There are a number of ways that recruiting and hiring processes can go wrong, and hiring the right people into the right positions is too important to leave to chance. There are a number of common mistakes that can be easily avoided by utilizing some basic hiring best practices.

(1) Taking Shortcuts with Planning: Make sure that you have dedicated the appropriate amount of time to planning your search before beginning the process. Too often, organizations need someone hired “yesterday” and jump into the process by throwing a poorly developed job posting up on a random smattering of job boards. Instead, take some time to identify exactly what you are looking for in the role, make sure that all decision makers are involved at the outset and that all stages of the recruiting and hiring process have been outlined in advance. These steps will help you focus the search, keep it on schedule, ensure that everyone involved is aware of his or her role, and increase the chances of a successful hire.

(2) Defining Positions Poorly: It has been said that if you don’t know what “treasure” looks like, you can dig in the sand all day without knowing whether or not you have found it. So too with searches, it is essential to fully think through the nature of the role and its responsibilities, as well as the experience, skills and personality of the ideal candidate. This structure should not prevent you from exploring “out of the box” candidates and reevaluating your initial assumptions throughout the search, but it will give you a consistent standard to which all candidates can be equitably compared.

(3) Searching for a “Unicorn”: Whenever possible, define a position that is realistic and an ideal candidate profile that exists in more than a handful of people. Are you looking for a set of skills and competencies that often do not co-exist within one person? Recognize that if you go forward, your search may be challenging and may not lead to a successful hire without concessions being made. Consider recasting the position into something more realistic and test your job description with colleagues and peers to ensure that it is reasonable and clearly communicates the nature of the role.

(4) Setting Unrealistic Salary Constraints: Make sure that the salary range you have designated for the position matches the requirements and experience level you are seeking. Again, if you move forward with a misalignment in this area, such as looking for someone with 15 years of senior experience who wants to work full-time for $32,000; then your search may be slow and frustrating. Almost as challenging as low salary expectations are excessively narrow salary bands. For most searches, it is appropriate to have a $10,000 salary range for entry/mid-level jobs and a $20,000 range for senior roles. Going into a search with too narrow a budget may be a fiscal necessity, but it can also constrain your ability to consider a range of candidates and limit your room for negotiation.

(5) Making Insufficient Recruitment Efforts: It is best to use a broad variety of tools and resources to generate the largest and most diverse pool of candidates. Posting an ad to one or two job boards is generally insufficient. Make sure you tap “active” jobseekers through advertising as well as “passive” jobseekers through robust outreach to your personal and professional networks. A common mistake is to move in a gradual and staged approach, escalating efforts after initial postings have failed to produce results. It is best to be aggressive from the start and make a big splash with your hiring announcement.

(6) Losing Momentum: Recognize that searches follow a cycle and ensure that your search does not lose valuable momentum. There is usually a lot of energy at the beginning of a search, as staff members imagine bringing on great new talent and as initial postings bring an early rush of candidates. As the search goes on, however, people’s energy may wane as your colleagues realize how much time a search can take and as the number of new candidates begins to diminish. It is the hiring manager’s job to make sure that energy and results carry through until the successful completion of the search. This includes re-posting ads, re-mining networks, reviewing candidates efficiently and keeping the team informed.

(7) Lacking Respect for Candidates: Put yourself in your candidates’ shoes and make sure that you are treating them in the way you would want to be treated at every stage of the process. Think things through from confirming application receipt, to the timing and nature of correspondence about their status and the process, to making offers and communicating regrets. Recruiting is a marketing opportunity as well as a means to a hire. Remember that for any given position, only 1 person will be hired, but the other 50-100 individuals could become donors, board members, community partners, or future hires for other roles. Keep all candidate information in a database if possible.

(8) Conducting Weak Reference Checks: Don’t underestimate the power of reference checking. Too many organizations are so exhausted by the time they identify a strong candidate and are so anxious to “close the deal” that they overlook the incredible value of learning from others about their top candidate’s past performance. It certainly can be frustrating when you learn that your top candidate is not going to be the right fit for your position, but it is much more advantageous, both emotionally and financially, to come to that conclusion before the hire is made than two or six months later. Remember also that advice from references can be helpful even as you work to on-board and manage new hires.

