Hiring a Nonprofit Executive Director – 5 Ways to Improve Final Interviews

by Bill Moran
President of The Moran Company
“We Find Great Nonprofit Executives”

Typically when hiring a nonprofit Executive Director, the finalists may have one or two interviews with the board. They may meet the staff. However, one or two interviews alone provide a narrow perspective on which to judge candidates’ qualifications to lead an organization and manage a full staff, budget and programs.

How can a volunteer board make the best use of their limited time to build a comprehensive evaluation process and get to know finalists? Here are some suggestions on how to get different views of the candidates. This will broaden the basis upon which to make such an important hiring decision.

1. Face-to-Face Social Time.  Assuming you have three final candidates, consider having the hiring committee meet for breakfast with one candidate, lunch with the second and dinner with the third. Keep the conversation purely social, with no interview questions. The idea is to learn how the candidates do in a social setting. These skills are important when leading an organization.
2. Interacting with Staff.  Give each candidate 30 minutes with the assembled staff. Let the candidate decide how they want to spend that time. (Talking about themselves? Q&A and listening to the staff?) Have one or two of the hiring committee observe from the back of the room but stay out the interaction. (How do the staff react to the candidate? Is there chemistry?) Once the session ends and the candidate exits, the committee members wrap it up by getting thoughtful feedback from the staff. Their perspective is valuable, yet it is important for the facilitator to be clear about how it will be used. Staff must understand that they may make constructive comments but do not get a direct vote to determine their supervisor. The Board has the responsibility to make the hiring decision. Their impressions and observations are relayed to the full hiring committee (or full Board if all are involved) after the final interviews and before voting.
3. Sharing Strategic Vision.  Send the strategic plan, financials and other planning documents to each candidate in advance of the interview. Have a 10 minute “give and take” discussion on the nonprofit’s direction. Ask what he or she considers to be the organization’s top priorities or opportunities. Observe how insightful and strategic they are in this conversation.
4. Thinking on Their Feet.  As part of the final interview itself, give each candidate a five-minute role playing scenario to see how they would approach a real-life aspect of their job. For example, the role play could be that of making a fundraising solicitation. One of the hiring committee members can act as the donor. This is a way to get the candidate out of his or her comfort zone and observe impromptu behavior. (The general scenario may be shared with the candidates ahead of the interviews.)
5. Preparing for a Project.  Beforehand, provide necessary documents with a request for a 90-day plan on how they would address whatever major challenge the agency is currently facing. (You might specify that this plan should be limited to a 2-page outline with standard formatting.) As part of the final interview, give them 5 minutes to present the plan followed by 10 minutes of discussion with the committee. The use of technology equipment is discouraged in order to stay focused on the message and delivery.

No doubt, there many ways to broaden your assessment of executive director candidates during the final interview process. Simple interviews do not provide a deep enough foundation to make such a critical decision. Nonprofit boards should plan to get different views on the candidates. It will strengthen your decision and the nonprofit’s future.

The Moran Company is accustomed to digging deeper to find top nonprofit talent with hard-to-find skill sets. Because we have actually served as Executive Directors and senior-level fundraisers, we know how to look beyond resumes and interviews to recognize key leadership attributes that are necessary for success in the nonprofit sector. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your organization or association with its hiring needs.

© 2019 The Moran Company, “We find great nonprofit executives.” We specialize in searches for nonprofit executive directors, directors of development/fundraising staff, and other top nonprofit leadership. www.morancompany.com