Case Study: Strategic Recruitment Turnaround for a Leading NFP Organisation

Our client, a nationally recognised and well-established leader in the not-for-profit (NFP) sector, holds a strong reputation for its contributions to community health. However, despite this brand strength, the organisation faced significant challenges in filling a key executive role: Human Resources Manager.

For over four months, the position was actively advertised without a successful appointment. The campaign had stagnated, and the role had become overexposed in the market, with qualified candidates beginning to perceive the vacancy as problematic. One failed appointment had already occurred, further compounding concerns internally and externally. The recruitment process was being led by the CEO—an inspiring and mission-driven leader, but one with very limited time and without formal experience in HR or recruitment marketing. As a result, the advertising lacked impact, clarity, and resonance with the intended audience. It failed to reflect the organisation’s values, culture, and employee proposition—leading to applications from candidates who were either unqualified or misaligned with the organisation’s needs.

Key Challenges Identified

Ineffective Job Advertisement
The existing job ad lacked clarity and failed to communicate the strategic importance of the role. It did not articulate the organisation’s purpose, culture, or employee value proposition and did not resonate with experienced HR professionals already operating in the NFP space.

Poor Candidate Fit
Most applicants were either underqualified or lacked relevant NFP experience, especially in managing the complexity of both paid and volunteer workforces.

Recruitment Bottlenecks
Without dedicated HR support, the CEO managed the recruitment process alone, resulting in delayed applicant reviews, slow interview scheduling, and missed opportunities to engage top talent.

Limited Market Engagement
Prolonged exposure and vague messaging caused the opportunity to lose appeal among suitable candidates.

Reputation and Morale Risks
The ongoing vacancy created internal uncertainty, affected team morale, and raised concerns among board members and key funders.

Misaligned Salary Expectations
Market competitiveness and sector norms required a realignment of the offered remuneration to attract qualified candidates.

Our Solution

Job Advertisement Redesign

We conducted a strategic briefing with internal stakeholders to clarify the position’s role, value, and long-term importance to the executive team.

Based on these insights, we restructured the job advertisement to clearly articulate the organisation’s impact, mission, and values.

We promoted the flexible work arrangements and unique NFP sector benefits of the role and targeted purpose-driven HR leaders aligned with social impact.

And finally, present the role as a compelling leadership opportunity, not just a vacancy.

Employer Brand Enhancement

We developed a concise yet powerful Employer of Choice profile that highlighted the opportunity to work closely with the CEO and executive leadership team.

We wanted to reflect recent achievements and upcoming organisational priorities and also develop a strong alignment with values-led, mission-driven work. A profile was integrated into the job advertisement and all online candidate touchpoints to ensure consistency and engagement.

Targeted Search and Talent Outreach

Leveraging our extensive NFP talent networks, we proactively engaged with HR professionals who had demonstrated strategic HR leadership in the NFP sector.

We sought experience managing award-based employment frameworks and a clear values alignment with social impact-driven organisations.

CEO Support and Process Streamlining

To ease the burden on the CEO and ensure an efficient process, we provided:

• A curated shortlist of pre-qualified, aligned candidates.
• Interview coaching with a focus on values-based leadership assessment.
• Guidance on market expectations and candidate motivations enhanced the appreciation of candidate motivation in turn building recommendations for a diverse and complementary executive team.

Our Results

• A senior HR Manager with sector-relevant experience was successfully appointed.
• Over 70% of second-round applicants met or exceeded the selection criteria, reflecting a significant uplift in candidate quality.
• Organisational confidence was restored, with improved morale among staff and renewed confidence from the board and key stakeholders.
• A Sustainable Recruitment Framework was established, including a recruitment toolkit to support future executive hiring.
• Our 12-month placement guarantee provided additional assurance as the organisation moved forward with confidence.

Key Takeaways

Job advertisements are strategic marketing tools, not just administrative postings. You need to offer values-based messaging, critical in the NFP sector to attract aligned, purpose-driven talent. Executive recruitment requires expertise—engaging professionals can prevent costly delays and misalignment. Strategic hiring directly impacts organisational culture, performance, and credibility. At times a professional advocating on your  behalf is a powerful tool and enables reach into a target market otherwise unattainable.

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