Study of Jewish Groups Reveals Employee-Retention Challenges

Title: “Are Jewish Organizations Great Places to Work?”

Organizations: Leading Edge and Korn Ferry Hay Group

Summary: Jewish nonprofits could be replacing up to 90 percent of their leaders within five to seven years, according to some estimates, due largely to pending retirements. Those groups are facing challenges in recruiting and retaining talent, according to the study, although employees express a strong connection to and pride in their groups’ missions.

The survey of 3,422 employees of 55 Jewish organizations, conducted in February, measured responses against the General Industry Benchmark, a study of 6.4 million employees working in 390 companies around the world. Leading Edge, a nonprofit that works to foster leadership for Jewish organizations, worked with management-consulting firm Korn Ferry Hay Group on the study.

Among the report’s findings:

• Forty percent of respondents expected to stay at their organizations for at least five year, or until retirement. That figure is 20 percentage points below the General Industry Benchmark. Fifty-two percent of employees at Jewish groups said they expected to stay in the sector that long.
• Employees who had been at their jobs one to two years showed the lowest level of engagement. Among age groups, people 39 and under — the largest segment among those surveyed — were least likely to feel engaged with their jobs. Workers earning between $40,000 and $69,999 annually showed the lowest levels of engagement among all income groups.
• Forty-one percent of employees said poor performance was usually addressed effectively at their nonprofit. That figure was 16 percentage points below the General Industry Benchmark.
• Thirty-eight percent of respondents agreed that their organization had enough employees for the work it did, compared to 49 percent in the General Industry Benchmark.
• Despite these challenges, employees at Jewish groups displayed a high degree of affinity for their mission and their organizations. Ninety-four percent said they understand their group’s mission, strategy, and goals, a figure 16 percentage points higher than the General Industry Benchmark. Eighty-seven percent said they feel proud to work for their organization, 9 points above the Benchmark figure.