Silvie Elsner is deputy director for client programs at the nonprofit IQ Rome servicewhich strives for the dignified position of Roma in society. In addition to professional social services, they develop community work, creating space to connect active Roma and organize their own projects. About the specifics of HR in a non-profit and how recruitment and care of employees differ from ordinary companies, we talked with Silvia, who is in charge of HR Agenda companies.
How long have you been working for IQ Roma Service? Why did you decide to work in the non-profit sector?
I have been working in Ikvéček since 2010. At the time, I was looking for a job that made sense. I have always noticed injustices and inequalities in society, so I liked that with my little bit I could contribute to righting this injustice.
What does your regular day look like as Deputy Director of Client Programs? Do you personally meet people who use your programs?
My normal day involves the support of all colleagueswho ask for it -- either in the form of advice or hearing. I also work on service quality management and on our strategies. In addition to providing social services, we are constantly working on the organization's strategic goals.
Unfortunately, I meet far fewer people who use our services than I would like. My position is focused on guiding the people who guard the quality of our services, so I most often encounter Team leaders. But I am in frequent contact with colleagues from direct work. They are the ones who bring information directly from clients and know what is going on in the families and homes where we help.
From your position, you also intimidate the organization's HR agenda. What do you think is the most different about HR in a non-profit organization compared to regular companies?
I've never worked in a similar position outside of a non-profit, so I can't quite compare. Even in a non-profit, performance and client orientation are important. It is worse with the measurability of performance and results. We do not deal with just one segment of a client's or family's life, but a complex life situation. Our clients need more guidance and care, which is why sometimes it takes longer for the result to arrive.
Our work is also dependent on many factors that we absolutely cannot influence. Although social work can be carried out flawlessly, external factors have too much influence on the lives of our clients. This is best seen in the example of housing. Romani people face a high level of discrimination in the housing market, so finding a rental must depend not only on whether they have the means to rent and bail, but also on how landlords and society in general view them.
Even in a non-profit, performance and client orientation are important.
How does recruiting and selecting candidates at a nonprofit differ? What factors have the biggest influence on whether a candidate is successful or not?
There are more success factors, depending on what positions we occupy. In general, it can be said that in addition to the necessary education or experience, the personality itself is important contender and the way he thinks about social exclusion and people who need help. It is also important for us how the candidate sits down with the members of the team he is assigned to.
Are you interested in the job listings or vice versa?
Unfortunately, we do not meet with great interest. This is mainly due to wages. In social services, wage evaluation is low and the educational requirements and maturity of the worker's personality are high. It's a sad truth that many people simply can't afford to work at a nonprofit. Most of the income we have (whether from national sources or EU funds) is strictly tied to specific items and controlled, so we cannot compare ourselves with the private sector in the valuation offer.
Sometimes people have the idea that in a non-profit, you don't get passed over. The opposite is true, we work with people who are in very difficult life situations and I think the pressure to perform here is the same as in commercial companies.
Sometimes people have the idea that in a non-profit, you don't get passed over. The opposite is true.
You deal with challenging and sensitive topics. Do you deal with the service and mental health care of your employees at IQ Roma?
We are trying very hard to do that with the resources we have. Employees in direct labor have regular supervisions and can apply for individual supervision. At the peak of the refugee crisis in 2022, we also offered colleagues the possibility of individual meetings with a therapist.
We do our best to make colleagues feel good at work. We're trying to build that kind of culture where colleagues don't have to be afraid to tell each other for help, my office door is still open. If it's the worst, my colleague and I have a glass of gummy candy. 🙂
As an organization, you started in 1997 with a team of five. Today you are 60 and operate in three different places. What have you had to improve over the years?
That's a never-ending process that we're still working on and we're still learning. The big leap forward we made when we started using the system PINYA HR. Although it is not intended directly for non-profits, it suits us well enough and makes it easier for colleagues to work. Before we started using it, we had many folders with different documents and shared tables in which we dealt with, for example, absentee scheduling.
PINYA HR (or as some colleagues affectionately call it — Pinča) today handles requests and an overview of vacation, provides information on other types of absences, includes clicks on important pages, and stores uploaded work reports, certificates and other employee documents.
We also used PINYA HR to create e-learning course “I am new to Ikvéček”, where a new colleague can get acquainted with the basic instructions and return to them. Thanks to profile photos, new colleagues are better versed in who is in which team, what position they work in and what they can contact them with.
Are you planning to expand your existing team for any planned projects in the near future? What are your plans for the future?
We are planning a lot of them because we want to continue to provide the most comprehensive service possible. Currently, it is a challenge for us to hire a project implementation team with the aim of housing 30 homeless households in apartments in the municipalities where we operate. At the same time, we are also undergoing a digital audit to help us revise our internal processes and catch flies. It is therefore possible that we will move even more of our agenda to PINYA HR in the future. I'd really like that.
Our biggest plan for the future is not to be here — when we are not needed, we will know that everything in society is as it should be.
