Develop an annual operating plan (derived from the strategic plan), and a comprehensive organizational budget to support the operating plan.
• Maintain the financial transparency and stability of the organization and exercise strong stewardship of resources.
• Create and maintain relationships with press and media, community partners, policy makers, funders, donors and community decision makers.

Although only a Bachelor's degree is required to be considered for this position, an advanced degree is much preferred. In addition, qualified applicants should have at least 8-10 years of relevant work/management experience, including experience managing a complex work environment.

Head to the NPT Jobs Career Center for more information on what it takes to be CEO at Six Rivers Planned Parenthood.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Director Of Best Start Communities

First 5 LA is looking to hire a Director for its Best Start Communities program. Interested? Read on for more details.

The goal of Best Start Communities is simple: To invest tobacco tax revenue in programs that improve the lives of children in Los Angeles County. The Director of this program will be responsible for providing day-to-day management of a team of twenty-five plus employees who are responsible for design and implementation of the overall effort.

The chosen candidate will also have the following duties:

• Ensures that Best Start Communities Department implementation activities are aligned and coordinated with related activities at the community, County, and State levels.
• Directs, coordinates, supervises and authorizes departmental reports, board materials and special presentations.
• Makes presentations to Commissioners, top management and local communities.
• Stays abreast of emerging trends in the fields of family strengthening and healthy communities, including evidence based and most promising practices, and public policy.
• Leads departmental internal capacity building – including professional and team development, programmatic understanding, functional expertise, clarity of roles and responsibilities and standards for operational excellence.

Qualified applicants will have a Bachelor's degree in the fields  of  social science, health, education or a related academic field. In addition, he/she should have at least fifteen years of professional experience in managing a community-based program within a major metropolitan area.

You can find out more about this position by visiting the NPT Jobs Career Center.

7 Things To Do After Your Job Interview

What do you do after you complete a job interview? Do you go home, relax, and just wait for something to happen? Or, do you take the initiative and continue to make and impression on the hiring manager?

Even though it might seem like your work is done, there are plenty of things you can do to give yourself the best shot at being selected. Below are seven of the best steps you can take:

• Continue to express your interest: Assuming you are legitimately interested in working at the organization by the end of the interview, you should conclude by saying something along the lines of "I am really excited about the opportunity to contribute to your organization." There should be no doubt in the interviewers mind that you are a serious candidate. 
• Don't remain silent: You don't want to be pest but complete radio silence can be a problem, as it can imply that you are indifferent. Find out before you lead the office what the hiring manager prefers in terms of contact. 
• Be punctual: Keeping your word and being reliable will speak volumes about the kind of employee you will be. 
• Be patient: If you are told to wait a week before following up, you should do just that. Calling the day after the interview can come across as pushy or desperate. 
• Send a "thank you" note: There's only one instance where you should send a message to the employer almost immediately: The thank you note. It might not seem like much, but expressing your gratitude can go a long way towards proving you are a quality individual. 
• Personalize your follow-up message: When it comes time to check on your application, make sure that your follow-up message is personalized. It should contain specific references to conversations you had during the interview. This will show that you were paying attention and that you actually took the time to craft a message from scratch. 
• Accept rejection: Keep your emotions in check if you are informed that you were passed over for the position. It's possible the candidate they chose doesn't work out and, if that happens, you don't want to be remembered as someone who burned bridges.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Los Angeles/Southern California Executive Director

Ever wanted to be the head of a major education nonprofit in beautiful Los Angeles? Now is your chance with our latest featured nonprofit job.

Playworks, an organization devoted to improving education and stopping bullying in schools, is looking to hire an Executive Director for its Los Angeles offices. The chosen candidate for this position will be primarily responsible for the financial sustainability and growth of the program by developing local funding sources, increasing the number of school partnerships and leading the team that delivers excellent Playworks programs for schools throughout the local districts.

Other main responsibilities include:

• Manage Los Angeles-based fundraising activities including developing foundations relationships, corporate sponsorships and individual donor solicitation strategies.
• Oversee all aspects of Playworks’ Los Angeles programming, including program planning, implementation, expansion, evaluation and overall program quality.
• Serve as external face of Playworks in the community, within schools, in philanthropic circles and in the media to increase visibility and brand awareness.
• Work with community volunteers and volunteer agencies to promote greater community involvement.

Qualified applicants will have five or more years of experience as a successful leader in the nonprofit sector, government, private sector or education with proven visionary management, fundraising and strategic planning capability.

You can read more about this job, including how to apply, by visiting the NPT Jobs Career Center.