People with the experience, knowledge, and connections ideal for serving the missions of nonprofits are among the vast number of federal employees who have lost their jobs this year. But how to find them? And how to attract them to your nonprofit?
In February and March alone, the Department of Government Efficiency initiated plans to lay off more than 280,000 federal workers and contractors across 27 agencies, according to tracking by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global business and executive coaching firm. (Challenger did not count probationary employee cuts.) Although Washington is the seat of the federal government, more than 80 percent of America’s 2 million career civil servants work outside the capital. Forty U.S. states have at least 10,000 each.
When recruiting from this pool of workers, consider the skills you’re looking for rather than agency titles, say experts. For example, in the international development field, now decimated by the gutting of USAID, you’ll find people who are brilliant at logistics, moving quickly with varied stakeholders, and managing rules and regulations, among other key talents.
Karen Lee has moved between government positions, mostly within the Office of Management and Budget and nonprofits. She and Julie Cerqueira launched FedsForward at the beginning of March to help federal workers deal with similar transitions. Such a resource has been needed for a long time, she says, but the government cuts this year lit the fuse.
Cerqueira expects FedsForward to endure beyond the current upheaval. She points out that “150,000 people leave the government every year that aren’t retiring. We want to see an ecosystem of public service that crosses all sectors.”
Traditionally, civil servants have been sought by companies, Lee says, for “having a Rolodex” of useful contacts; their technical skills, such as grant management; and their domain experience, such as water or K-12 education. “Less known is how well federal workers handle complex issues, such as mission support, the complexity of very large-scale projects, impetus, lift-up, implementation — all steps of the life cycle,” she says.
Lee also points out that nonprofits’ focus on fundraising is comparable to skills federal employees have. It’s a matter of terminology. She suggests this exercise when assessing these workers’ résumés: Swap out “justifying appropriations” for “fundraising”; “working to the president’s budget” for “funding proposals”; and “congressional hearing” for “presentations to funders.”
Here’s how to find gems for your organization from this talent pool during the current surge and beyond.
Get the Most From LinkedIn
For starters, use LinkedIn to engage job seekers from specific industries. When advertising an open position, for example, you can target by industry — including government — location, and more, to reach your intended audience.
When it comes to searching for talent, nonprofits that use LinkedIn Recruiter Lite, which is offered at a discount for eligible groups, can search for candidates by industry and message them directly with InMail credits. You can also visit the LinkedIn for Nonprofit Resources Hub to learn more about how to use your organization’s LinkedIn company page to showcase its work and impact to candidates.
In addition to searching profiles for keywords, check out subject-specific groups on the app. The LinkedIn group for Department of Energy job seekers already has nearly 700 participants, Cerqueira says, and that number is rising.
Look Elsewhere Online
Every federal department has an email list that former employees are on. Ask around to find someone who can post a message there that you’re open to hearing from people in that field.
Industry publications and job boards can also be valuable resources. Devex is to the international development sector what the Chronicle is to philanthropy: Just as the Chronicle has a job board, so does Devex, which targets global development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals.
Attend Job Fairs
State and local governments have mobilized to put on job fairs and webinars to help federal employees who have been cut loose. Sign up for a slot so you can educate civil servants about how they can keep working for the public good. Look for announcements about these events on county government sites as well as sites like FedsForward and the Council of Governments.
Highlight Your Draws
Cerqueira points out that often people expect a federal job to last until retirement. They haven’t looked at what a career outside the government might be like. Now is an opportune time to point out the attractions of nonprofit careers in job postings and conversations with candidates.
For example, many people choose government jobs out of a commitment to public service. They want to continue pursuing good works. Clearly, a charity’s mission fulfills that need.
Nonprofits can move more quickly and be more agile than the federal government. Dealing with less red tape or seeing progress sooner can improve job satisfaction.
Many philanthropies pride themselves on the camaraderie staff members feel toward their colleagues. Office culture can count for a lot when attracting employees.
Senior federal managers deal with a salary cap. Although nonprofits typically can’t match corporate pay, they might offer more than the government salary someone has been getting.