(9) Hiring at the Wrong Pace: Don’t hire too quickly. It is important to resist the tendency to let your urgency to fill a position lead to an abbreviated process that lacks rigor and consistency. Similarly, don’t hire too slowly. Make sure that your process moves efficiently through the different stages, and resist the urge to “hold out” for an even better candidate to come along. This latter strategy often leads to a prolonged or unsuccessful search. Knowing in advance what you are looking for and holding to those standards will help you identify a candidate who will meet your needs.

(10) Failing to Document: Be careful what you write down during a search, but maintain a confidential file of each candidate’s application materials, the dates at which they moved through the different stages in the process, and the reasons why they were advanced or declined. This will help protect you in case of any allegations of inappropriate hiring practices, and also creates an invaluable resource of candidates for similar future searches.

In the nonprofit sector, an estimated 60% of open positions are filled through referrals and networking. For this reason, nonprofit organizations benefit from building wide professional networks. Thanks to the proliferation of social networking web sites, nonprofits can go online to grow their networks, promote their “employer brand,” and connect with prospective employees.

As there are over 200 social networking web sites, the following article discusses the most effective options for nonprofit organizations to market to and recruit top talent.

What is Online Social Networking?

We have all donned “Hello my name is…” stickers and mingled with colleagues at after-work networking events. Now imagine accomplishing a similar end while sitting at your laptop with a cup of coffee. That’s the gist of online social networking. Though establishing relationships with fellow nonprofiteers through face-to-face real life introductions is still far more genuine than electronic communication, maintaining these ties online can deepen relationships on a regular basis while extending your networking reach to a much broader audience.

Since appearing on the cyber-scene in 1995, online social networking sites have evolved into web-based communities of millions of people connecting based on shared interests and affiliations. Many nonprofit organizations are establishing a presence beyond their homepage and are utilizing social networking sites to recruit talent and spread the word of social change. Because setting up and managing online networks merely require an investment of time, nonprofits can greatly benefit from this low-effort, no-cost and high-touch means of expanding their inner circles and reaching passive job candidates. Below are a few examples of the most effective social networking sites for recruitment.

Facebook

Founded in 2004 by a Harvard undergrad, Facebook allows users to create personal profiles and join networks of like-minded individuals. Networks can be constructed around affiliations such as universities, geographic regions, and organizations/companies. Today, Facebook touts 67 million members.

On Facebook, individuals or organizations create personal profiles to which other Facebook members can then connect. As a nonprofit organization that operates a person-to-person micro-lending program, Kiva has greatly benefited from having a Facebook profile. Kiva’s page includes basic information about their organization, such as its mission, logo, and URL. On its page, Kiva invites Facebook members to add themselves as a “fan.” Yesterday, I became Kiva’s 3,927th Facebook fan (by the end of the week Kiva’s total fans numbered 4,912 members).  By doing so, I was then able to share Kiva’s page with my personal Facebook contacts and invite them to view Kiva’s page. This viral networking spreads the word about Kiva’s work through like-minded networks.

As demonstrated by Kiva, organizations can significantly grow their networks by using Facebook. Having a Facebook profile communicates to today’s jobseekers that an organization is nimble and responsive to current trends. Additionally, extending an organization’s network using Facebook can help when hiring. For example, an organization can post its open positions on a page that is instantly viewable to literally millions of users. Furthermore, an organization can search member profiles to identify and reach out to prospective candidates or to glean more information about those that have already applied to a position at their organization.

Though Facebook is a phenomenon that originated in the college-aged world, students only make up half of all active users. Facebook cites that users over the age of 25 are the fastest growing demographic on Facebook. This growing trend is encouraging for organizations who are seeking more seasoned employees.

Finally, Facebook’s traffic is staggering. It currently is the fifth most visited web site in the world.  Its 67 million users spend an average of twenty five minutes on the site a day perusing the profiles of their personal connections. These are engaged users who share information, including job leads.

