The job market is tough, but not for the reasons you may think. For several months in 2016, I looked for a senior-level
job in development. During my 20-plus years working in nonprofit and higher education fundraising, I've developed several skills, including the ability to scout and hire great talent.
Being on the other side of the table was an eye-opener. After perusing hundreds of openings, I thoughtfully submitted more than 30 job applications to Ivy League schools, huge state university foundations, and everything in between. Throughout the process of working with recruiters and HR personnel, I found variable levels of professionalism, including wince-worthy displays of incompetence in how nonprofits (especially ones in higher ed) hire. Here are some highlights and recommendations for improving your own process:
1. Be a champion for your institution. Sell me the school like I'm a potential donor. If I'm hired, I'll see the warts soon enough. But don't deflate your candidates before we even get on campus. Be the best advocate for this role, or don't be the one doing the interviews.
One interviewer spent most of our call explaining how his school would not be up to my expectations or as great as I assumed. Imagine if I had replied that I would be a disappointment in kind. It's not an inspirational approach.
The best recruiters are as excited about the university's leadership and mission as I am. They share insight and energy about my candidacy and the opportunities of the job. They sell the school and make me want to work there. They are delighted that I applied for the role. Passion and amity are contagious.
2. Honor the time and effort it takes to pursue the position. I filled out many online forms with the same information on my CV. I drafted and carefully considered several cover letters. I gathered great references and writing samples. Once I secured the introductory phone call or on-site interview, I did my homework and prepped for your questions and mine. I spent hours meeting with faculty and staff. I sent handwritten thank you notes afterward.
My experience with feedback after all this has ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. I got a hand-signed acknowledgement letter and a copy of the job description from one school to let me know they'd received my application (which was delightfully unusual). However, more than 40 percent of my applications were met with deafening silence, including when I was a finalist and never heard from the institution again.
As a fundraiser, I don't expect a "yes" every time, and I can handle a "no." Mean it when you tell an interviewee, "I'll get back to you." Surely you wouldn't permit this kind of nonresponse to donors or clients. It reflects just as poorly when you fail to follow through with your job candidates.
3. Approach hiring like fundraising: a long-term, big-picture, relationship-building experience. Recruiters who follow through are golden. They become the people I want to hire when I am back in a leadership position looking for help. Good recruiters look out for you. They acknowledge your application, help you prep, and suggest other job opportunities if the first one doesn't work out. They respond to your requests for updates, no matter how difficult. They recognize that the job-hunting process is a relationship with strategic value for both parties and treat it accordingly. These principles can also apply to in-house recruiters. Keep the big picture in mind.
Hiring well is an intensive, time-consuming process from both sides of the table.
We are choosing each other when we interview. A first-class experience—whatever the outcome—is a boon to your institution or recruiting firm. It sends a positive message to all who come in contact with your HR office. It honors the effort that everyone puts into the experience. Great recruiting is like great fundraising: It raises the bar for your cause and engenders admiration for your organization that could pay dividends later. By cultivating a pool of qualified, enthusiastic candidates, you may uncover the best people for your institution.