Just as the nonprofit organization is interviewing candidates, good candidates are interviewing the organization.  Here are nine things a nonprofit organization can do to attract top leadership.

1. Be responsive to the candidate’s questions and inquiries. At an early stage, everything the nonprofit organization does, or does not do, will convey meaning to the candidate.  Be professional and responsive.  The candidate is watching you.
   
   
2. Pay market or above market salary. This is easy to say but may be hard to do.  Be aware that the salary does make a difference in the caliber of candidates that you will attract.
   
   
3. Convey to candidates that they will be supported in the position.  If the candidate gets the feeling s/he will not have the support s/he needs for success, a good candidate will back out and you will only be left with those who either do not care or have limited career choices.
   
   
4. Have people who understand the position interview the candidate. For example if it is a fundraising position, have staff who understand fundraising help interview.  This would seem self-evident but often it is not.  An HR person and CEO might interview fundraising candidates without a real understanding of the fundraising process.  Interview questions will reflect this lack of understanding.  This is a turnoff to experienced fundraising candidates.
   
   
5. Have the nonprofit organization’s CEO or Board meet the top candidates.  Bring out the “big guns.” Have the CEO or board members meet the top candidates.  Show interest in them, everyone loves to be “romanced.”
   
   
6. Confirm financial stability.  Provide the candidate evidence of strong revenue streams (fundraising history, grants, contractual revenue, etc.).  Good candidates will back off if they get the sense that finances are shaky.
   
   
7. Show stability in employment.  Low turnover and long-time employees are a good sign to a candidate.
   
   
8. Have a strong, involved volunteer board.  Provide the board list to the candidates.  A strong board conveys that governance is in good hands.  Also, it demonstrates that the nonprofit has solid ties to the community and its resources.  It is a sign of a strong nonprofit.
   
   
9. Show off other capable staff.  Introduce the candidate to other strong staff members.  Impress him or her with other members of the team.

Perhaps the above is best summarized by the fact that candidates are looking to join a “winning team.”  Show that to candidates and you will attract the best staff.

A trusted source may tell me that a certain individual would be a “great fit” for the open position but this individual is not actively seeking a position (we call them “passive” candidates).  When I approach him or her, I am in a “recruiting” mode.  I simply try to activate interest in the position by the following:

1. Get an introductory meeting such as “having coffee.”
2. Establish rapport with him or her.
3. Provide good information about the hiring organization and position.
4. Seek out questions from the candidate that I can address about the position.
5. Strive for an outcome where the candidate is willing to take a “next step.” This may include a tour of the organization or a meeting with the organization’s CEO.

In a “recruiting mode”, I ask fewer questions about the candidate’s qualifications and stay away from difficult questions.  Only when I am aware that the candidate does have an active interest, do I ask for a resume.

On the other hand, in an “interviewing mode”, I do the following:

1. I spend the bulk of the interview going down the candidate’s background and qualifications.
2. I do not hesitate to ask difficult questions.

A recruiter has to be careful or we may find that we have been in a recruiting mode with a candidate and then suddenly this person becomes a top candidate for the position.  Yet no one has thoroughly gone down the individual’s qualifications and asked the tough questions.

This is where multiple interviews with other participants are invaluable. You may be in a recruiting mode that gets the candidate through the screening process.  However, once the candidate gets into semifinal and final interviews, their qualifications should be thoroughly vetted.

Bill Moran, The Moran Company, is an executive recruiter who specializes in searches for fundraising staff and executive directors. www.morancompany.com

1. Ask fundraising consultants.  Consultants spend their days working closely with a variety of development staff in many different settings.  They, better than anyone else, know the top fundraising staff.
2. Seek out the local fundraising chapter of the AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) or other fundraising association.  This will link you with the professional fundraising network; a great place to get recommendations on fundraising candidates.  Caveat: often top leadership in these chapters will recommend others who are also heavily involved in the chapter because those are the individuals they know.  Just because a person is active in the chapter does not mean they are effective fundraisers.  In fact, heavy involvement with the chapter may imply a frustration with day to day fundraising duties.
3. Seek out organizations that have a history of strong fundraising.  This will lead you to individuals who have been exposed to solid fundraising activities.  Caveat:  being exposed to a successful fundraising system does not necessarily mean that person is an effective fundraiser.  He or she may be ready to leave that organization because they do not meet its fundraising standards.
4. Hire a recruiter who has a fundraising background.  A recruiter’s fundraising experience allows them to interact with fundraising staff as a peer.  He or she knows the questions to ask to identify fundraising productivity and skills.

