On occasion I hear from job seekers in the nonprofit sector who are frustrated with employers, hiring committees, and search firms who do not respond to their application or, in some cases, fail to follow-up with the candidate after an initial interview. What’s going on, what will elevate one’s chances for a call-back, and how can a job candidate increase his or her prospects of getting the job offer?
Tip 1 — Be realistic about your qualifications
One essential strategy to be on the call list is being realistic about whether you really have the record that is relevant to the employer. It’s true for most employers that the best indicator of future success is past performance. Therefore, the organization (or consultant) reviewing your application will be looking at similar titles and relevant organizations in your career chronology. For example, the trade association advertising for a CEO is unlikely to seriously consider a mid-level fundraiser from a charity who applies.
Tip 2 — It’s about what you accomplished
Another strategy requires a job applicant to tell their story effectively. The resume must provide insight to what the person achieved in the job, not just what the job required in the form of a list of duties and responsibilities they were assigned. This is how the sales professional with a great track record of generating new revenue and breaking records in the private sector, through their proven network and sterling contact list, may become a great prospect for a charity fundraising role.
Tip 3 — Be visible and be known
When a nonprofit employer utilizes a professional search company, the value of that consulting firm is in their expertise, objectivity and, of no small consequence, their research skills.
Even when an employer goes it alone and doesn’t use a professional consultant, anticipate that the employer may do some research to source high quality candidates including reaching out to existing staff, and checking out social media such as LinkedIn profiles of executives from other nonprofits in their sector to see who else they are linked with and therefore may be a potential candidate.
Research is what good recruiting firms and HR professionals do to identify candidates who may not yet know they are a candidate! The job of the recruiter is to identify who is “best-in-class” and persuade those top performers to leave a good, likely secure, job for an even better one.
The obvious strategy to be on the best-in-class list is to have a record that’s known by many, and preferably an influential many. This is accomplished not just by results but through your networking and involvement in the sector. When the government official or political staffer identifies the person they most admire; when the CEO of a professional association representing your field identifies who chaired the committee or won the award; when the dean of the university department or the CEO of the most prominent company in the industry is asked for the names of peak performers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the nonprofit sector, will your reputation be known and will you be on their list of exemplars?
Tip 4 — Know the job better than anyone else
I’ve met and interviewed thousands of nonprofit managers and individuals seeking key roles in this sector. Some of the job applicants I’ve met perform better than others at interview time. A great track record or reputation will have diminished value if you can’t make the point effectively to the interviewer(s).
This may seem to be obvious, basic advice, but the problem is that most job applicants – surprisingly even for the role of CEO/executive director – do not do their homework before an interview. They come unprepared having only reviewed the job posting or at best performed a cursory scan of the prospective employer’s website. A superficial research effort is not going to impress an employer or the search firm. Remember, a job opening is called a contest or a competition for a reason. Of the 100 who apply, one will earn the role.
At a first interview you should be able to explain in some detail the connection between what the organization requires and what you offer. Experience as a nonprofit executive is an insufficient answer — the answer must include information on the prospective employer’s needs (organizational outcomes, issues, opportunities, challenges, etc.) and the relevant accomplishments you have realized in similar areas and situations.
Tip Five — Identify the interview subject matter
A candidate needs to prepare for the interview by anticipating what questions will be asked, creating clear and on-topic answers, and practising so they are succinct. Too often a candidate looks back on the interview knowing they appeared flustered and their answers were incomplete or scattered.
It is unlikely that the employer will be providing the interview questions in advance. However, there are going to be strong indicators in the job description or job posting about the requirements and what’s expected. Here are seven subjects and the corresponding question focus that will be part of most management interviews:
| Subject/Interest Area | Question Focus |
|---|---|
| Managing other people | How have you developed teams? How do you delegate work and monitor performance? Examples of staff mentoring. |
| Governance | Roles and responsibilities of volunteers and staff (in your experience, who did what); preferred governance model? How you have been a resource to volunteers (e.g., wrote minutes; provided orientation)? |
| Planning and finance | The development process for a plan or budget in your present job, and your role? Identify achievements associated with plans you helped create; financial results realized. |
| Advocacy | Who have you influenced for past employers, and how? Most significant “win” with government, in coalitions, media relations, etc.? |
| Sales/Entrepreneurship | New programs/services you proposed and implemented, and the benefit? Significant financial results in fundraising and/or non-dues revenue? |
| Why this is for you | What network do you bring to the new job? Knowledge of the organization and its constituency/sector/industry? Attractors for you/your motivation? |
| Add value | What has been your legacy in past jobs? Where have you demonstrated/exercised leadership? |
Tip Six — Be friendly
Most employers I have worked with say the same thing about hiring: “It’s about fit.” Fit is often determined by first impressions; that first minute you walk into the interview room and are greeted by the interviewer or the Selection Committee members. The initial interview questions — and particularly your answers — will also set the tone for the rest of the interview and shape impressions about you so be confident, positive, prepared, and engaging (make eye contact, smile, and ensure the answers are relevant).
