At LeaderFit, we believe hiring a new employee presents a unique, organizational opportunity. Recruiting a new employee presents a chance to step back and re-evaluate the mission of a particular position as well as potentially re-imagine its role within the larger organization. Hiring a new employee also provides a chance to assess the culture of the non-profit to see what new attributes or experiences might be needed as an organization grows and evolves over time.

Thus, before launching any job search, LeaderFit recommends every organization complete the following steps before posting a listing or collecting resumes: 

1. Conduct a needs assessment of the role.

The purpose of a needs assessment is to clarify the exact size and scope of the role, and conducting the assessment requires a thorough understanding of the day-to-day activities and duties of the position. This information can be gathered by collecting input from current employees via townhall events, surveys, and conversations with key stakeholders. The needs assessment should capture the hard skills required by the position. These will include the specific knowledge, skills, training and experience necessary to fulfill the outlined role and duties. The needs assessment should also include the soft skills that a successful employee would have including leadership straits, cultural values and other attributes desired by the hiring organization.

2. Develop a job description outlining the ideal candidate.

Once the hiring organization has conducted its assessment of the required position, a detailed job description can be developed. The job description should include a summary of the position based on the input gathered from various stakeholders. It should also include a list of responsibilities so that applicants and new hires know what will be expected and what success for this position will look like. The job description should also include a list of qualifications the ideal candidate would have, specifying which qualifications are non-negotiable and which would be nice to have.

3. Create an internal scorecard.

Because interviews, and hiring decisions, can be skewed by personal rapport or inter-personal connections, LeaderFit recommends developing an internal scorecard to provide consistency and objectivity throughout the interview process. The scorecard should be structured as an objective tool for use in every interview to ensure that candidates are evaluated similarly throughout the process. Using a scorecard or similar matrix demonstrates an organization’s commitment to a fair and transparent hiring process and provides an objective way for an organization to assess candidates by capturing real and relevant information on each one. Scorecards should be collated and passed along to the search/hiring committee to facilitate second round interviews and final hiring decisions. LeaderFit is committed to using a scorecard in every interview it conducts.

4. Customize further interview questions based on scorecard.

Once candidates have been evaluated consistently using a scorecard, it will become clear where an applicant’s strengths and weaknesses lie. This information then provides an opportunity for the hiring organization to create customized interview questions for each finalist probing the areas where the organization’s needs and a candidate’s skills may not align perfectly and to see if there is room for growth, interest in training, etc.

Conclusion

LeaderFit uses each of these steps in evaluating every candidate it interviews. LeaderFit’s proprietary methodology has been adapted from GH Smart’s approach and has enabled us to successfully fill vacancies at over 250 NGOs. Whether your organization decides to hire LeaderFit to help fill an open position, taking the time to a develop a thoughtful, purposeful process and applying it consistently will enhance the search process generating candidates aligned with the vacancy and the organization.