The voluntary sector is experiencing a “revolving door” of staff with employee turnover levels at a post-recession high of 22 per cent, according to a People Count Third Sector Report released today by Agenda Consulting.
The survey involving 71 UK third sector organisations, found that staff departures were are up from 18 per cent at the height of the recession in 2011.
Roger Parry, chief executive of Agenda Consulting (pictured) told Civil Society News: “We are seeing a revolving door of employees in the voluntary sector. At 22 per cent, the turnover levels of staff in the voluntary sector is higher than the private sector which has an average turnover of about 14 or 15 per cent.
“This is partly a result of a vibrant scene in London where fundraisers are in demand. There are lots of jobs in the South East of England so staff are able to easily switch."
The increased staff turnover levels reflects a healthier third sector economy but sees a detrimental dent in the pockets of charities affected by moving staff, Parry said.
“The labour market has picked up and there is a greater confidence overall within the charity sector. On the downside, charities spend more time recruiting staff,” he said.
“Charities need to look at themselves to implement ways of holding onto staff - like better career progression and staff training.”
On average, the sector took 35 days to fill a vacancy – a favourable comparison to the private sector which took an average of 40 days.
Staff absenteeism was also an increasing problem for the sector, according to the report. On average, employees took 8.4 sick days - compared to 7.7 in the private sector – costing organisations an average of £622 per employee.
Volunteers now make up a quarter of the workforce in most charities but almost two thirds of the workforce in organisations with over 1,000 employees.
“Given the fact that income is static at best in most third sector organisations, volunteers could provide a rich pool of talent and skills that could be used more effectively," Parry said. "Charities could involve volunteers more and invest in their training and development and utilise their skill and experience to see some real returns."
The survey was based on responses from 71 organisations, with a total of 62,000 employees and 107,000 volunteers.