LinkedIn

One of the most widely used social networking web sites for nonprofit professionals is LinkedIn. Members create profiles that summarize their professional accomplishments, which can then be used to find and be found by “connections,” such as current and former colleagues, clients, partners, and schoolmates. Your network consists of your connections, your connections’ connections, and the people they know, linking you to thousands of other professionals. The site also features a job board where members post open jobs at their organizations, as well as LinkedIn For Good, a section within the site created to promote positive social change.

For recruiting and sourcing, Commongood Careers uses LinkedIn regularly. When launching a new search for a client, we often post job descriptions on LinkedIn, as well as browse our personal connections to identify strong candidates. To date, we have found hundreds of candidates and new connections through LinkedIn. As a result, we have been able to maximize our ability to connect with people within our spheres of association.

Think of LinkedIn as your classic rolodex meets the theory of the six degrees of separation. Prior to LinkedIn, second and third degree connections to people were often undiscovered. Knowledge of these indirect connections can be extremely valuable when hiring and sourcing new candidates. Instead of applicant pools of complete strangers, hiring organizations can first tap their colleagues’ networks for potential jobseekers.  These jobseekers can then be recommended through trusted colleagues. Organizations that are hiring can also post open positions, allowing LinkedIn members to review positions and refer their colleagues to openings.

Doostang

Founded by two alumni from Stanford and MIT who wanted an easy way for their friends to share job information, Doostang is an invitation-only online career community of over 400,000 members. Members use Doostang to share relevant career opportunities, as well as to interact through groups and forums. Describing itself as an “exclusive online career community that brings together the world’s most talented minds and the world’s leading employers,” Doostang’s greatest asset is its membership of individuals from prestigious universities, companies, and other affiliations.

Doostang can be a highly effective tool for advertising new positions and sourcing candidates. Individuals from hiring organizations can create a personal profile and/or a special practice group on Doostang. By creating a group, users can post open positions, as well as invite other Doostang members to join the group.

Remember, Doostang is invitation only.  However, if you are interested in joining, Commongood Careers has created a special practice group on Doostang, entitled Careers in the Social Sector. If you are interested in joining, send an email with the subject “Request to join” to cgcareers@doostang.com.

Conclusion

Online social networking is all about connecting people in dynamic and new ways. A small investment of time in online social networking can yield big results for an organization’s ability to reach new audiences with information about job opportunities and cultivate a broader and more diverse talent pool.

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

An important aspect of any effective hiring process is the Role Structure, which refers to the people involved in the search and the roles that they play. Developing an appropriate structure for each search will ensure that the hire is made in accordance with the needs, values, and capacities of your organization.

In developing the structure, make sure that each of the following tasks is designated. Specifically, decide who will:

• Manage the overall process and design the tools and systems that will guide it

• Write the job description and posting

• Post the job and ensure that it is distributed widely to your organization’s networks

• Provide administrative support such as tracking applications and scheduling candidate interviews

• Conduct the resume and phone screens and determine which candidates will advance

• Communicate with candidates promptly at each stage of the process, including notification of regrets

• Be involved in interviews and making final decisions

• Complete reference checks

• Make and negotiate the final offer

• On-board, orient, and manage the new hire

Generally, the people involved in these various stages include internal hiring managers, administrative support staff, and HR representatives, as well as possibly board members, funders and other external stakeholders. Determining who to involve in what ways depends on several criteria.

Seniority of the Position: Generally, the higher the level of the role, the more senior people will need to be involved in the search. For a CEO or Executive Director search, for example, it may be appropriate to utilize a search committee involving board members and other external stakeholders. For an entry-level position, it is possible (though perhaps not advisable) to have only the position’s direct supervisor manage the search.

Style and Values of the Organization: Is your organization highly collaborative or are most decisions made by just a few people? Does your organization value input from various team members or is it more autonomous? If your organization values collaboration, then input from staff in any hiring process is probably important to consider, regardless of the level of position. Make sure not to diminish or frustrate any team members who were not asked to participate in the process.

