1. Ashoka. Home of the changemakers
Careers for Changemakers
How social entrepreneurs can get the best talent
Research Paper, February 2013
by Dennis Hoenig-Ohnsorg and Felix Oldenburg
Many job seekers, lots of leverage
§ Joscha (names have not been changed) is
26 and has everything that employers in the
business world are looking for. But he has
other ideas: he wants to establish a centre
for social entrepreneurs in Munich. He has
asked himself, "Should I leave the secure
career path after more than a year at the
company? What will this mean for my life
and career? What will be the outcome of this
decision to go against social career norms?
§ Achim is 44. After many years in a senior
position at a large industrial company, he
has asked himself if there are alternative
careers in which he can do more to
implement his social ideals. But how can he
find such alternatives at all, or they him? And
what will they bring him?
§ Christine is 42 and a mother. After a long
break, she is returning to work. She is
looking for flexible working hours and is less
interested in money but keen to do
something meaningful. Where she can not
only help out, but actually take responsibility
and make a difference?
§ Carol is 59 and has spent the last year in
"passive semi-retirement". During her
working life at various companies, she was
responsible for major projects and for re-
establishing various fields. She has become
more socially committed in recent years. If
she now develops that further, she doesn't
just want to be employed. She would now
like to take the opportunity to go her own
way. Where can she learn how to do that?
Page 1 Ashoka thesis paper "Career paths"
2. There are lots of people just like Joscha and the
others. At the same time, many startups and
managing directors of social organizations
complain that the lack of access to specialist and
executive personnel prevents them from bringing
their ideas to fruition. The result: millions of
people will not benefit from their innovations in
education, integration, environmental protection
and health, as long as career seekers are not
connected to career providers beyond the
sector's boundaries.
About a third of people in Germany are indeed
committed volunteers, but the best social
innovation also needs people who see its
development as their career focus – and not only
those who have always worked there with the
appropriate training, but also the talent that would
otherwise most likely end up in the private sector.
Finding new career paths for Joscha, Achim,
Christine and Carola is perhaps the biggest factor
for the growth of good social ideas in Germany.
How job seekers decide and why social
entrepreneurs fit in
And so it is for these four and many others: they
can certainly find engagement in social
enterprises, but hardly the kind of career path
that makes the most of their talents, experience
and organizational skills while also offering
professionalism and security.
According to a representative survey carried out
by Ashoka and McKinsey, these individuals also
represent the four career moments when most
people ask themselves similarly pertinent
questions about activities with a positive social
and traditionally towards the end of their careers
in preparation for the next active phase of life.
And then there are the hidden potentials found
among those returning to the work force or other
dedicated individuals not in regular employment.
One of the findings: 39% of people would not
want to work in a job that is not meaningful.
37% might even change to a job in the social
sector.
// Background to the survey // In July 2012, Ashoka and
McKinsey surveyed 1,767 people aged 18-80 with a
completed high school education about their
preferences in choosing a career. The sample is
representative of the German online population of 65.2
million people. The survey was implemented by a
leading market research company in a controlled online
process.
So the supply and demand are there. Why
haven't these two been linked? The survey
provides important clues to this. If you compare
the total social sector with other sectors in terms
of attractiveness, it is clear: 91% of Germans
know the social sector, and it is as well known as
the public sector and industry. But only 60%
know about career opportunities in the social
sector. In the public sector and industry, the
figure reaches 76%. And only 8% are looking for
a position in the social sector compared to 19%
in the public sector and 29% in the private sector.
How the social sector as a whole loses interested parties
Page 2 Ashoka thesis paper "Career paths"
3. Why is that?
Firstly, they do not know enough. Over 50% of
people wanted more information on careers in
the social sector, and a third would have liked a
brand or label for "jobs with meaning".
Secondly, most of those interested also wanted
good further training opportunities and career
prospects in addition to the jobs being
meaningful. When viewed from the outside, this
is exactly what they believe will not find in the
social sector.
And thirdly, they presume that the salary level
offered would not be sufficient. 63% would not
change to a lower income, so this is an important
veto factor. However, respondents didn't know
what they could actually earn compared to other
career options. In fact, most salaries in social
organizations today are based on earnings in the
public sector (typical entry-level earnings are
€25,000 to €35,000, executives will earn €45,000
to €80,000).