Bill Moran, The Moran Company, is an executive recruiter who specializes in searches for fundraising staff and executive directors. www.morancompany.com

But there are still ways to make good nonprofit hires.  Consider the following:

1. Find someone who has the skills and talent for the job but not the experience you would like.  You will have to invest in training.  (ex., a person looking to move into the field).
2. Find someone with a strong passion for your mission who willing to work for less pay.  (This may be a double-edge sword in that you may have a “fanatic” on your hands with strong ideas on how the organization should operate!)
3. Offer the ability to work from home.
4. Offer flex time; the ability to work according to their schedule.  (ex., coming in at noon and working after hours.)
5. Offer part-time work.

For example, as baby boomers move into retirement there are now millions of highly skilled individuals who:

• Have “retired” but want to stay in the work place doing something else.
• Want flexibility.
• Part time
• Would like to define work schedule and hours
• Want to be “productive” not “wealthy.”
• Want to “like the work” not “get ahead.”

As an employer, you will likely need to make adjustments and may end up with “nontraditional workers.”  Still, you can indeed hire good employees at below market compensation.

Bill Moran, The Moran Company, is an executive recruiter who specializes in searches for fundraising staff and executive directors. www.morancompany.com

1. Make Interim Arrangements for the Agency’s Management. The interim period between CEO’s is a difficult time, especially if the prior CEO left precipitously. The Board should not rush into a hasty decision for a replacement. Reasonable arrangements should be made for the management of the organization during the search process.

2. Form a Search Committee. The Board must have full ownership in the hiring process. However, Board members are not often equipped to identify and proactively pursue top nonprofit talent. A good combination is for a board committee to work closely with an executive search firm specializing in nonprofit searches.

3. Determine Your Nonprofit’s Needs. What are the unique circumstances that the new leadership will face? What are the knowledge, skills and other characteristics needed in this position? The Board and Search Firm Recruiter need to be on the same page. A written job description or search profile should be developed and approved.

4. Agree on a Search Process, Timetable and Salary Range. The Search Firm and Board Committee decide upon the geographic scope of the search, a timetable and a preliminary salary range. The Search Firm Recruiter may offer salary comparables to aid the discussion.

5. Decide how to Involve Key Staff. Key staff are kept informed of the process as it unfolds and, if possible, are involved in the process. Often, it is appropriate for the final candidates to meet with the staff.

6. Advertise the Position. The Search Firm Recruiter markets the position and seeks qualified applicants. A good recruiter uses face to face meetings and phone calls to respected nonprofit peers to seek out potential candidates. The best candidates are often those not looking to change employment. The position is also posted on nonprofit job boards, emails and other media.

7. Screen Applications. The Recruiter reviews all applications and decides which applicants to interview.

8. Conduct Screening Interviews. A series of short interviews are used to screen candidates. Often this is done by the Recruiter alone. It may be advisable to have individuals from the Search Committee participate in some screening interviews. The Recruiter may bring some promising candidates informally to members of the committee for review prior to final interviews.

9. Past Work Performance is Uncovered. Mediocre candidates can submit impressive resumes or even interview well. However, all candidates have a work history that will reveal their actual productivity. It is up to the Recruiter to uncover that record of productivity. This is done by informally speaking to the candidates’ past work associates and others who would have knowledge of his or her productivity.

10. Conduct Final Interviews. The Committee (and perhaps the Board as a whole) interviews the final candidates. Often, other staff have an opportunity to meet with the candidates and offer their feedback as well.

11. Making an Offer. The Board agrees on the best candidate and an offer for the position is made. The Recruiter may act as a “good faith broker” trusted by both the committee and the final candidate to negotiate the employment contract.

12. Draft a Letter of Employment. A letter is sent out to the successful candidate setting out the specific conditions of employment including salary, vacation, medical insurance, retirement benefits, and other parameters of employment.

13. Set Clear Expectations. The Board Chair and the new Executive Director meet to establish ground rules for communication and define clear expectations for each other.

14. Plan a Formal Evaluation. A formal evaluation is given after an initial six months or one year period. Board feedback is given to the Director on his or her initial performance in a private meeting.

Posted by William J. Moran, J.D., M.S.Ed.

© 2012 The Moran Company
www.MoranCompany.com
“We find great nonprofit executives”

For more information, see
“Hiring a Director for a Nonprofit Agency: A Step-by-Step Guide”
by K. Jenne and M. Henderson, Popular Government, Summer 2000