Whether you are a nonprofit employer interested in further developing your workforce or someone who is interested in an encore career but has not previously worked at a nonprofit, a new report, “A Perfect Match? How Nonprofits are Tapping into the Boomer Talent Pool”, by Jill Casner-Lotto of The Conference Board, provides “actionable advice” for both.

At a time when a majority of Americans over the age of 45 plan to delay retirement if the economic situation doesn’t improve, employers will find that more and more boomers will want to utilize their skills in the nonprofit sector in encore careers – earning an income while working for the public good. Here are some key points in the report:

For employers:

• Look to your past and present volunteers when considering a new hire. About one-third of employers surveyed said that they find recruiting volunteers and former board members into the organization’s ranks to be a very effective way of attracting potential sector switchers.
• Brand the organization as a place where people can learn and grow. What is the image your organization is projecting to potential hires?
• Pay attention to job design. Is the job designed to best utilize the skill sets of the new hire?

For potential encore employees:

• Become familiar with nonprofits. Network, volunteer or get on the board of nonprofit organizations. Learning the culture of nonprofits in general, and the nonprofit in which you’d like to work specifically, could give you the lead in the job hunt.
• Know that the benefits of working in nonprofits outweigh the challenges – but don’t expect less stress. Knowing that you are doing work for the public good is considered a major benefit by 77 percent of those surveyed. However, the work may not be less stressful. One person surveyed said, “The work is more stressful because of the ‘passion’ people feel about their involvement.”
• Adapt your skills developed in the for-profit sector to the new culture. One former corporate executive interviewed described his learning curve switching to a nonprofit community-based program: “In the profit world, you do what you have to do to reach [your] goals. You’re paid to be extremely aggressive and push your agenda, [but now] it’s not about getting something for ‘me’ anymore. It’s about getting something for my client, and that’s a big difference.”

Nine comprehensive case studies complete this report, highlighting the successes and challenges that nonprofits of different sizes and missions face when tapping into encore talent.