# Recruitment & retention one of top 3 keeping charity leaders awake at night

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/12/12/recruitment-retention-one-of-top-3-keeping-charity-leaders-awake-at-night/
- Published: 2022-12-12T10:30:00+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Exhaustion across the sector as one crisis has followed another means many charity
staff are considering their futures, according to research by IVAR.**

During November, [IVAR](https://www.ivar.org.uk/) held sessions with 32 charity 
leaders from across the UK to hear about the impact of the cost of living crisis
on their work. The aim was to understand their concerns and how funders could help.

The findings are revealed in a new publication, [_In the face of overwhelming need  – Supporting charities to navigate the Cost of Living crisis_](https://www.ivar.org.uk/publication/in-the-face-of-overwhelming-need/)
written by Annie Caffyn, Ben Cairns, Liz Firth. The report reveals that the top 
three concerns for charity leaders at the current time are:

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1. Continuing and unprecedented volatility and the resulting stress

2. Exhaustion across the sector

3. Recruiting and retaining staff

With the pandemic leading straight into the cost of living crisis, IVAR found organisations
under immense pressure and exhaustion across the sector from dealing with their 
impact.

As a result, the report says many people are considering their futures with leaders
seeing an escalation of frontline staff leaving, and other colleagues moving away
from senior leadership roles.

The report notes widespread concern about the breadth of talent leaving the sector,
as well as the demands on teams as they cover additional roles. It adds:

> “At the same time, many leaders are experiencing real difficulties with both recruitment
> and retention of staff, pointing to a continuing lack of funding for staff wellbeing.
> Often, providing proper support means cutting back on frontline staff, increasing
> pressure in other ways.”

The cost of living crisis also means individuals’ priorities are changing as they
struggle to keep up with rising costs and wages that can’t keep up with inflation.
The report adds that the reliance of so many sector jobs on short-term funding is
also adding to retention issues as staff are forced to consider more secure options.

Based on the discussions with the 32 charity leaders, IVAR’s report makes a series
of recommendations for funders, as well as charities.

Funders, it suggests, could give charities greater stability and control over their
own resources, give charities a more powerful voice in the decisions funders make
about their priorities and practices, and focus on getting the basics right to reduce
the intense and prolonged pressures charities are under.

To better navigate bidding processes and/or develop more productive relationships
with funders, IVAR recommends that charities consider collaborating with other organisations
for joint applications, and are clear and confident in their negotiations with funders.

The full report and its recommendations can be [found here](https://www.ivar.org.uk/publication/in-the-face-of-overwhelming-need/).