Social entrepreneur as employers
Social entrepreneurs are people who, in a bid to solve a social problem, develop a new idea and establish
organizations to disseminate it. They have always existed, but have only been systematically established and
promoted more recently in Germany. Their scope is broad: they work on issues from education to
environmental protection, regional to global, and their organizations range from the very small to the
manageable.
A small group of 45 leading social entrepreneurs is sponsored by Ashoka. Around 500 employees work in their
organizations and they will create 100 to 200 new jobs over the next three years. They are primarily looking for
professionals with several years experience (53%), and good networkers (40%), but don't call on professional
employment agencies much (20%) or online networks (33%), instead recruiting more from their immediate
environment (73%). One reason for this is that personality is often more important than the CV.
For example, Ashoka Fellow, Sandra Schürmann, helps young unemployed people break a cycle defined by a
lack of prospects. There are 38 salaried and 65 freelancer workers at the Projektfabrik GmbH charity in Witten.
"We work with young people to give them new perspectives on life by practicing with them the art of
accepting and enduring fields of tension. At the same time, we strive to get people to openly shape
these fields of tension. To achieve this, we do not primarily need professionals but people who
actually implement this from self-knowledge."
As employers, social entrepreneurs often have to achieve a balancing act: they require a good deal of
commitment from people who could also pursue better-paying career paths. Consequently, development
opportunities are so much more important, such as space for own projects (93%), coaching processes (60%)
or even studying alongside their job (47%). Some have even managed to become a talent magnet for
established entrepreneurial personalities.
Ashoka Fellow Till Behnke is one of them. He brings transparency into the donations sector with
betterplace.org, and currently has 17 full-time employees at his charity organisation gut.org in Berlin.
"Our employees are always co-entrepreneurs because they bring, and indeed invest, their talents
and skills in our social mission, even though they could obviously earn more in another position. In
addition, like most online startups, we would probably have failed if we had not managed to get very
experienced leaders from the business community to commit fully and become social entrepreneurs."
Page 3 Ashoka thesis paper "Career paths"
4. Nevertheless it is interesting to consider a group
of organizations that have only become visible in
the social sector in the last ten years – the
organizations of social entrepreneurs. They have
been set up with the aim of solving a social
problem. With their ambitions for growth and their
dynamic, they are more akin to startups than
major social service providers. Although their
names are less well known than the latter, they
are rated quite differently by the respondents
when they’re described using the example of
'Dialog im Dunkeln' (Dialogue in the Dark) from
social entrepreneur and Ashoka Fellow Prof. Dr.
Andreas Heinecke. While the established social
service providers are generally well known, only
a fraction of respondents would submit a job
application to them. Conversely, significantly
more would apply to work with the social
enterprises once they learnt more about them.
It is therefore worthwhile going a step deeper in
the analysis, from general interest in a sector to
determining an actual decision driver for
applications. Respondents rated a network of
like-minded people, recognition and personal
meaningfulness for traditional jobs in the social
sector very highly (at least 4 on a scale of 1-5).
Social enterprises can add to this attractiveness:
Here you are working more like a freelancer in
small units and with direct responsibility, which
respondents also considered a highly attractive
feature. Therefore, if they had a higher profile,
careers in social enterprises would be very highly
sought after!
Social AND self-employed – the ideal combination?
Question: To what extent does this characteristic affect jobs in the social sector/for the self-employed?
Page 4 Ashoka thesis paper "Career paths"
5. The Mission: Build road signs, highways and entry ramps
A traditional career path is a lot like travelling down the highway. There are a number of signs to direct
you at the conclusion of your studies. Once you’ve commenced your journey, you can predict the best
route to follow to reach your destination – give or take a few lane changes along the way.
The social enterprise career path is presently less well mapped, easily accessible or predictable.
Nevertheless, if you combine the insights of market research with the personal experiences of
professionals and experts, one key point is made clear – namely that career paths in social enterprises
need to be linked to the so-called “highways” of conventional careers. This process requires three key
activities:
Firstly, the sector requires signs that clearly show the paths of entry and exit. This means receiving
guidance on career portals or from quality seals and well-known brands. Even more important to this
activity are those role models who have already demonstrated how it’s possible for anybody to leave the
traditional carrier path while still retaining a feeling of job and income security.
Secondly, pioneers should expect well-developed roads once they make the exit and not muddy tracks.
