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Toward a labour force strategy for Canada’s voluntary and nonprofit sector
HR Council releases findings from Canada-wide surveys of employees and employers

By Louise Chatterton Luchuk
August 25, 2008

What percentage of Canada’s voluntary/nonprofit sector workforce do you think identify themselves as white/Caucasian? Would you say (a) 22% (b) 78% or (c) 89%? The answer is (c) according to the recent Canada-wide survey of nonprofit employees conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the HR Council for the Voluntary & Non-profit Sector (HR Council).

The Survey of Employees provides not only new statistical information about the demographic characteristics of the people who work in the voluntary and nonprofit sector, it also examines some key aspects of the work they do. The survey provides information about what employees like and don’t like about their jobs and about their plans and expectations for the future. The HR Council recently released the findings (PDF) of this survey as well as its companion, the Survey of Employers, which provides empirical evidence about the characteristics of voluntary and nonprofit organizations, their recruitment and retention practices and challenges, as well as their skills needs.

A quick look at some of the survey findings From the Survey of Employers In 60% of organizations, the responsibility for human resources management is one part of one person’s job (executive director, CEO or senior manager), as opposed to a dedicated staff person with sole responsibility for human resources. Sector organizations employ a median of five people (including all full-time and part-time staff). More than one-third of small organizations do not offer any employee benefits. In contrast, more than 92% of large organizations provide one or both of life/disability insurance and a drug plan. Nearly half of employers reporting recruitment activity in the last 12 months say it was “difficult” or “very difficult” for their organization to find qualified people. From the Survey of Employees Employees range in age from 19 to 76, with the mean age being 43.4. More than half (53.5%) have been with their current employer over five years, and almost a third (29.6%) ten or more years. Before working for their current organization, employees worked in a wide range of settings including 47.9% who previously worked for private, for-profit companies. The vast majority (96.2%) of employees indicate that they believe their skills meet their organization’s needs either “fully” (57.8%) or “mostly” (38.5%).

The surveys are the second stage in a three-part process by the HR Council to develop a labour force strategy for the sector. Earlier in 2008, the HR Council released the first report (PDF), which brought the sector’s paid labour force into perspective by identifying key trends and demands that shape the sector’s need for people and skills. The third and final report will be released in March 2009, and will contain strategic recommendations based on current trends, as well as an analysis of the findings from the Canada-wide surveys of employers and employees.

Moving beyond anecdotal evidence

“At the heart of the surveys is the need to go beyond what is largely anecdotal evidence around workforce issues,” explains Lynne Toupin, HR Council executive director. About five years ago, a feasibility study (which led to the creation of the HR Council) gave voice to people’s concern for a base of solid evidence on human resources issues in the sector in order to make informed decisions for a sector-wide strategy.

The two Canada-wide surveys are a first attempt to obtain hard data regarding workforce issues in the sector. Toupin points out the unique situation of the voluntary and nonprofit sector: “The HR Council for the Voluntary & Non-profit Sector sits at the table with 29 other sector councils and they are mostly industry-based. Unlike other sectors in the economy, the diversity of our sector means we can’t use what’s readily available through Stats Canada. We don’t line up nicely with industry codes and classification codes. We have lots of sub-sectors; we don’t nicely break out with matching occupation codes, and you can find one person doing two or three jobs. In contrast, the mining industry has identified occupations in an identified industry so they have access to Stats Canada data.”

Interestingly, the survey findings both confirmed what was bouncing around anecdotally but also challenged some ideas, clarified others, and raised more questions. For instance, during the feasibility study, people lumped recruitment and retention together and said both were a challenge. The Survey of Employers was helpful in identifying that organizations are finding it more challenging to find the right people and keeping them may be less of an issue than once thought.

Surprising findings...that raise more questions

Another surprise was the general satisfaction among employees with their pay. Certainly there is a noticeable concern with benefits (particularly retirement benefits) but, again, that did not match up with what was heard in the feasibility study, where pay and benefits were both important issues. Toupin admits that the explanation may rest in the fact that a lot of employee respondents were from larger organizations and larger organizations probably have the capacity to pay better than the small organizations. This a good example of an area where the HR Council wants to do more analysis of the data in order to understand how employees from small organizations answered that question in comparison to employees from large organizations.

Another area the council is interested in exploring further has to do with the one in five employees who hold more than one job. Is it because of the rate of pay? Are the two jobs in the sector? Is it to make up full-time hours? Is it due to the nature of funding and it being two projects at half-time to create a full-time job? As Toupin points out, the surveys provide a first snapshot and the data begs more questions. The Advisory Committee and the HR Council board will have to figure out the priority areas for further exploration. That will be part of the discussion process between now and the end of this project (March 2009).

Further analysis is the next step

It was a deliberate choice on the part of the HR Council to release the findings first and leave the analysis to the third report. That third and final report in March 2009 will contain strategic recommendations to make sure the sector has access to the people and skills it needs. In the meantime, the HR Council is also interested in looking at workforce issues by sub-sector and region, so they’re tying this project in with another one. In the fall, they’re inviting key national organizations that work within certain sub-sectors to come together, review the survey findings, and provide feedback. The goal is to determine if some workforce issues are related only to certain sub-sectors. Another goal is to look at regional differences and similarities. “For some regions/provinces, we have information,” explains Toupin. “We want to start engaging networks of organizations like in Alberta, where they already have a strategy at the provincial level. We want to find out how our findings line up with what they are finding out and encouraging organizations to work collaboratively to address work force issues.”

Overall, Toupin hopes the survey findings become a catalyst for talking about workforce issues more broadly. She is quick to point out that while there are challenges, it’s also important to note the sector’s assets - like how strong the commitment is to mission within the voluntary and nonprofit sector. The survey findings strongly point out that employees continue to be attracted to the voluntary and nonprofit sector - and stay in the sector - because they are strongly committed to the mission. Toupin reminds us, “That’s something my colleagues in the trucking industry or the biotechnology industry don’t have in as great supply as we have. I don’t think we should look at this from only a deficit position at all. The study reasserts the assets of our sector.”

Stay tuned: In October, discussion questions will be posted to the HR Council website so that you can provide your thoughts about the survey findings.

Louise Chatterton Luchuk is a freelance writer and consultant who combines her love of writing with experience at the local, provincial and national levels of volunteer-involving organizations. For more information, visit www.luchuk.com.

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