A quick tip about timing: too often I have seen otherwise strong candidates ignore the clock, even when they are told a question or part of the interview is to take only ten minutes (e.g., a presentation). They are still talking at 15 minutes and then have to be stopped because at 20 minutes they didn’t follow instructions.
Tip Seven — Wow them
Consider that a trend in most senior management hiring is to ask a candidate at a final interview to do a comprehensive presentation on the opportunities the candidate will address in their first months on the job, and their plan to get the top priorities done. The presentation topic is provided in advance along with some background information, such as the organization’s strategic plan. Most hiring committees are expecting an insightful presentation, possibly even hearing about a good idea they have not yet considered.
I was involved in an executive director search for a national organization in the arts and culture sector. One of the candidates came to the final interview with a binder for each panel member that included the following information — information that the candidate prepared without any prompting from the employer or the search consultant:
- The position description (what the employer provided/advertised)
- The applicant’s resume and cover letter
- A detailed matrix of position requirements, and candidate qualifications which focused on actual outcomes achieved (e.g., Requirement: Develop and implement work plans approved by the Board. Qualification: Developed three year marketing and business plan for the sector through Association ABC)
- Candidate’s research about the organization and the sector (information they didn’t even know about themselves, e.g., social media commentary)
- List of strategic issues the candidate had identified to be discussed with the selection committee as time allowed (e.g., specific proposed bills and legislation that will affect the organization; what competitor organizations are doing in new programs/services)
- Relevant appendices including a recent performance review; a list of organizations in the arts and culture sector the candidate had worked with collaboratively; special awards and recognition including letters from individuals of prominence in/to the sector
Who do you think impressed the selection committee? Of course, the candidate already knew they had a privileged position as one of only a few finalists. This candidate wanted to demonstrate enthusiasm for the opportunity, understanding of the employer’s need, and a compelling array of evidence achieving similar outcomes. This was the candidate who was hired.
In conclusion, when seeking that new role which may be the job opportunity of a lifetime, you can significantly enhance your prospects for success by doing the following:
- Be honest about the value you bring and your strengths. If you were in the employer’s shoes, would you think your resume is the ideal match?
- Concentrate on and promote what you did with a job, notably your successes and achievements, rather than just telling the prospective employer about the roles and responsibilities in your job description. For example, “increased participation in the annual conference by 10% over two years and elevated participant satisfaction scores in the seminar program from 65% to 91%” says much more than “managed an event department with one annual conference and six seminars”.
- Make a commitment over time [it never ends] to build your reputation and profile as a leader in your field. Volunteer, network, include details on recognition and awards you have received.
- Learn everything you can about the prospective employer and their needs. The information is accessible in most cases through Internet research and networking. Start with the position description/job advertisement — what do they really need? Where have you met these deliverables with success in the past?
- Anticipate and prepare for the interview questions. There are some generic questions in management interviews about managing people and tasks. Once again, review the position summary and ask yourself what information/evidence would satisfy you that a job candidate can meet these requirements effectively?
- Don’t overlook fit and personality. If you make it to a final interview, there’s a good chance the employer already is confident you have the hard skills and now they want to assess if you will complement their culture. The interviewer or interview panel is going to be thinking “is this someone I will enjoy working with?” They want someone who is affable and capable, not a technical automaton.
- Invest time thinking about how to really set yourself apart from other candidates, and then act upon your idea. Rest assured there will be many extraordinary people with great resumes on the short-list for the job. Decide what you can do to put yourself in the number one position by wowing the employer.
Content is © Jack Shand and is reprinted with permission.
Jack Shand, CMC, CAE, is president of Leader Quest, a management consulting firm providing expert advice to not-for-profit organizations since 1997. Leader Quest specializes in executive search/staff recruitment, strategic planning, governance, and organizational reviews. Jack can be reached at 905-842-3845 and 1-877-929-4473, or jack-at-leaderquest-dot-com.