In other words, social entrepreneurs shouldn’t be poor employers using the excuse that they are already
‘doing enough good’. On the contrary, they should provide working environments with good
management, training and security. Otherwise word will soon get out that taking the exit may not be
worth the risk.
Thirdly, many people will only leave the established career route if they know they can return to it again
later. This is why a career with a social enterprise cannot be seen as a dead end, and former employers
cannot be left with the impression that any period spent with a social enterprise is a waste of time for
talented employees. Because it is in this new capacity that individuals win key skills, such as creativity,
entrepreneurship and partner management – the kind of skills for which many organizations purchase
expensive courses, with titles like "intrepreneurship" and "change competence", to train their employees.
And that's still not enough. Social entrepreneurs who want the best for their organisation need to
understand their new employees’ needs precisely, and this varies depending on the age of the
prospective intake. Here are some important parameters to help in the procurement process:
Young professionals tend to require particularly clear career paths with good prospects in a friendly
environment and suitable offers to support their future career. For 36% of them, working in the social
sector is fundamentally interesting, but only 4% would currently look for a job there. For this
demographic, a career network of like-minded people is of real interest – one that can provide them with
more information, role models and the chance of working in a job with meaning.
People in the middle of their career (Mid-Careers) prefer well-known and meaningful posts where they
can see opportunities for further development. The security of the offered position is important to them,
along with a good associated level of pay. 34% in this group would consider a job in the social sector,
but just 5% would actively seek out such an opportunity. To raise the potential for managers in this area,
temporary project assignments in social enterprises are important, as are recruitment agencies that
specialize in the placement of permanent positions at social enterprises.
People at the end of their careers (End-Careers) with more than 20 or more years working experience
are primarily interested in positions that are socially recognized and intellectually demanding. They too
wish to continue their self-development. When they retire, they are also happy to rethink their payment
structure. For 27% of them, working in the social sector is in principle appealing, but only 2% would
apply today. For this target group, an orientation program is important to give them the opportunity to
consider the “career step after the career”.
People who are not currently employed are most attracted to positions offering opportunities for
development and training. They look for a secure wage as they return to the workforce, along with fair
working environments in a position that is meaningful for them. 25% can imagine working in the social
sector, but only 3% would submit an application today. Here public support and individually tailored
counselling programs are the best mechanisms to attract those interested in a career at a social
6. enterprise.
Page 5 Ashoka thesis paper "Career paths"
Illustration: Christopher J waiter / studio nova animal
Three road construction projects for new career paths
Project 1:
Professionalising the engagement of young people: The Program “Engagement with Perspective” (PEP)
(Launched in summer 2012 with currently five fellows and about 150 young representatives from 70
initiatives. More at www.pep-deutschland.de)
It’s the same old story: Many young people only have the time and freedom to engage with the
community while they’re studying. Some who Ashoka accompanied during a youth initiative period have
even gone on to establish their own organizations. But the real moment of truth arrives when it is time to
start their first proper job. It is then that many world changers choose the path of the conventional
career. And only a handful of organizations that are designed not only for young people but also by
young people are able to build sustainable structures for the further development of their cause.
This is not a coincidence. Established funding and scholarship programs reward young people for the
high grades they’ve achieved in the past – a process geared towards preparing them for traditional
employers. EEP has a different focus. Here, those who apply are dedicated young people with a high
personal potential for the future. SAP and pilot partner Ashoka then support the professionalization of
their social engagement with scholarships, training and funding.
The first positive results have already been achieved, "Now I can invest my time professionalizing my
project instead of doing a nine to five," says Nuray Karaca, initiator of the award-winning mentoring
program "Crossing Bridges".
A strong partner network is envisioned to support hundreds of socially engaged individuals as they
professionalize their own projects, and at the same time integrate established incentive programs to
support even more fellowship recipients.
7. Page 6 Ashoka thesis paper "Career paths"
Project 2:
Headhunter for a good cause: The Talents4Good personnel agency
(Established in December 2012. More under www.talents4good.org )
If it’s already difficult for young people to turn their commitment to society into a profession, how hard is
it then for people in mid-career who’ve been on the conventional career highway for so long? But what if
you could give those individuals the same professional support that brings top managers to the right
post?
Entrepreneur and investor Marco Janezic posed this question during talks at the Ashoka Support
Network just two years ago and received an answer that kept him busy for several months.
