In an age when some of society’s most entrenched taboos are being eradicated, it seems that the social purpose sector ‘values driven’ role in delivering socially positive returns is now truly in the limelight. From humble, cottage industry type beginnings to today’s large business entities delivering comprehensive far reaching services and programs; there is an ever increasing and rising demand for their services. This is due to the perfect storm of ongoing community austerity as a result of underlying global economic financial fragility, pressure on governments to identify and rollout innovative new funding models that deliver a true return on tax payer investment, a contestable consumer driven marketplace; the need to divert its attention to cover services previously provided by the government or private sectors and the ever-present workforce talent attraction and retention challenge. The challenges facing social purpose organisations are considerable.

However, social purpose organisations are adapting and evolving alongside the changing external environment. They have also realised just how well placed they are to truly understand the needs and wants of their beneficiary population and transform learnings into fresh solutions that can address key social problems.
This includes:

• The acknowledgement by all levels of the workforce that the organisation they are so passionately involved is in fact a just like any other business, and must act as such in its governance, product offering and operational mission. As a result, the traditional service ethic has become demythologised and a more commercial ethic has emerged.
• Social Purpose organisations realising and leveraging their innate survivorship properties that are superior to for-profit organisations entering their markets.
• Partnership with other aligned social purpose entities and corporations that deliver shared value and greater reach and capacity and program subsidisation are key channels to future growth.
• Product development increasingly focused on early intervention, prevention and structural change as well as pre-emptively understanding of what future supply and demand might look like in terms of services and programs. This is underpinned by a data driven understanding of the present and future embedded complexities in the lives of their customers;
• A focused effort by some to move beyond a perceived and incorrect philanthropic insufficiency or amateurism. As much as a move to recognise fundraising as just one methodology to deliver true exchanged value and create a more deeply engaged and active supporter who will take action—and give money; And
• Innovative workforce attraction and retention channels that deliver a multidisciplinary, multisector experienced and innovation focused human capital environment with a greater balance between head and heart.

NOVUS Search Partners, with our global reach, use of cutting-edge sourcing, assessment and attraction tools, and a dedicated focus on driving economic and social impact can assist with:

• Reducing your reliance on executive recruitment firms with a new and cost-effective approach to talent acquisitions.
• Assist you to anticipate business needs through supply and demand assessment and then deliver associated transformation programs.
• Undertake 5-year global talent mapping and succession planning activities to reduce your reliance on executive search firms and identify new job families.
• Support and/or drive successful navigation of partnership situations in which there are extremely complex stakeholder at play, which are highly topical and/or controversial in nature.
• Attracting transitioning talent in from aligned private sectors who will complement the strategic objectives in terms of skillset – yet navigate the associated head and heart complexities of the sector exceptionally well.
• Assist with remuneration benchmark studies to understand and map the contemporary expectations and preferences of your present and future.
• A structured talent mobility program, with an embedded empathy immersion experience in either Japan or India. This is a first in terms of a new workforce attraction and retention model for Australia.