Proposal recruitment on a tight budget: Tips and tricks

Preparing a bid takes a lot of work — and calculation. Each donor tends to have specific rules for implementing partners, including how much to pay project team members. The U.S. Agency for International Development, for instance, caps the salaries and allowances of its contractors and strictly ties compensation to salary history, not taking into consideration bonuses and other benefits. Its Australian counterpart, AusAID, uses a remuneration framework for short- and long-term consultants which it says is “benchmarked against other aid agencies and Australian labor market standards” and “ensures that adviser remuneration represents value for money and is appropriate to the type and level of technical expertise required for each particular task.” For recruiters, the challenge therefore is not only to find people with the right set of skills. They must also find experts who would agree to such donor-prescribed remuneration terms. Here are some best practices for negotiating compensation and how to staff project offices when the money is tight, according to seasoned recruiters who spoke with Devex about this topic. Educate candidates about what is realistic based on standard practices Be transparent with candidates around the donor pay regulations and how pay is calculated. Some candidates may mistakenly think you are trying to play hardball when in fact your hands are tied when it comes to the compensation-and-benefits package you can offer. This is particularly useful to do with candidates who may not be familiar with usual rates for specific positions, such as those transitioning from a different sector or returning from hardship assignments where they received incentives like danger pay and post differentials that increased their total package. ‘Sell’ the benefits Make sure to highlight the complete benefits package including any additional allowances for housing, health insurance or retirement savings plans. Do not only itemize the perks but also discuss them in dollar terms. It’s one way to make candidates aware of the benefits’ worth and exactly how much they add to the salary. Highlight what the job opportunity might bring Candidates become interested in certain positions for a variety of reasons, including the chance to build on their work, get a promotion, or work with a new donor. Get a better sense of candidates’ long-term career goals, by engaging them in candid conversations, and show them how the job will help them get there. Click here to know the types of questions to ask during such conversations, especially when dealing with candidates for project leads like chiefs of party. Mention the hiring organization’s winnability When staffing a proposal, almost as important to a candidate as the salary is whether or not the project will get funded, and they will ultimately get the job. Emphasize the strength of your team, innovative technical approach, and past performance including positive client references. Have candidates contribute to your proposal so they feel confident in the methodology and in carrying out the work when you win. Be creative with the staffing pattern If the request for proposal provides some flexibility in staffing plans, some recruiters get creative how they divvy up the work to cut overall costs while not sacrificing expertise and efficiency. For example, they might combine two midlevel consultants and hire one senior-level expert instead. Or, they may engage a couple of junior consultants together with one senior consultant rather than a team of all mid- to senior-level experts. Another popular trend nowadays: Hiring expats alongside a local hire deputy initially and then phasing the expat position out on year two or three. Local candidates may have the technical skills but lack the donor experience required to lead or win a project. This approach builds local capacity while ensuring strong leadership and continuity, and has the added benefit of lowering overall labor costs. Got another tip, anecdote or question for your fellow international development recruiters? Let us know by leaving a comment below.