Top tips for charity recruitment

At VAL, we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality recruitment administration to third sector organisations. Over the years, we've helped take the stress out of recruitment for a host of charities and voluntary organisations, allowing them to get back to doing good in communities! If you do want to take on your own recruitment, though, but don't know where to start, here are a few handy tips from the VAL YOU team to get you going;

1. Be detailed - including as much information as you can, such as salary, location and working pattern, ensures candidates can be as informed as possible when deciding to apply. Nobody wants to waste their time if the role just isn't right!
   

2. Be open - the recruitment process isn't a trick, it's not meant to catch people out; this is an opportunity for you to showcase your organisation in the best way possible and for a candidate to do the same. Therefore, if a candidate is shortlisted for an interview, be clear about:

   1. Are there any tests or activities they will need to do?

   2. How long will it take?

   3. You could even consider sending the interview questions in advance to help candidates prepare.

   We have received a lot of positive feedback for offering interview questions beforehand; candidates have told us that they felt more relaxed and confident, which results in a better experience for everyone! It is also more accessible for candidates with learning disabilities, autism and anxiety.
   

3. Create a positive experience - receiving a rejection about a job is never nice, but being quick to send the response, offering insightful feedback, and sending a real email can be the difference between a candidate wanting to apply for other positions within your organisation or being turned off completely. We've found that calling candidates offers a personal touch and leads to them viewing the organisation in a positive light.
   

4. Utilise paid and free advertising options- there are lots of paid-for job advertising sites, but make sure you also don't overlook the free options! Sites such as Indeed and LinkedIn offer free posting packages, and remember to check any membership benefits you have! NAVCA members can post jobs for free on their website, and VAL's Essential Subscriber programme includes free jobs on Doing Good Leeds. If you have a finance or accountancy job based in West Yorkshire, make sure to post on WYCAS for free too. And of course, in 2025, make the most out of your social media platforms. Use hashtags, emojis, catchy images, and tag people to encourage reshares! ✅
   

5. Build in recruitment costs into your funding budget. Still not sure where to start with recruitment and applying for funding? Remember to build in the cost to your bid and let someone else take away the headache. Get the right person with less stress and more support!
   

How VAL YOU can help you with your recruitment

The VAL YOU recruitment team provide an affordable recruitment administration service created exclusively for charities and third sector organisations. Our friendly team has a wealth of experience and is on hand to support your organisation through the end-to-end recruitment process, from advertisement and promotion to supporting the interview process.

Prices start at the affordable price of £675 +VAT.

You can find what's included in our packages by emailing recruitment@val.org.uk or call us on 0113 2977 920.​