Search
Committees 101: Getting Started
by Laura Gassner Otting,
President, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
(This article is reprinted with the permission of
www.ExecSearches.com, for whom it was
originally written.)
Upon embarking on a search, one of the
very first steps is the formation of a search committee.
A successful search committee creates a
calm and focused atmosphere inside of an organization in the midst of a
leadership crisis. It can set the tone for the search and therefore, the future
of a program, a division, or the entire non-profit. To most candidates, is the
initial and often lasting face of the organization.
What is a Search
Committee?
Membership on a search
committee may be one of the most significant opportunities to serve an
organization because it puts a staff or board member in a dual role of public
relations director and protector-in-chief. Candidates appearing before the
search committee will need to be wooed about the position and the organization
as well as be screened for professional experience and personal
characteristics. Performing both roles simultaneously is demanding.
The committee must ask
difficult questions, seeking to determine not just the candidate’s
qualifications but what really drives him or her to want to work for the
organization’s particular mission or focus. These questions have to be asked
diplomatically; when the search ends, the committee and the successful candidate
become colleagues.
How do I Select
the Search Committee
?
There are several
considerations to keep in mind when selecting a search committee. First,
determine who are the organization’s key stakeholders; this may include senior
staff and board members, grantors and grantees, community and constituent
members, or those politically prudent to involve. Second, recruit members to
the search committee who have a proven track record of smart hiring or good
judgment about people. Third, make sure that the recruited members will have
sufficient time to dedicate to the process; search committees become ineffective
in the absence of a continuum of consistent attendance. Finally, as a way to
avoid confusion and frustration, you may also wish to recruit search committee
members who have had experience on other search committees.
Search committee members come to their
responsibility from different viewpoints (and therefore, different
understandings) of the organization. Each member brings a set of ideas about
the organization's current and future needs; some of these needs are real and
some of them are perceived. Brief the search committee completely before they
get started to ensure that
they
have a current 360-degree view before hiring a senior executive. Reviewing the
requirements of the next executive will guarantee that the search committee
members are looking upon each candidate with a similar understanding of the
challenges that lie ahead for the hire and may help them hire for talent and
track record rather than personality fit alone.
What Does the
Search Committee Chairperson
Do?
As the head
of the search committee, the chairperson sets the tone for the committee,
explains the responsibilities of the committee and holds members accountable.
S/he is in regular contact with the organization as well as the search firm, if
one is hired. S/he provides regular updates to the committee and keeps them
informed of upcoming expectations of their time or talents.
Choose a methodical and even-tempered search committee chair with
talents in prioritization, time management and attention to details. There is a
lot of information that needs to be processed and distributed throughout the
course of a search. It is imperative that the chairperson has time to dedicate
to the process; therefore a retired board member is often a good choice.
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Responsibilities of the Search Committee
The Search Committee brings the search
from a candidate pool to a candidate recommendation. The final decision
rests solely upon that individual or board to whom the hire will report.
Specific responsibilities of the search committee are:
1.
Draw up the calendar for the search
process.
2.
Prepare a budget, including the costs of
consulting services (if any), surveying constituencies, and travel for
candidates and finalists' families.
3.
Write the position description and
advertise it online, in print, through mailings and by word of mouth.
4.
Act as a conduit between the organization
and its constituency on the progress of the search.
5.
Identify and interview semi-finalists
based on criteria set out in the position description.
6.
Identify and prioritize finalists and make
recommendations to the full Board.
7.
Thoroughly check references.
8.
Offer and negotiate the compensation
package with the successful candidate.
9.
Notify the unsuccessful candidates.
10. Orient
the new hire and ease the transition in the first six months. |
Laura Gassner Otting is founder and president of
Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, a niche consulting firm dedicated to
strengthening the capacity of nonprofits and their staff,
and specializes in
helping nonprofit organizations nationwide with their hiring processes.
Increasing the
capacity of nonprofits and their staff.
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