Have you ever thought about what it is like to work for you? How about ways to improve the hiring process and level the playing field? Surabhi Jain has. Her recent posting for a program manager got a lot of attention on linked in and attracted countless qualified candidates.

In today’s challenging climate, when demand for services is has gone up, resources have gone down and over half of our workforce is planning to move one, you might want to learn from this example and consider how you might work to attract great people for your team.

Today Surabhi is here to join us in conversation and we are going to be talking about transparent and open hiring practices.

Surabhi is the Executive Director of the Toronto Workforce Funders Collaborative. She a leader in the social impact sector with nearly 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing employment and skills development programs. She has worked closely with Fortune 500 companies to help them change racially biased hiring practices. At the same time, she has engaged in capacity building for the non-profit sector to change systems.

Surabhi's lived experiences have afforded her a unique perspective on transformative systems change. She brings experiences from the workplace, from her travels, and from her childhood that have shaped her understanding of community, leadership, and human development.

If you were on linked in a couple of months ago you may have seen her job posting for a program manager. This job post got a lot of attention because it was extremely transparent, the hiring process was outlined in detail, including salary of course and even a section on what it is like to work with her.

Here is a small taste of Surabhi’s job posting:

“I’d like to think that I am the best supervisor/manager out there but that is not true. You will likely have worked or will work with someone better than me. I am a hands-off manager who likes to connect with their staff at least once a week so we can each share what we are working on. I am a stickler for deadlines and appreciate a heads up when things will be turned in late. I am huge on relationship building and will work to ensure you and I can work together well. I value work-life balance and do not expect you to work past your identified working hours. I am focused on you getting your work done and less on the number of hours you put into your work. Quality of work over quantity of work is very important for me. I want to work with someone who can push back on my ideas, offer critical and diverse perspectives, and values challenging conversations. We can agree to disagree but need to represent a joint front for the organization. I’m happy to provide references of individuals I have worked with in the past so you can get a sense of my style of working. “

Thank you so much Surabhi for joining us in conversation. I could talk to you all day! And folks do get in touch with Surabhi if you would like her to take a look at your job posting. You can email her at sj@workforcecollaborative.ca.

Thank you for making this a priority in your day. Please remember to like, review and share this podcast. Let’s keep inviting more people into the circle. See you next time.

How do you feel about working with corporate funders. Some people love it, some people head for the hills and try to avoid sponsorship.

Suzy Wilcox loves corporate fundraising and the unique partnerships they are engaged in at Evergreen Canada.

Suzy has a mix of non-profit, consulting and corporate experience. She loves how fundraising can help bring big, complex ideas to life. For over twenty-five years she has worked and volunteered with a range of organizations. A common thread throughout her work is building strong partnerships that make a positive difference in and with communities.

After graduating from Princeton University, Suzy worked in Marketing and Development at several US arts organizations, including the American Dance Festival and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She earned her MBA at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management before working in research, project management, and client relations at the renowned Toronto sponsorship agency Arts & Communications.

While at Arts & Communications, she analyzed and developed corporate philanthropy and sponsorship programs. She was then recruited by Air Canada to be a Marketing Manager, before moving to Aeroplan in partner relations, primarily with the CIBC Aerogold VISA program. Starting in 2004, Suzy worked for 15 years as a Senior Associate with NetGain Partners. As a NetGain consultant, she had the pleasure of working with a variety of non-profit clients, including MOCA Toronto, Centre of Learning & Development, City of Toronto, and Canada’s National Ballet School, helping them with strategic planning and fundraising. Since 2020 Suzy has led Evergreen’s fundraising team, working to enable cities that are livable, green and prosperous.

When not working, Suzy hangs out with her family, dances, swims, and tends her wild garden. She used to be a mime but decided the rope and the wall could only get her so far.

In this episode Suzy shares how her organization is changing the way they build partnerships with corporations, volunteers, staff and community to advance trust based philanthropy.

Thank you for joining us. I hope you are inspired to rethink how you build relationships with your funders and your volunteers. Please remember to like, share or review this podcast. Let’s keep widening the circle and inviting more people into the conversation.

Can you imagine getting three full PAID months off of work (not including your vacation days!) to take time off to rest, reflect and rejuvenate?

Today I am thrilled to invite Renee Krysko into conversation about the value of paid sabbaticals. Renee and I talk about the importance of how taking time to put herself first serves her family, her community and helped her excel at her job.

Renée has a passion for people and creating connections. After serving Yellowstone 2 Yukon (Y2Y) as communications manager for four years, Renée moved into the role of donor relations manager, then director of donor relations, where her strong communications skills enable her to forge important relationships with Y2Y supporters.

Prior to Y2Y, Renée worked with academics and company leaders to develop communications strategies and community relations programs. Born and raised in Alberta, and as a skier, hiker and cyclist the Yellowstone to Yukon region is both her home and her playground.

In today’s episode Renee shares the benefits of her sabbatical and how she carries forward her own self care practices and went back to work with a new perspective.

I’m so grateful to Renee for joining us in conversation and thank you for making this a priority in your day.

Please remember to like, review and share this podcast. Let’s keep welcoming more people into conversation.