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.

9 Professional Development Ideas

Professional development is one of the best ways to get your to your ultimate career destination. While taking a few nonprofit management courses or getting a mentor are the most popular development strategies, there are many other paths you can take.

During a recent Nonprofit Technology Conference by NTEN, Commongood Careers founder and CEO James Weinberg explained that heading back to school isn't the only way to develop your career. He listed the top nine professional development ideas that he preaches to job seekers:

• Graduate programs. These can be costly. Make sure you are in a high-quality program that fits what you want to learn.
• Workshops. This also is expensive. Some workshops guarantee certificates, but check to see if that piece of paper means anything for your professional career.
• Self-education books. Some times your best teacher would be yourself. Look for books or online courses that can help.
• In-house mentors. Ask a competent colleague or supervisor for guidance.
• Outside mentors. Structure a relationship with someone in the field that works outside of your organization.
• Peer networks. These organize colleagues with similar jobs.
• Management. You can learn a lot by teaching others.
• Try to work with Consulting. Side projects can help you encounter elements of your position that may not come up at your job.
• Volunteering. This offers flexibility to your schedule.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Executive Director

If you are like most Americans, you probably remember the tragic events of April 16, 2007, when 32 people were killed during the shootings at Virginia Tech. If you've ever wanted the chance to make sure events like that never happen again, our latest featured nonprofit job -- Executive Director at the VTV Family Outreach Foundation -- will surely appeal to you.

As you might expect given the position, the chosen candidate will be responsible for a wide variety of tasks. This includes interaction with the Board of Directors, financial affairs, and overall management of the Foundation's staff. Below are highlights of some of the Executive Director's main responsibilities:

• Ensures that the Board is kept fully informed of operations of the Foundation and of significant issues or conditions that may affect the Foundation.
• Develops, recommends, and upon Board approval, implements plans and programs to obtain financial resources for Foundation activities.
• Responsible for all personnel matters, including hiring, supervision, performance appraisal, salary administration and termination of staff and consultants in consultation and prior review by the Performance Review Committee.
• Develops Foundation policies and procedures as needed and oversees office support services.
• Assists with coordination and development of fund raising, public relations and marketing.
• The Executive Director represents - or arranges for representation of - the Foundation with local, state, regional and national bodies of media.

Qualified applicants will have a Bachelor's degree in a related field, though an advanced degree is preferred. Applicants should also have extensive management experience in the nonprofit sector, especially in higher education, and government affairs.

Think you are qualified to lead the VTV Foundation? Head to the NPT Jobs Career Center for a complete description of this job, and to apply.