Structure of the Organization: Does your organization have a human resources department? If so, what is its role in any hiring process? It may range from leading the entire process to only being involved in a sign-off for the final candidate. Similarly, does your organization have support staff? Many of the stages in the hiring process can be handled by strong administrative staff.

Availability: Finally, consider the availability of each of the people you are thinking about involving. Of course, in most nonprofits, everyone is already doing much more than their job description, but if you know that there is no way that one director will be able to dedicate the time to interviewing candidates for a particular position in the coming months, then there is no sense in including that person in the search structure. You want to make sure that the search will be able to progress quickly at each stage, with no roadblocks or bottlenecks. Here again, when an organization has administrative support staff available to support the search, senior leaders will be more highly leveraged in the process.

So, what are some options available to you? The following are several commonly used search structures:

Single Hiring Manager

In some cases, a single hiring manager will be responsible for almost all of the responsibilities in the search including recruiting, screening, interviewing, and decision-making. This model is particularly common in smaller or more resource-constrained organizations.

Typically, this individual is the person who will ultimately supervise the future hire, and as such, they have several valuable strengths in the process. Namely, they will be able to: understand the position in detail, sell the role as well as the experience of working with them as a manger, personally select the person with whom they will be able to best work, and form bonds with finalists even before the first day of work begins.

To manage a search effectively, however, a single hiring manager may need to carve out 1-2 hours every day over the course of 2-3 months for search-related tasks. It should be considered whether or not this is a realistic time commitment before beginning the effort. Whatever early adjustments need to be made, hiring is too important to entrust to someone who may not have the time, experience or commitment to ensure that the process is efficient in terms of time-to-hire, effective in selecting the right person, being respectful to all applicants and consistent in maintaining the organization’s brand. Sadly, these risks are often only appreciated in hindsight.

In addition to owning the candidate-focused and public-facing aspects of the search, the hiring manager is also responsible for timely communication with other staff about the status of the search. This communication should be directed toward both senior management and fellow team members and will help to prepare the organization for the addition of a new staff member.

The benefits of this structure are that it can be efficient and that one person does not need to build a consensus decision to make a hire. These advantages are generally overshadowed by the structure’s drawbacks, however, including the amount of work placed on one individual relative to that person’s experience and capacity, as well as the lack of different perspectives and opinions in decision-making processes.

Hiring Manager with Human Resources Department Support

For organizations with a human resources department, a partnership between the hiring manager and the HR team can compensate for the disadvantages of conducting a single hiring manager search. This can make for an organized and professional process, although one that may also be more bureaucratic and present some “hurdles” for jobseekers to leap.

HR can participate in a variety of ways, including: (a) providing tools and advisory support, (b) managing the logistics of recruitment but allowing the hiring manager to conduct all screening, (c) managing the recruitment and screening and serving as a liaison between candidates and the hiring manager, and (d) having input in the final hiring decision and offer negotiation, which is particularly valuable to have led by a neutral third party such as an HR staffer. Candidates often appreciate the ability to negotiate offers with someone who will not be supervising them and who is well versed in the group’s compensation and benefit structures.

Board-Driven Search Committees

Board committees are typically comprised of five to eight people and can include various stakeholders such as management, staff, board members, funders, program participants and community members. This structure provides a lot of “buy-in” or distributed engagement in the process, as well as providing many people to shoulder the work of the search, which can be intensive. However, committees can also be unwieldy structures that are difficult to coordinate, manage and bring to consensus. For that reason, it is important to differentiate roles for different members and establish clear decision making parameters at the beginning of the search.

The committee is typically chaired by either the most senior person in the group, the person with the greatest knowledge of the position, or the person with the largest amount of general experience with hiring. It is the role of the committee chair to set the rules for the group and to make sure that those rules are followed, as well as to ensure that the search proceeds according to plan throughout the process.

Individual committee members or support staff may be assigned specific tasks such as overseeing postings, networking, resume screening, etc. You should decide at the beginning of the search whether or not everyone in the committee is going to review every application that comes through the pipeline. If a person or sub-committee is going to decide which candidates make it through initial screening, then those individuals should be completely aligned with the group’s expectations for screening criteria at the start of the process and empowered to make those decisions.

