Insights from our analysis of senior and executive level roles advertised roles in 2024 indicate a more measured and cautious approach to recruitment decisions during the lead up to the general election, as nonprofit organisations awaited the formation of a new government.  

Q4 2024 Nonprofit Talent Trends 

Post-election, in Q4 2024, our latest analysis of recruitment activity in the Irish nonprofit sector evidences an increase in the number of senior management opportunities being advertised versus Q4 of the previous year. Through assessment of a range of websites and job platforms, 2into3 has identified a 12% increase in senior-level management roles from Q4 2023 to Q4 2024, with the number of job postings catalogued rising from 254 to 284. 

Similarly, the number of organisations advertising roles has grown by 3%, from the previous year’s 180 in Q4, to this quarter’s 186. This suggests a positive hiring trend, with more roles being offered and more organisations participating in the job market. 

Activity by Subsector 

In Q4 2024, alike previous years, the trend of organisations advertising roles anonymously remained present. As 29 of the 186 organisations who advertised were anonymous, the below breakdown of roles by subsector is based on 157 known organisations. 

Roles by Subsector 

The Environment sector experienced growth, with roles increasing by 300% (1 in Q4 2023 to 4 in Q4 2024), likely driven by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which came into effect in 2023 and mandates enhanced sustainability reporting starting in 2025 for the financial year 2024. Similarly, the Health sector continued its upward trajectory, with a steady 9% increase in roles, rising from 33 in Q4 2023 to 36 Q4 2024, signalling a persistent demand for healthcare professionals.  

The Professional and Vocational sector also saw an increase, with roles increasing by 125% (from 4 in Q4 2023 to 9 in Q4 2024). This growth indicates a rising need for specialised talent in this field. Meanwhile, the Social Services sector experienced a 39% increase, with roles rising from 75 in Q4 2023 to 104 in Q4 2024, underscoring a robust demand for professionals in this essential area.  

In contrast, the Arts, Culture, and Media sector saw a decline of 50% (6 roles in Q4 2023 to 3 in Q4 2024) and religious organisations also saw a decline of 80% (decreasing from 10 in Q4 2023 to just 2 in Q4 2024), which may suggest diminishing demand for positions in these sectors.  

These trends highlight a diverse and dynamic recruitment landscape, with growth in Environment, Health, and Social Services, while Arts, Culture & Media and Religion experienced a reduction in demand.  

Activity by Role Function 

The data reveals a marked increase in the need for those in Service Delivery & Operational Management positions. This skillset saw a dramatic rise from 37% of roles advertised in Q4 2023 to 58% of roles advertised in Q4 2024, signalling a clear organisational focus on improving operational efficiency and delivery.   

Interestingly, the demand for CEO/Executive Director positions halved, from 12% in Q4 2023 to 6% in Q4 2024, suggesting that there is less movement of CEOs in the sector, resulting in a more competitive landscape for recruiting individuals with this skillset.  

Activity by Income Type 

Excluding those where such information was not available, either because the role was posted anonymously, or the organisation does not disclose their income; noteworthy findings were made regarding the income of 145 known organisations. Of those, 46 (32%) organisations have an annual income of over €10 million, while 37 (25.5%) organisations have an annual income of less than €1 million. 

Observations 

In Q4 2024, the overall number of job posting has increased versus Q4 2023, with sectors such as Environment, Health, Social Services, and Professional & Vocational seeing growth, driven by rising demand for specialised talent and a focus on sustainability and healthcare. Sectors such as Arts, Culture & Media and Religion have seen a decline in activity versus Q4 2023, suggesting a potential slowdown in demand for roles within these areas.  

Overall, the nonprofit sector landscape remains dynamic, reflecting changing priorities and needs across the sector, and we are seeing signs of a positive hiring trend in 2025.  

Our Talent team record senior roles in the nonprofit sector, producing quarterly findings. If you’d like to view our previous quarterly talent trends, visit our webpage here, or to discuss these findings further, please contact Shannon Barrett, Head of Talent Services at shannon.barrett@2into3.com.  

After receiving new funding or realigning your strategy, your organisation may require additional resources to deliver its mission, vision and values. If your organisation is ready to expand your team strategically, here are 5 tips to take into consideration.

1. Assess and Refine

When developing a new job description, be sure to lead with your vision, mission, and values. Keep these key factors front of mind when scoping out role requirements to ensure that you attract individuals who possess the capabilities to address identified gaps and drive success.
Particularly, if you have recently taken a collaborative approach to the future of your organisation through developing a Strategic Plan or Organisational Review, now is the perfect time to define the specific skills and experience needed to complement your existing team.

