Nonprofits rely on their talented staff to achieve their missions, and nonprofit career pathing can be an effective way to keep staff motivated and engaged. Career pathing comes in as a powerful tool that can help nonprofits retain their best talent, provide professional development opportunities, and support staff growth. In this blog post, we'll explore what nonprofit career pathing is, what trends we can expect in 2024, and how nonprofits can leverage this approach to benefit their organizations, staff, and missions.
What is nonprofit career pathing, and why does it matter?
Career pathing is a process of identifying and mapping out a series of job roles, skills, and development activities that align with an individual's career goals and aspirations. It involves providing employees with specific career paths and guidance on how to develop their skills, knowledge, and experience to achieve their desired career goals. Career pathing matters because it helps employees to feel valued, supported, and motivated to improve their performance and career outcomes. It also strengthens the organization's talent pipeline, enabling the selection of qualified internal candidates for future leadership positions. Additionally, for nonprofits, where resources are often limited, career pathing can help organizations retain top talent, minimize staff turnover, and reduce recruitment costs.
In real terms, this means a direct positive impact on the people served by a nonprofit's mission. Career paths help team members see how they contribute to the mission, support the current strategic plan, affect lives, and also how they can do all of these things for years to come in expanding roles.
What kind of trends can we expect in 2024 related to nonprofit career pathing?
With the digital transformation affecting nearly all aspects of our lives, the nonprofit workforce of 2024 will require a different set of skills and competencies than those of previous years. Career pathing in 2024 will likely place a greater emphasis on digital skills across many roles, such as data analytics, impact metrics, and social media, as well as on intercultural competencies, remote work and implementation functionality, and organizational sustainability. There will also be more personalized and agile career mapping approaches, where employees can have more input and control over their careers and development paths. Furthermore, in high-functioning nonprofits, career pathing will become more embedded as an integral element of performance management, where goals, objectives, and development plans are seamlessly integrated.
One trend that we anticipate seeing in the realm of nonprofit career pathing is a shift towards more individualized and personalized development plans. While traditional methods of training may have relied on a one-size-fits-all approach, the future of nonprofit professional development will place a greater emphasis on tailoring growth opportunities to each team member's unique skills, interests, and goals. Concurrently, we anticipate this showing up as greater accessibility to training opportunities. This approach not only helps team members feel more engaged and invested in their work, but also allows for a more targeted and effective use of resources.
In addition to personalized career pathing plans, we can also expect to see a rise in the use of online learning platforms for nonprofit professional development. With the growing popularity and accessibility of online courses, webinars, and other virtual learning opportunities, nonprofits have more options than ever before to provide ongoing training and education for their team members. This not only allows for flexibility in scheduling and location, but also opens up opportunities for collaboration and networking with professionals from other organizations. As we look towards 2024, it's clear that online learning and virtual collaboration will play a crucial role in the growth and development of nonprofit professionals.
In the nonprofit sector, how can we use career pathing to train, sustain, and retain our best talent?
Nonprofit career pathing is essential in the nonprofit sector to ensure that employees have the skills and competencies--both technical and "soft"--necessary to fulfill their organizations' missions. Nonprofits can use career pathing to train staff in the specific areas of fundraising, grant writing, program management, marketing, and other skills specific to their missions, as well as in more generalized areas such as mission-focused leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Career pathing can also sustain talent by keeping staff engaged and motivated, providing them with meaningful work, and creating opportunities for professional development. Retaining top talent can be challenging for nonprofits, but by offering career pathing options, employees are more likely to stay with an organization as they can see opportunities for growth, development, and advancement.
Moreover, nonprofits can leverage career pathing to address the underrepresentation of diverse groups in leadership positions, improving diversity and inclusion outcomes, and building a more representative and equitable sector. Offering mentorship, coaching, training, and development opportunities to those who are early in their journey or who want to explore leadership opportunities can be a powerful way to ensure that the sector remains relevant and responsive to changing societal needs.
An equitable investment in each team member's career path can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For those looking for a simple, single-source solution, the Merit® Nonprofit Professional Development talent development system can support the efforts described here. Specifically designed for the nonprofit sector, Merit® can assist organizations in implementing career pathing strategies and support staff retention and growth.
In 2024, leveraging career pathing will be critical for nonprofits to remain competitive and fulfill their missions. By investing in staff development and professional growth, organizations can retain top talent, build leadership pipelines, and increase their overall impact. Nonprofits can anticipate these trends and take action to plan for the future. By adopting career pathing strategies, nonprofits can train, sustain, and retain their best talent, address diversity and inclusion challenges, and ensure that their organizations remain effective and relevant. Merit® can be an excellent solution that fits within your career pathing aspirations.
Let's embrace career pathing and unlock our employees' potential to achieve bigger and better outcomes for our organizations and society as a whole.