Since no two people will have the exact same vision for what an “ideal candidate” looks like, it is also essential to decide early on who will have the final say in the hiring decision, if the group is largely advisory to the decision maker, or if a majority vote rules the determination, etc.

Staff-Driven Group Process

For most hiring situations, a group structure will be most appropriate and effective. A group differs from a committee structure in that it is a less formal association that is generally made up entirely of staff as opposed to higher level external stakeholders. Like search committees, however, group hiring teams require a great deal of up-front planning and preparation, especially when creating systems and tools to facilitate the hiring process. For example, the group must decide how often it will meet, how it will debrief candidate interviews, what tools are required for assessing candidate information, and how it will come to decisions.

Groups may divide tasks, such as posting and sourcing, but may choose to collaborate on other tasks. Typically, each member of the group will be assigned different roles during the actual interviews, such as one person probing on skill fit, while another explores experience, and yet another pursues elients of personality fit with culture. This division of interviewing topics is useful when conducting a series of one-on-one interview with candidates, so that the jobseeker does not have to answer the same question over and over again.

In conclusion, the following chart provides a summary:

Human resources staff at nonprofit organizations frequently face significant and different challenges than their counterparts in the business world. Often, they perform not only the work of traditional human resources staff, but also manage office administration, volunteers, and Board of Directors support, among other functions. In fact, in many nonprofits, an “HR Manager” does not exist, and the responsibilities fall upon staff who don’t have a formal HR background. Moreover, support for the unique needs of the HR role in a mission-driven nonprofit organization can be hard to find, and difficult to navigate.

The Scope of Human Resources

Primarily, human resources is the function of selecting and developing people so they are satisfied with their work and have the knowledge, skills, and tools to give their best to the organization and help it fulfill its mission and its operational goals.

HR staff play a pivotal role in the success of the organization. There are many components in the HR toolkit that enables them to do this important work:

HR Planning
Creating meaningful positions that link to the overall strategic direction of the organization and provide the resources it needs to successfully and efficiently fulfill its long-term goals.

Recruitment and Selection
Developing hiring practices that are fair and consistent, and which provide an opportunity to bring a skilled and diverse array of people to the organization to help further its work.

Compensation and Benefits
The practice of providing an equitable compensation and benefits package that is consistent and aligned with organizational direction. Compensation can include both base pay (salary) and variable pay (bonuses). Benefits include health, dental, disability, and life insurance, as well as various leave programs such as parental and vacation. It also may include “work-life” balance initiatives like flexible work hours and telecommuting. Finally, benefits packages often contain some kind of retirement or pension plan.

Training and Development
A commitment to continuous learning for employees that ensures they have the knowledge and skills needed to perform their jobs effectively. It also provides them with an opportunity to develop their talents and abilities for future opportunities within the organization.

Performance Management
A process by which plans, goals, and performance are regularly reviewed to ensure that expectations of both staff and the organization are met.

Health and Safety
Focuses on prevention of workplace injuries and creating an environment that is safe and healthful for all staff. Regular training and audits as well as thorough accident investigation are all tools to help promote an injury-free workplace.

Policy Development and Regulatory Compliance
Creating fair and consistent policies, procedures, and reporting systems that help to ensure regulatory obligations are met and the needs of both staff and the organization are considered.

This article was republished with permission from Idealist.org, a project of Action Without Borders. Action Without Borders connects people, organizations, and resources to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives, whose work is guided by the common desire of its members and supporters to find practical solutions to social and environmental problems, in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect.

Navigating the hiring process can be a daunting challenge for even the most seasoned managers, but this is particularly true when hiring is not your primary responsibility. With limited time and resources, most hiring managers seek to move the process to completion as quickly as possible and to take advantage of any shortcuts available to them.

In our experience, the most effective searches, as well as those with the most efficient processes and shortest times to hire, begin with a clearly defined and well thought-out process that is set down on paper in a document that we at Commongood Careers refer to as a Search Strategy Plan.

An effective Search Strategy Plan includes several major elients that we will explore in this article: defining the position, writing an internal job description and external posting, developing a recruitment plan and setting up a screening process.