2. Resource Allocation

Oftentimes, organisations can underestimate the cost associated with undertaking the recruitment process internally. Consider the costs associated with recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing salaries when reviewing your financial resources, and determine a realistic budget for team expansion. Furthermore, ensure you set a realistic timeline for how long the process will take – including the opportunity cost of working on the recruitment process, as opposed to other internal priorities. Plan for future growth beyond immediate needs and consider roles that can scale and adapt alongside your expanding organisation.

3. Consider External Support

After you’ve outlined your resources, you may find that time limitation is a concern. If you’re seeking a hands-off approach to growing your team, our Talent Services team provide an end-to-end recruitment process that is committed to more than just filling roles.

We seek to ensure that all candidates placed by our team succeed within their new roles and believe when a candidate is successful in their role, it allows the organisation to succeed in its mission. In 2023, we successfully filled 31 roles for a range of social impact organisations. Of those, a handful were filled in partnership with established HR teams who struggled to fill a role directly and approached us due to our track record of sourcing strong candidates. These organisations invested in our services to utilise our extensive network in the social impact space and to minimise any further loss of internal resources.

4. Nurturing Graduate Talent

The investment for experienced employees can sometimes be prohibitive. Instead, hiring a graduate on a 12-month contract can provide you with cost-effective access to skilled labour without the long-term financial commitment. The time you invest in managing and mentoring them on their path to self-sufficiency can have significant rewards.

We launched the For Purpose Social Impact Graduate Programme as we see the benefit of nurturing early career professionals. Hiring a graduate allows you to hire for potential and build your team over time, benefiting your organisation long-term. In 2023, 65% of our graduates remained within their organisation upon the completion of the programme and have since moved into more senior roles. Therefore, nurturing emerging graduate talent can lead to the creation of a strong and diverse team in the long-term.

5. Foster a Seamless Onboarding Experience

Successful onboarding fosters a sense of belonging and sets the stage for long-term success. Develop a robust onboarding programme that incorporates a warm welcome and sets clear expectations. Additionally, try to assign a member of your team to provide onboarding training – it’s important to ensure your new team member is valued and supported from the outset.

By following these steps, you will be taking the first steps to building a strategic, high-performing team that surpasses expectations and contributes significantly to your organisation’s success.

Require further assistance?

If you’re considering expanding your team, but require support in doing so, contact Shannon Barrett, Head of Talent Services at shannon.barrett@2into3.com or visit here for more information.

The latest snapshot of senior recruitment activity in the Irish nonprofit sector shows a notable increase in the number of senior management opportunities being advertised. There was a total of 284 senior level roles identified by 2into3’s analysis of the market in Q2 2024, which is an increase of approximately 30% from 219 roles in Q2 2023. This shows a return to the scale of roles identified in prior years such as the 270 roles identified in Q2 of 2022.  

 The number of organisations actively recruiting this quarter rose by 17% compared to the previous year, rising from 168 to 197. 

Activity by Subsector

As 19 of the 197 organisations who advertised were anonymous, the below breakdown of roles by subsector is based on 178 organisations.  

Alike Q2 2023, Social Services organisations represented the largest subsector in terms of activity, however the number of roles has increased, constituting 36% of the breakdown compared to a previous 30%. With the increase in activity of Social Services organisations, we can see a small decline in the following biggest subsectors; Health (15%) and Local Development & Housing (12%).  

Activity by Role Type

Service Delivery & Operational Management roles were by far the most advertised in Q2 2024, with 142 of the roles, significantly ahead of the second most popular, Finance (49) and Fundraising & Business Development (27). It is interesting to note the jump in finance roles this quarter compared to Q2 2023. This could indicate more organisations making a shift toward in-house financial management, rather than outsourcing. 

The above graph outlines growth in the areas of Service Delivery & Operational Management, Communications, HR and Finance this quarter compared to Q2 2023. However, it also indicates decline compared to last year’s findings in the areas of Fundraising & Business Development, CEO/ Executive Director roles and Administration, Strategy & Governance. 

Activity by Income Type

Where such information was available, either because the role was posted anonymously or the organisation does not disclose their income, noteworthy findings were made regarding the income of 166 named organisations. 47 (28%) organisations have less than €1 million in annual income, 74 (45%) have an annual income of between €1 million to €10 million and 45 (27%) have an annual income of over €10 million.  

Role Functions

When looking at the types of roles being advertised, there was a certain level of consistency with Q2 2023 in percentage terms, with a few exceptions. 

Observations

The sector remains active and there continues to be an increasing demand for talent. Through our analysis, we can an see a growing number of recruitment services being used in the nonprofit sector and we can also see a drop in CEO roles compared to previous findings. As role demands to fluctuate and the level of anonymous roles continue to play a significant part of the data we capture, the non-profit sector remains an interesting study filled with curious developments. 

Get in touch

Our Talent Management Team records senior role activity in the nonprofit sector, producing quarterly findings. For more information on our Nonprofit Talent Trends, visit here , or contact Dennis O’Connor at dennis@2into3.com.