Need a new CEO? Convene a diverse search committee
Special
to Philanthropy Journal
Terrie Temkin
Executive transition and succession planning for nonprofits are hot
topics as more baby boomers make the decision to turn over the reigns to
someone younger. The question becomes how to find the “right someone” to
replace them.
Of course, you can hire a headhunter or post an ad. However, headhunters
are expensive and you are going to be limited to the pool of people who see an
ad, find it of interest, and take the time to reply. And, both options still
require a lot of pre-work to ensure success.
I suggest taking the following approach instead. Convene a search
committee. While typically made up of interested board directors, you might
include selected staff. Task the committee with the following.
Assessing your needs:
With the full board’s help, determine what the
organization must accomplish in the next few years. If you have a strategic
plan, that’s a good place to start. What skills, experience and personal
characteristics will be necessary to take the organization where it needs to go?
Be specific. Stay away from meaningless requirements like “five years of experience.”
Focus instead on what is it that you think someone should have gained from
those five years. Are there any skills that the person who is leaving possessed
that you believe will be equally valuable in the new hire? What about skills
the departing exec did not have that you believe will be critical for moving
forward?
Developing a job
description: While this will
evolve from the needs assessment, also ask each director what s/he sees as the most
crucial tasks the new hire should accomplish in the first year. The compilation of
ideas will allow the committee to better define the scope of the job, and break
it down into key tasks with accompanying criteria for measuring success.
Determining a budget: Research what is fair compensation, what
similar organizations are paying in salary and benefits for similar work, and
what your organization can afford to pay. This will help determine the level of
candidate you can realistically approach. It will also help determine where you
can afford to post the position, how long an ad can run, and whether you can
afford a search consultant.
Assessing the organization: Candidates will want to know about
the organization, its needs, position in the community, and strengths and
weaknesses. They will also want to know
what the organization can offer in terms of support, training, salary,
benefits, etc. You need to be prepared
to tell them.
Identifying potential candidates: Still believe in posting the
position? Be sure you identify the most appropriate places to post. Prefer asking
stakeholders for recommendations? Plan to counter the risk of undue influence –
especially over mediocre candidates. Try asking community and industry thought
leaders for recommendations. I have found it generally results in the strongest
pool, as you get names of people proving their worth every day in other jobs. Invite
those who have been recommended to submit letters of interest along with their résumés.
Screening: Evaluate candidates’ credentials and
work products, comparing how closely their background, skills, outputs and
interests match the previously defined criteria. While usually based on the paperwork
submitted, this might include a phone interview of the strongest candidates.
The purpose is to narrow the number of respondents to the top contenders.
Interviewing: Be sure that everyone who will be
conducting interviews has a similar set of questions and knows what to look
for. It’s helpful to have at least two people doing each interview so that you
decrease any chance of getting an “outlier” response to a candidate. For CEO
and other senior level positions, I suggest that at least the top two
candidates go before the entire board.
Selecting a candidate and offering
the job: Evaluate
your top candidates against the criteria you established, check references and
perhaps credit scores. Confirm that the committee and board are in agreement
about – and satisfied with – the top candidate. Speak with an attorney who
understands labor law to craft your offer. This is the best time to review with
the person to whom you offer the job the organization’s expectations, the areas
on which he or she will be evaluated, and when that evaluation should be
expected.
Checking back: You’re not done yet! Build in a support system
for the new hire. Be sure the person is adequately oriented and has someone to
speak with when questions arise. Provide feedback on an ongoing basis so that
the person knows whether or not s/he is meeting expectations.
While this process
takes work, it is strangely fun and rewarding for everyone. And with such a
systemized approach, you greatly increase your chances of making the right
hire.
Terrie Temkin, Ph.D., is an internationally-recognized
governance and planning expert. She is a
founding principal of CoreStrategies for Nonprofits Inc., which interweaves governance, board development, fund development,
PR/marketing and public policy to strengthen organizational capacity. Contact her at 1-888-458-4351 Ext. 3 or TerrieTemkin@CoreStrategies4Nonprofits.com.
Labels: CEO, Executive Director, executive transition, hiring practices, nonprofit, Terrie Temkin
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