Step 1: Defining the Position

Regardless of whether you are hiring to fill a new position or to replace an outgoing employee, your first step should be to conduct a thorough organizational or departmental “needs assessment” or “gap analysis” that goes beyond the individual position and extends to its full range of influence. Collaborate with key internal stakeholders and decision-makers to compare the responsibilities and competencies of current staff against all existing and possible needs. Identify the gaps between current capacity and projected needs and leverage that insight when considering the scope of the open position. Is there any current employee whose role overlaps unnecessarily with the opening or someone who could be moved into this role in place of looking to hire? Always consider existing resources before looking for new acquisitions.

Planning along these lines is generally expected for new positions, but may be overlooked when filling existing roles. If you are hiring because of the departure of a high-performing and well-liked employee, make sure to avoid the common pitfall of trying to find a clone of that individual. More than likely, your organization has grown and changed since the exiting employee started, and as a result, his or her old job description may no longer be relevant. In addition, linear thinking will limit the opportunities available to your organization, such as considering “out of the box” candidates with different profiles who could bring new ideas and perspectives to your organization. Such thinking is equally valuable, albeit in reverse, for terminations and low-performing employees. Work through your current needs assessment from scratch, as opposed to making a knee-jerk reaction to hire someone who merely possesses what your prior employee lacked.

Once you have identified your needs, it is time to more thoroughly define the position and the profile of your ideal candidate. To ensure an equitable process, try to gather input from several staff as opposed to having the role shaped by one individual. Some questions to consider include:

• What are the key responsibilities of the role?

• What are the opportunities and challenges presented to someone filling the position?

• What core competencies, experiences or functional skills are required for success?

• What organizational values would an ideal candidate reflect? What attributes would eliminate a candidate from consideration?

• What kinds of people are generally successful in this organization and in this type of role? What kinds of people are not successful in this organization and role?

• Where does this position fit in the organizational chart in terms of direct and indirect reporting relationships?

• What is the management style of the person to whom this role will report? What is the style necessitated by this person’s co-workers and direct reports?

Step 2: Writing a Job Description and a Job Posting

We now turn to developing two different but equally important documents. The first is a Job Description, which is an internal document that lists the responsibilities as well as the qualifications of the role in precise detail. This document will be used first by hiring managers to evaluate candidates, then by the position manager to set expectations with the new hire, and finally on an ongoing basis to conduct evaluations and performance reviews.

A Job Posting, on the other hand, is an external document created to motivate the right kind of candidates to apply for the job. As such, it should be viewed largely as a marketing tool. Visiting online job boards is a great way to see a variety of different types and styles of job advertisements to inform the creation of your posting, which should include:

• A posting title, which does not need to be identical to the final and actual job title. Especially if your organization uses unique titles, try to post the position under a name that conveys the primary nature of the role to the broadest possible audience.

• A concise description of the organization’s history, mission, programs and accomplishments, as well as a description of what makes the organization an exciting place in which to work.

• An overview of the position that summarizes the importance of the role to the overall success of the organization.

• A well-constructed and organized list of key responsibilities. You do not need to include an exhaustive list, but provide some detail about what the role entails, highlighting the appealing aspects of the position such as decision-making authority, participation in strategic planning, etc.

• A list of the job’s required qualifications, trying to focus more on competencies than specific types of experience. For example, “exceptional relationship management skills and experience collaborating with high-net-worth individuals” may be better than “4-7 years work leading major donor campaigns.”

• Clear instructions on how to apply, what materials to include, and to whom to direct the application. Stay away from a “no phone calls” statement as it can seem unwelcoming or unprofessional to jobseekers. Consider closing with an equal opportunity employment statement.

