Global Refuge, a national nonprofit organization that has welcomed and empowered refugees since 1939 partnered with Xelerate to navigate significant staffing increases essential for its growth. Our deep industry knowledge and flexible recruitment strategies allowed Global Refuge to effectively scale operations, ensuring the organization could meet its expanded mission requirements.

Background

Global Refuge provides critical services to vulnerable populations, a mission that requires a dedicated and specialized workforce. As the organization transitioned to offering more direct services, their need for qualified personnel, especially clinical social workers, increased dramatically. Tracee Sinclair, Director of Talent Acquisition at Global Refuge, faced the challenging task of nearly doubling the staff—from 100 to 250 licensed clinical social workers and other employees—to support this strategic shift.

Challenge

The expansion required both increasing the number of employees and ensuring that these individuals met the specific qualifications and standards necessary for work in a nonprofit that deals with vulnerable groups. This staffing challenge was made even more difficult by the need to adhere to strict hiring guidelines and the fluctuating nature of funding and service demands typical in the nonprofit sector.

The Xelerate Solution

Xelerate was chosen for our reputation and proven ability to handle complex recruitment demands under tight constraints. The recruitment strategy the Xelerate team implemented included:

1. Industry-Specific Expertise: Xelerate leveraged its comprehensive understanding of the nonprofit and social services sectors to identify and attract candidates who were not only qualified but also deeply aligned with Global Refuge’s mission and values.
2. Adaptive Recruitment Processes: Understanding the dynamic nature of nonprofit staffing needs, Xelerate designed a flexible recruitment model that could rapidly scale up or down, allowing Global Refuge to respond swiftly to changes in service demand and funding.

Implementation

Xelerate’s approach was multifaceted:

• Strategic Recruitment Planning: Working closely with Global Refuge, Xelerate developed a recruitment plan that aligned with both immediate needs and long-term goals, ensuring sustainability in staffing.
• Targeted Talent Acquisition: Xelerate employed targeted sourcing strategies to find candidates within specific fields, such as clinical social work, who met the rigorous standards required for the roles.
• Flexible Engagement Model: Xelerate’s nimble structure allowed Global Refuge to utilize recruitment services as needed, maximizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Results

The collaboration between Xelerate and Global Refuge generated outstanding outcomes:

• Successful Staffing Surge: The employee base at Global Refuge expanded from 100 to 250, meeting the increased demands of their expanded services effectively.
• High-Quality Recruitment: The candidates sourced and hired through Xelerate met the high standards required, contributing positively to Global Refuge’s operations and service delivery where previous external recruitment solutions had failed.
• Operational Flexibility: Global Refuge now benefits from a recruitment system that can be adjusted quickly based on their current needs and financial resources, providing them with a crucial operational advantage.

Conclusion

Through strategic partnership with Xelerate, Global Refuge successfully navigated a critical transition period, effectively doubling its workforce with qualified professionals. The organization also now enjoys a robust and flexible model perfectly designed to help them recruit on demand, as necessary.