How one organization is building their own talent pipeline

While global development is constantly demanding highly skilled and experienced professionals, organizations working in the sector are often pushed for time and resources when it comes to finding and training new talent. The Norwegian Refugee Council, however, is taking a new approach to hiring, and it is one that could build their organizational capacity while offering new career pathways to professionals interested in working with them. The recently launched initiative will involve the NRC hiring several candidates as part of a 12-month trainee program that will combine classroom learning, mentoring and on-the-job experience. The organization has implemented similar initiatives in the past, and the idea was a “result of struggling with recruiting the right staff in a timely manner,” said Anneli Lyster, special advisor on workforce planning and recruitment. “We recognize now that we need to develop talent from within,” says Lyster. Doing so can help people who want to join the humanitarian sector but don’t have previous experience by giving them the opportunity to break in. “We have tried to be very open, open to any kind of nationality, there is no age limit and we try to bring people from different sectors that really are motivated to join the humanitarian sector and have a career with us,” added Lyster. Rania Kudsi Haddadin, regional recruitment coordinator for NRC Europe, will be reviewing the applications, and explained that while it depends on the specific position, if a candidate lacks a humanitarian background but can demonstrate organizational skills or project management experience, for example, then this will be considered relevant. “We are not targeting the humanitarian sector only, we are targeting all sectors,” she explained. Designed to develop early-career and transitioning professionals, the program will be made up of several elements, including pre-training through e-learning and self study, one month classroom training in the NRC office in Amman, followed by technical training and field experience. Successful candidates will receive a living grant for the duration of the training and, while Lyster said that it is not likely to be the case, those trainees who make quick progress can then apply for a full-time position with the NRC after just three months of the program. Still in the pilot stages, the initiative will focus on recruiting in the Middle East for now, but it is hoped that it will be rolled out in the future, to help hiring efforts in other regions. Not only does this approach create opportunities for junior or transitioning candidates who might lack traditional humanitarian experience, but it is also hoped that it will encourage more investment in hiring and training initiatives. “It’s a particular challenge in our sector, being non-profit, that we don’t always have donors that will necessarily invest in this kind of thing. We can’t always find ready-made people, the sector has grown and donors need to understand that, we’re hoping that they will see that this is necessary for us to deliver,” says Lyster. Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search — all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.