How do I get them to care?

Well if that is not a loaded question, I am not sure what is. We join the nonprofit world because we want to make an impact. There is a cause that we care about and wish to see an improvement. We want to leave the world a better place. At least that is what we think. Everyone’s path and needs for their job are very different. Normally, there is alignment when it comes to seeking employment in the nonprofit world. But what happens when it is not? As a leader, what can you do?

As leaders, we struggle with this issue. We work for our organizations because it is a cause we believe in. We put so much of our time and self into the mission that we think the rest of the staff care as much. When we come across those that do not, there is a sense of disbelief, maybe even a feeling of betrayal. We struggle on how to get them to care as much as we do.

Personal story time: Years ago, I worked for the American Red Cross. It is an organization whose mission I thoroughly believe in and support. At this particular time, I was working at the national headquarters in IT working with the chapters on adopting some new software technology. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf and destroyed New Orleans and much of the coastal areas. It was all hands on deck regardless if you worked in disaster services or not. In the beginning when the need was most pressing, we were all working long hours that included the weekends. We worked for an organization that was on the front lines of helping hundreds of thousands of people and the need was unprecedented. An ask was made of one my team to work on a Saturday about two weeks after Katrina made landfall. They declined. When pressed about why, the answer was just no. They do not work weekends. I admit this answer was a shocker and one that set me off a bit. Thousands have lost their homes and yet this person could not bother to give up one Saturday to help. Once I calmed down a bit, I asked them for more of an explanation. It was because they wanted to work in IT. The Red Cross just happened to be their employer.

That event changed how I approached interviews with future candidates going forward. I became very clear on the expectation that while yes the job was in IT, this position worked for a disaster organization and they will (not may) be called upon to work after hours and weekends when necessary. If that was not acceptable to them, well then, thank you for your time and good luck with your search.

In this instance the disconnect between service to a cause and the need for a job was clear. We are in the age of the Great Resignation. In this post-pandemic era, people are re-evaluating their needs of a job. We can hope that it means those who care for our cause will stay while those who do not, leave. Self-selection might be the answer to the dilemma. If it is not, then what?

You cannot make someone care for something. If they do not feel it, nothing you can do as a leader will change that. You could try a promotion or giving them more responsibility. However, now instead of a regular employee not impassioned, you have someone in management. Someone is now on your leadership team that may actually have no empathy for the greater cause.

Is there any help?

1) Remove the emotion. Take a strong and hard look at your staff and capacity. What is this person’s role? How crucial is it that they give a damn. In my scenario, this employee was a solid performer. It might have never been an issue with them working for a disaster organization if the costliest natural disaster ever had not hit the Gulf coast. In your situation what is their role to the mission? Is it mission critical? Can they be moved to do something else? If they happen to care about one thing, is there enough work for them to deal with just that? What is your capacity from a resource perspective for this person to remain in that role? What are the impacts from their lack of passion?

2) Have a conversation with them. Talk to them and learn their motivations. We are all motivated by different things. Find out what drives them. Maybe they actually do care a great deal but for reasons have not expressed it. Recent studies have shown that one part of the Great Resignation, especially in nonprofits, is people are leaving for jobs that they are passionate about regardless of other factors. Once you understand their drivers, you can make an informed decision about the situation. Be prepared that they may just need the job. In that case, see point #1.

3) Set clear expectations at the hiring point. Going forward, I was very clear on my expectations of any job I hired. I still do, especially if those expectations fall outside the normal Monday – Friday business hours. You owe it to the candidate to be up front on everything. They have to be able to make an informed decision. The job market is a bit frenzied right now. You want to make the right hire and that means hiring someone who will support the mission. Money may not be the only factor. The Millennials and Generation Zers will attach themselves to a cause if it is attractive to them.

4) Be ready for a difficult decision. If you have talked with them, determined that their role is mission critical, their caring is critical to the mission, and they are not willing to make a change, then it may be time for you to part ways. Apathy can be as bad as outright toxic behavior. It can lead to poor morale and metastasize to greater organizational cultural issues.

We think our staff are as excited about the missions we serve as we are. We want them to care as deeply. Caring staff makes our lives easier because it allows us to share the burden of holding up the mission. However, when the opposite happens our jobs become so much harder. We now become driven to make someone care. As leaders, we have an obligation to the organization. Part of that obligation is to understand the motivations of the staff and their needs. When there is misalignment between their needs and the organization’s needs, you must decide on what you are willing to accept and how to proceed.

* Note: I am sure some are reading this are saying that I am writing this month’s blog from a place of privilege and that asking people to care about the job is classist. The roles that I was filling were all higher paying roles. In addition, as I mention, people have different needs from their employment. Some just need a paycheck. In the scenario I mentioned, the person declining to work had no extenuating factors preventing them coming in on a rare Saturday when there was an extraordinary need. They just did not want to.

Photo: Copyright by KJW Photos, Sundial, 2020