The (Corporate) Social Network
It helps that not-for-profit sector is also changing, says Shiv Agrawal, CEO of ABC Consultants. With increasing chequebook philanthropy and foreign funding, NGOs realise they need to become more professional, ‘corporate’ even, in their strategising, accountability, results/rewards dynamics and general working. The TSP paper estimates, conservatively, that in 2006, the development sector received upwards of Rs 6,000 crore in foreign funds.
When donors pay, they also want to know where the money goes. “NGOs have, historically, focused on advocacy and government policy,” says Agrawal. “Now they’re becoming more action-oriented, setting targets for employees, looking at how much money and what kind of talent they can bring in. They even conduct performance evaluations.” Add to this the willingness to pay better for good workers, and this becomes an “exciting time” for people to foray into the non-profit world, adds Agrawal.
But NGOs today, particularly the large, better-run ones, are also choosy about whom they employ, says Jhaveri, adding: “They are looking for people with specific skill sets, many of which align with what transitioning corporate professionals can offer.” People with strong HR and managerial skills, experience in operations and project management, are in great demand.
Non-profits working in microfinance or social venture funds seek employees with a background in accounting, while those involved in cause-related marketing want people with branding, marketing, advertising, sales and promotions skills. And everyone wants well-networked individuals who can be invaluable fundraisers, and persuade their former corporate colleagues to open their purse strings. “Since they are now willing to pay reasonably well for employees, NGOs are always looking for top return on their investment,” says Balaji.
But it takes a certain kind of person to cross over. If you are looking for a financially-rewarding career, a job that enables business class travel, stay in luxury hotels and quarterly foreign holidays, the social sector is not for you. “You have to be driven by philanthropy, not see it as a by-product,” says Balaji.
For corporate professionals used to a quick turn-over — in work, funds and ideas — the slow pace of change in development can be frustrating. Seema Sood, who moved from the advertising agency Leo Burnett in 2007 to the Salaam Bombay Foundation as COO, and back to Burnett in August, offers a word of caution. Transition may be exciting, but not always sustainable, she says. After almost three years in Salaam Bombay, Sood discovered she was a strategist rather than a grassroots person.
She also discovered that “when you’re in the social sector, you’re fighting a system, and it becomes tiresome to keep up that fight”. Like-mindedness is another factor to keep in mind; in NGOs run by individuals, there is always the chance of a clash of personalities.
Her former organisation being short-staffed (as most NGOs are), Sood also found herself working late nights, weekends and holidays. “I was multitasking all the time, running projects, raising funds and such,” she says. “Some days my job list would run into five pages.” Clearly, working in the social sector can be fun and a good change for some, but no matter how many battles you have won in the boardroom, crossing over requires a different
kind of ability.
A small but growing number of professionals from India Inc today are turning to the development sector for their next, first job. It’s not just B-school grads opting for NGOs; Interest in the social sector appears spread across the board. Mid-level managers, with 12 or 15 years of experience, are going the way of the non-profit via casual volunteering, while CEO/CMDs are seeking comparably senior jobs in organisations, or becoming social entrepreneurs and starting something of their own.
“It’s not like the floodgates have opened and everyone’s rushing in,” says E Balaji, director and president of the placement agency MaFoi Randstad. “But with increasing awareness, many people from the corporate world are becoming socially conscious, and aware of not giving back enough to society. And they want to change that.”
For starters, most are amenable to substantial pay-cuts — between 20% and 50% is usually acceptable — and assure that having made the switch, they find their new position far more fulfilling than anything they’ve ever done. But desire, is just one factor.
As a 2007 white paper, entitled Crossing Over, by Third Sector Partners (TSP), which specialises in corporate-to-social sector headhunting, says: “Significant considerations surrounding family, finances and choice of work location form part of this guiding principle. Family support to change course, the mind-set to accept a comparatively smaller pay package... cultural acceptance and the ability to influence social change in a leadership role, will be significant drivers for a successful crossover.” Some may also add wanting out of the rat race and choosing a relatively relaxed pace of work to this list.
Despite these conditions, headhunters report a rather significant number of queries from people wanting to transition from the corporate to the development world. MaFoi Randstad has found positions for almost 40-50 people in the past year, at a robust rate of about three or four a month. “In sheer volumes, it’s not much, but we see it growing by an estimated 20-25 per cent every year,” adds Balaji. TSP has placed about 25 people in the past two years, all at the CXO level. Pari Jhaveri of TSP says she gets as many as 10-15 resumes and queries every day.
