Do your staff know what your organisation does? Are you sure?

It seems like an odd question, but in the past when I have interviewed multiple people who work at the same organisation, it struck me that they all described the work of the organisation in very different ways. In some cases, they directly contradicted one another. Most noticeable was the difference between new staff and long-term staff – the ones who had been there longest had the most breadth of knowledge, but in one case described services that had in fact closed a long time ago and in another, referred to the organisation by it’s previous name (having rebranded 2 years previously).

Different people having different stories to tell can be a strength, but stories being inaccurate and out of date can not only mean you miss out on income, but you can also lose staff who aren’t aware of and excited by the amazing work you’re doing right now.

I would recommend taking the time to put together a brief anonymous questionnaire with 10-15 questions to allow you to easily assess the level of accuracy of staff knowledge.  You might be surprised.

Some example questions:

·        What age range of people do we support?

·        How many services do we have?

·        If a friend said they were interested in leaving a gift to our organisation after they died, what should I do?

·        How much in every £1 or $ is spent on core costs (yes, this is a reductive fact as we all know, but it’s a question staff are often asked by friends/family and having the data and a good way to explain it is important and could mean the difference between that family member becoming a legator or not)

·        What tangible difference can we make with £10/$10.

·        What are the different ways someone can volunteer for our organisation?

·        Which countries do we work in?

·        Which methods can people use to fundraise for us?

·        Do we make unsolicited phone calls to potential supporters? (again, one that can often be asked by family and friends)

Questions could be multiple choice for ease of assessment, but it would certainly be worth having at least one that is broad and free text e.g. ‘Describe what our organisation does in one paragraph’  

If you find that the level of up-to-date knowledge isn’t quite what you expected, then the good news is that it can be an easy fix. It’s likely you can re-purpose induction materials used for new staff as a ‘refresher’ for existing staff and volunteers (including your board).  After you’ve done this, perhaps run the exercise again in 6 months and see what’s changed.