Talents4Good is the first recruitment agency for job openings carrying social impact. What was once
offered only to corporations looking for new management personnel is now available to social
entrepreneurs.
“I’ve been tracking the development of Ashoka Fellows over the years and noted that they often lacked
access to the right talent to strengthen their teams and increase their impact. But we want to do more
than just place individuals. We want to create a cultural change. The career move into social
entrepreneurship should be normal. Maybe one day there’ll be someone with Changemaker experience
sitting on the board of every DAX company,” says Talents4Good cofounder Janezic.
Carola von Peinen and Anna Roth-Bunting are the two founding managing directors, and they are
committed to doing more than just replicating existing human resource models. Alongside
“Career4Good”, which focuses on permanent placements, they intend to establish a “Project4Good”
service. Since the themes of social innovation and intrapreneurship are playing an increasingly
important role for human resource development within large companies, the Agency plans to organize
‘sojourns’ for managers at mid-career level to join innovative social enterprises for a period of several
months.
Project 3
Next Generators: The experienced entrepreneurs pilot program
(Pilot project, BMFSFJ-funded feasibility study underway)
A great deal of undiscovered potential could be held by those who read job ads but who may not
consider the opening for themselves. This ‘engagement potential’ is particularly present among people
who are on the verge of, or who are already in, retirement. Such individuals have a wealth of experience
and extensive knowledge to bring to social entrepreneurs and their teams. After all, not everybody wants
to rest in retirement: 34% of currently employed workers aged between 45 - 65 years can imagine
continuing to work even after the legal retirement age, and many more look forward to spending more
time engaging with the community. Nevertheless, so far hardly anyone has succeeded in setting such
civic-minded individuals on an “Engagement Career” path.
This is where the EBS Business School and Ashoka come into play. They are currently testing a
program to prepare senior citizens nearing retirement age for a self-determined, socially entrepreneurial
path of community engagement. The idea is to firstly organise events at the firms of these individuals
where they are asked to reflect on their transitional situation, and then on their dreams and ideas for
social change. Afterwards employees with a concrete idea can apply as an "experience entrepreneur",
and for a year can spend nearly half their remaining working hours on the development of their project –
either with the aim of establishing their own enterprise or as members of existing organizations.
One example is the “Encore Careers” – careers after retirement – started off by American Ashoka
Fellow Marc Freedman, which has meanwhile developed into a popular movement. He believes that,
8. “For many, this stage of life gives people the chance to finally do what they’ve always wanted to do. If
we succeed in giving one hundred thousand people ten long years to conduct Encore Careers, then
that’s one million man-years for organizations that want to create a better world”.
Page 7 Ashoka thesis paper "Career paths"
About the Authors: Dennis Hoenig-Ohnsorg is Head of New Projects and Felix Oldenburg, CEO at
Ashoka Germany – the largest funding organization for social entrepreneurs.
Fellow contributors: Ashoka-McKinsey team with Dennis Hoenig-Ohnsorg, Rainer Holl, Felix Oldenburg
(Ashoka) and Dr. Patrick Beitel, Jan Hugenroth, Marcel Normann (McKinsey). Thanks McKinsey &
Company for the pro bono study, market research and the many experts who have contributed,
including Prof. Dr. Markus Beckmann (Leuphana University), Prof. Dr. Andreas Heinecke (EBS, Ashoka
Fellow), Markus Hipp (BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt), Christian Hirsch (Civitas Recruiters) Norbert
Kunz (iq consult, Ashoka Fellow), Dr. Brigitte Lammers (Egon Zehnder International), Heinz-Otto
Mezger (Randstad Foundation), Prof. Steven Ney (Jacobs University), Prof. Dr. Hans Fleisch (Federal
Association of German Foundations), Sandra Schürmann (Projektfabrik, Ashoka Fellow), Susanne
Theisen (McKinsey & Company), Prof. Barbara check (BonVenture and University of Hamburg), Oliver
Best (FoundersLink), Sophia von Rundstedt (Rundstedt & Partner HR Consulting), Frank Trümper
(Baden-Baden Conference), Roland Krueger (Generali Insurance Group).
Responsible for the content: Ashoka Germany gGmbH | Managing Director: Konstanze Frischen, Oda
Heister, Felix Oldenburg | Business Address: Prinzregentenplatz 10, 81675 Munich | Location:
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