An increasing number of employees want to stay in the Jewish nonprofit sector, despite a high turnover rate, according to a new survey by Leading Edge, a group that supports Jewish nonprofits.
The group's sixth annual Employee Experience Survey, which polled more than 12,000 employees of 257 Jewish nonprofit organizations, found that 70% of respondents want to stay in the Jewish nonprofit sector for at least two years.
"Our data shows that the most important way for leaders to improve confidence in their leadership is to improve communication with their teams."
Gali Cooks, Leading Edge President and CEO
What else did the Employee Experience Survey find?
Jewish nonprofit employees who identify as LGBTQ or of color are markedly less likely to feel like they belong in their organizations, according to the survey.
Furthermore, the COVID pandemic has brought turnover. A third of employees surveyed have been with their organizations for less than two years.
This substantial share of workers doesn't remember the pre-COVID status quo. And the proportion of employees who are in their first year with their organizations (21% in 2022) is almost double what it was last year.
However, some aspects have returned to pre-COVID times, with most employees no longer working remotely. In 2022, three-fourths (76%) reported that they work outside their homes for at least part of each week.
Leading Edge CEO and president Gali Cooks expressed optimism that the survey will lead to positive changes in the field, despite the many challenges. "Improving employee experience isn’t a straight line," Cooks said.
"Organizations that have taken the Employee Experience Survey five or six times have seen a lot of improvement," she said. "But the journey there isn’t always neat or linear. As they walk that winding path forward, leaders need to make sure they're communicating. Our data shows that the most important way for leaders to improve confidence in their leadership is to improve communication with their teams."