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With many businesses struggling to pay top dollar to woo job candidates, it is even harder for not-for-profit organisations to survive the skills shortage, says Deirdre O'Sullivan, the national director of the Parkinsons New Zealand.
"Remuneration is obviously at a lower level than the private sector. It's not
that the money is terrible. It's just not as good as you could make somewhere else," she says.
Many Parkinsons NZ employees are front line nursing staff, already in high demand.
"We're really pleased that nurses have received a pay rise in hospitals but, of course, that makes it harder for us to recruit staff in the regions as field officers. They can earn more in the hospitals."
But money is not everything.
"For us, making a profit is a means to an end. Whereas for a lot of companies in the private sector, the profit is the end," O'Sullivan says.
She says it's personally rewarding beyond what a usual nine-to-five office job can provide.
"It is a matter of job satisfaction. I can see direct results of making a profit. I can see that we've got this $5000, which means I can produce a leaflet about falls management. And I know that leaflet will actually make a tangible difference to people's lives," O'Sullivan says.
As the national director, O'Sullivan is responsible for the same management responsibilities that many corporate directors face. But in the not-for-profit arena, otherwise known as the third sector, there tends to be more stakeholders to answer to and there is also a strong advocacy component. O'Sullivan's stakeholders include politicians, legislators, health boards, pharmaceutical companies, other not-for-profits, media and the general public. She is responsible for seeing that nationwide offices are resourced and staff are properly trained.
"I love it. I'm really fortunate to have a job that provides continual mental stimulation. It's not a job that you ever say, 'All right, I've done that. I know it all by heart.' There's always growth and development. There are always new things happening."
O'Sullivan has worked in the third sector for the past 10 years, having worked for Parkinsons and cancer organisations in the UK.
"I don't wish to say that other jobs don't have passion. I'm sure they do. But I think you get more involved in people's lives. You can't help it. You're dealing with people and not numbers. And you end up seeing a person's whole life, not just a section of their life," O'Sullivan says.
She says her work at the Parkinsons NZ helps fulfil her responsibility to her community. "It is immensely satisfying when you see some initiative that you've introduced or supported does make a tangible difference. It does actually result in an effect on people's quality of life. You sleep better at night."
That satisfaction helps to offset the inconvenience of not having everything you might need at the organisation.
"For every dollar we get donated, I'm sure we get three dollars value out of it. We don't waste. There is no fat to trim because we have to be so careful. Everyone's eyes are on us," O'Sullivan says. Even the costs of basic office supplies are scrutinised.
"Most private companies our size would not even consider what the pen or the stapler bill is. People will judge us and say, 'You spent how much on envelopes?"'
That's one reason why job candidates in the third sector need to be adept at problem solving. "We do have to make the best use of our resources. You do have to sometimes make do with what we've got. If a computer blows up tomorrow, we can't just pop down to the shop and buy another one," O'Sullivan says.
Most of Parkinsons NZ's 50 employees are part-time, due to a shortage of funding. O'Sullivan says they all have to be multi-taskers.
"No one in our organisation has a black-and-white job description where you only do one thing. We all have to put our hands to the pump when there's an event happening or there is a big fundraiser."
O'Sullivan looks for candidates with three main characteristics:
* Broad experience and skills base.
* A willingness to be patient.
* An empathetic personality.
For the right person, there is opportunity for advancement.
"Like any other office, people can be promoted to management positions. They can develop themselves for CEO positions. It is a positive work environment for women. It's probably a predominantly female-based workforce."
The multi-tasking and different job tasks are why some people choose to work in a not-for-profit. "I just get to perform a huge variety of tasks. Partly because we are a lean and mean organisation, we don't have lots and lots of staff, so you have to be a Jill of all trades. It keeps you going on a Friday afternoon when you're tired and you want to go home."
But when Friday does roll around, charity workers need to be able to say "no" and switch from taking care of others to taking care of themselves.
"It is hard to switch off. It is hard to draw a line and say, 'I'm not working at the moment. It's Friday night and I'm not going to worry about replying to that email now.' For these people, they can't switch off having Parkinsons."
Parkinsons is a degenerative disease with limited treatments for symptoms and no cure.
"You do meet people who five years ago looked really good and they look a lot worse now and it is heartbreaking," O'Sullivan says.
The workers at Parkinsons NZ learn to do what they can without letting themselves burn out.
"It can be hard to get that balance between closing off and having your own time and not feeling guilty."
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