“It’s not like the floodgates have opened and everyone’s rushing in,” says E Balaji, director and president of the placement agency MaFoi Randstad. “But with increasing awareness, many people from the corporate world are becoming socially conscious, and aware of not giving back enough to society. And they want to change that.”
For starters, most are amenable to substantial pay-cuts — between 20% and 50% is usually acceptable — and assure that having made the switch, they find their new position far more fulfilling than anything they’ve ever done. But desire, is just one factor.
As a 2007 white paper, entitled Crossing Over, by Third Sector Partners (TSP), which specialises in corporate-to-social sector headhunting, says: “Significant considerations surrounding family, finances and choice of work location form part of this guiding principle. Family support to change course, the mind-set to accept a comparatively smaller pay package... cultural acceptance and the ability to influence social change in a leadership role, will be significant drivers for a successful crossover.” Some may also add wanting out of the rat race and choosing a relatively relaxed pace of work to this list.
Despite these conditions, headhunters report a rather significant number of queries from people wanting to transition from the corporate to the development world. MaFoi Randstad has found positions for almost 40-50 people in the past year, at a robust rate of about three or four a month. “In sheer volumes, it’s not much, but we see it growing by an estimated 20-25 per cent every year,” adds Balaji. TSP has placed about 25 people in the past two years, all at the CXO level. Pari Jhaveri of TSP says she gets as many as 10-15 resumes and queries every day.
It helps that not-for-profit sector is also changing, says Shiv Agrawal, CEO of ABC Consultants. With increasing chequebook philanthropy and foreign funding, NGOs realise they need to become more professional, ‘corporate’ even, in their strategising, accountability, results/rewards dynamics and general working. The TSP paper estimates, conservatively, that in 2006, the development sector received upwards of Rs 6,000 crore in foreign funds.
When donors pay, they also want to know where the money goes. “NGOs have, historically, focused on advocacy and government policy,” says Agrawal. “Now they’re becoming more action-oriented, setting targets for employees, looking at how much money and what kind of talent they can bring in. They even conduct performance evaluations.” Add to this the willingness to pay better for good workers, and this becomes an “exciting time” for people to foray into the non-profit world, adds Agrawal.
But NGOs today, particularly the large, better-run ones, are also choosy about whom they employ, says Jhaveri, adding: “They are looking for people with specific skill sets, many of which align with what transitioning corporate professionals can offer.” People with strong HR and managerial skills, experience in operations and project management, are in great demand.
Non-profits working in microfinance or social venture funds seek employees with a background in accounting, while those involved in cause-related marketing want people with branding, marketing, advertising, sales and promotions skills. And everyone wants well-networked individuals who can be invaluable fundraisers, and persuade their former corporate colleagues to open their purse strings. “Since they are now willing to pay reasonably well for employees, NGOs are always looking for top return on their investment,” says Balaji.
But it takes a certain kind of person to cross over. If you are looking for a financially-rewarding career, a job that enables business class travel, stay in luxury hotels and quarterly foreign holidays, the social sector is not for you. “You have to be driven by philanthropy, not see it as a by-product,” says Balaji.
For corporate professionals used to a quick turn-over — in work, funds and ideas — the slow pace of change in development can be frustrating. Seema Sood, who moved from the advertising agency Leo Burnett in 2007 to the Salaam Bombay Foundation as COO, and back to Burnett in August, offers a word of caution. Transition may be exciting, but not always sustainable, she says. After almost three years in Salaam Bombay, Sood discovered she was a strategist rather than a grassroots person.
She also discovered that “when you’re in the social sector, you’re fighting a system, and it becomes tiresome to keep up that fight”. Like-mindedness is another factor to keep in mind; in NGOs run by individuals, there is always the chance of a clash of personalities.
Her former organisation being short-staffed (as most NGOs are), Sood also found herself working late nights, weekends and holidays. “I was multitasking all the time, running projects, raising funds and such,” she says. “Some days my job list would run into five pages.” Clearly, working in the social sector can be fun and a good change for some, but no matter how many battles you have won in the boardroom, crossing over requires a different
kind of ability.
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