HR SWOT Analysis for a Nonprofit Nursing Care Organization

Introduction: The Role of Human Resources in Nonprofit Organizations

Human resources is one of the most important departments within any organization that relies heavily on human capital and its ongoing development. Human resources departments allow organizations to attract, train, and retain top talent from an often-limited employee base. Through the support of executive management, this department also helps set wage levels, salaries, and other elements within an employee's overall benefits package. In addition, human resources carries the significant responsibility of keeping employees motivated and engaged — achieved through continuing education courses and other training opportunities designed to keep employee skills relevant in a dynamic marketplace.

Due to the overall importance of the human resources department to organizational prosperity, periodic evaluations are essential. These evaluations allow executives to course-correct when improvements are needed to remain competitive. One such method is the SWOT analysis, which forms the basis of this report. The aim is to evaluate the HR attributes of a nonprofit organization located in Portland, Oregon — building on current strengths while offering feedback on how to mitigate existing weaknesses.

Organizational Overview

The nonprofit organization provides in-home skilled nursing care for fragile children and young adults. It leverages the skills of Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses to deliver critical services to these communities. The organization has a total of 77 employees, with the majority consisting of nurses who provide direct care to clients. There are 63 direct care nurses: 27% are Baby Boomers, 23% are Generation X, and 50% are Millennials; the organization currently has no Traditionalist employees. The administrative team is nearly evenly split, with 35% Baby Boomers, 30% Generation X, and 35% Millennials.

As a nonprofit, the organization relies heavily on a low-cost operating structure predicated on low expenses and high efficiencies. The organization is also relatively lean, which further reduces costs related to human capital and benefits (Mathis, 2014).

Strengths of the HR Department

From a strengths perspective, the organization boasts strong collaboration between HR and many of its other department leaders. This yields strong teamwork and efficiency, as the flow of HR-related information is consistent and personal. This collaboration also provides the HR department with constant feedback regarding leadership needs and broader HR concerns. Moreover, employee performance evaluations are conducted in a fair, unbiased, and ethical manner, giving management clear insights into career pathing and its impact on the organization as a whole.

As a nonprofit, the organization is in a unique position to offer competitive salaries and benefits — allowing it to compete for talent more effectively than many of its nonprofit peers and even some for-profit organizations. Through comparable compensation, the organization can set aside that element of the hiring decision and compete on the basis of intangible factors (Dessler, 2014). For a nonprofit, these intangibles are especially powerful: many candidates are drawn to roles where they can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Because this organization works directly with fragile children and young adults, new hires have a genuine opportunity to positively impact many individuals' futures.

Finally, as a nonprofit, the organization is not subject to many of the rigorous, profit-driven standards of for-profit institutions. Instead, it can focus on societal benefit rather than financial return, creating a more mission-centered operating environment. The organization has also earned consecutive "Best Place to Work" awards, reflecting a positive corporate culture that reinforces its hiring advantage.