Step 3: Developing a Recruitment Plan

Internal Distribution: It is important to share news of an open position with your staff for two reasons. First, current employees may be interested in being considered for the role. Second, current employees are a key source of referrals for any open position. Start by sending a thoughtful email to your organization’s staff about the opening. This email should include a brief description of the role and details on the ideal candidate’s profile and qualifications. Outlining the requirements of the position will allow employees to determine whether they may or may not be a good fit for the position. While hiring from within can provide a win-win, be prepared for the possibility of difficult conversations if an employee who expresses interest is not going to be a good fit. At the very least, conversations with current employees about new opportunities will provide insight into the individual’s career aspirations. As sources of referrals, current employees play a key role, as they know your organization and what it takes to succeed there. Also, as the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, so your high-performing employees may have friends with similar backgrounds. Consider if a referral bonus would work within your culture. It may motivate people to activate their networks and would be a small price for a great hire.

Distribution to Your Network: Develop and maintain a list of your organization’s board members, funders, champions, community partners, peer groups, friends and associates. Keep track of who is well networked and who has referred people for other roles. Share the Job Posting, as appropriate, with as much of this network as possible. Remember that you are not trying to identify the people in your network who may be potential candidates for the role, but are rather looking to spread the word as widely as possible because you never know who might know someone who could become a candidate. Along these lines, encourage your connections to share the job with their networks as well, perhaps through Facebook, LinkedIn or Outlook address books. Post the job to your own website and include information in newsletters or external communication vehicles. If this is a new position, use it as an opportunity to highlight your organization’s growth and development.

External Posting: Broaden your reach beyond your inner circles by advertising the position externally. For most positions in most communities, gone are the days of placing a “want ad” in the local newspaper. These days, it is usually more affordable and effective to post positions on multiple online job boards like Idealist. Even so, a thorough online posting strategy may cost at least $500-700. In order to determine how to most efficiently spend your recruiting dollars, research the relevant job boards or publications where you would find similar postings. Ask colleagues and peers with similar roles where they would look for jobs. Find out which professional associations include people in the field and see if those groups have job boards or email lists. There are also job boards focused on geographic regions, job functions and cultural or ethnic groups. When evaluating opportunities, you should consider both the volume and the quality of likely respondents to a posting. Most hiring managers would rather have a smaller pool of qualified candidates than a larger pool of unqualified candidates.

Step 4: Setting Up a Screening Process

The goal of the screening process is to assess each applicant across consistent criteria in order to make the most informed and effective hiring decision possible. Determining the screening process in advance will help to ensure internal alignment and accountability among all those involved in the hiring process. Be sure to share all relevant materials with appropriate staff to ensure that everyone is on the same page and to make any necessary adjustments before beginning the following three common stages of a screening process.

Resume Screen: Before you review the first resume, determine what information you want to learn from the resume. Return to the job description and come up with a list of criteria you are looking for in a candidate. Now, cut this list down to include just those criteria that can be gleaned from a resume and cover letter. Use this list of criteria to create a Resume Screening Worksheet to complete for every application, noting whether or not each elient is present and to what degree. Note that you can often learn something about a candidate’s writing ability, organizational skills and attention to detail just by reviewing his or her application.

Phone Screen: We recommend a phone screen as the next step in the process. Because it is often difficult to decide from a resume who is a strong overall candidate, the phone screen allows the hiring organization to get more information about a candidate and his or her personality and background, without taking the time to conduct a full in-person interview. Figure out what questions you are going to ask and what answers might be ideal, adequate or unacceptable. Phone screen questions typically focus on skill fit, culture fit, and logistics (e.g. When would you be available to start?).

Interview: Use the in-person interview(s) to probe for information that you did not gain at earlier stages of the process. As with the phone screen, plan your questions in advance. Create questions that allow candidates to provide evidence of the competencies and character traits that will position them for success in the role. Also remember that candidates will be assessing your professionalism and the appeal of working in your organization, so always put a good foot forward in terms of preparation and welcome. Interviews should have a two-way transmission of information, so plan to share details and collateral with candidates that will sell them on the opportunity and prepare them for the role. It is also important that you plan, in advance, how you are going to communicate with candidates at each phase of the process. Draft “regrets” templates at the start of the search and plan for prompt notification of decisions to all candidates in the search process.

Every hour spent planning before a search will yield huge dividends throughout the process and in its end result. With this article as a guide, we hope that your plans will be thorough and that your hiring will be successful!