If you're currently looking to hire new staff, or to transition to a new job, you're in luck this month! In this excellent article, Suzy Campos, NEDRA board member and Director of Advancement Research at Amherst College, presents a look at hiring and interviewing practices in our industry.
Best Practices for Interviewing and Hiring in Prospect Development.
We all want to be part of a strong team. Prospect development is a great career option, but the niche nature of what we do can sometimes make recruiting and hiring a challenge. For this article, NEDRA surveyed team leaders/directors from a variety of institutions about their experiences with searches and what has worked well.
When evaluating candidates, whether for positions in research, prospect management, or fundraising data science, hiring managers are looking for good communicators who exhibit curiosity, problem-solving skills, and the ability to think outside the box. These characteristics are considered by survey respondents to be more essential than direct experience. One respondent said, "I can teach someone how to use research tools and about fundraising processes, but [the successful candidate] has to be willing to be creative and think of other ways to find pertinent information when tools or resources have limitations." Ability to handle confidential information with discretion is also a requirement. A passion or interest in the organization's mission is considered a plus. One director looks for comfort with math and basic algebra in prospect research candidates. How else to calculate accurate capacity ratings?
Prospect development hiring managers advise looking beyond direct experience for skills that are transferable. Leaders have welcomed historians, genealogists, medical researchers, and journalists to their groups with good results. "I usually look for a generalist. Someone who knows about a lot of things," said a director at an academic institution.
Leaders hiring for analytics/data science positions look for proficiency in at least one software language such as SAS, Python, R, or SPSS. A demonstrated interest in learning additional languages is a plus.
Good writing skills are still considered a must. In addition to writing basics such as grammar and spelling, "brevity," "clarity," and "conciseness" were frequently cited. "Very long cover letters can be a red flag."
Along those lines, when NEDRA asked hiring managers what would happen with "an otherwise promising applicant if there was a typo in the resume/cover letter? Two typos??" the responses were varied. Many managers said they wouldn't reject the candidate outright if all else was strong, but that it would be a factor if other concerning signs emerge. "I realize sometimes candidates are having to quickly update a resume at night, after work, and I can give a tiny bit of leeway on a small typo." However, for some, it is a dealbreaker. "One typo would be tough, two completely unbearable," said one respondent. Another noted, "It shows a lack of the attention to detail that is so important in our work." Others say it depends on the nature of the error, "Something glaring like a misspelling, I would probably not move [the candidate] forward; an extra space or missing comma, I would probably let go." A respondent who has been involved with data science-related searches is willing to forgive a few errors, pointing out that English may not be the primary language of the applicant.
To better assess writing skills, most institutions require a sample of written work for prospect research positions. Many also administer an exercise−either on site or as a take-home−in which the applicant is provided with some standard source material to synthesize into a summary. One institution asks the applicant to give a ten minute presentation on something technical. Other assessments include proofreading tests and exercises to demonstrate Excel skills. None of the responding institutions said they ask candidates to do original research.
It's natural when conducting a search to look for qualities like fit and compatibility. However, it is important to keep in mind that research increasingly shows that diversity among employees brings strength to the organization. (See "Why Diverse Teams are Smarter," Harvard Business Review, November 2016)
Dina Levi, Director of Inclusive Leadership at Amherst College, advises that when hiring, "fit" be well defined so it does not translate, consciously or unconsciously, into "looks like us and thinks like us." Dina notes that while it behooves interviewers to check their own biases, it is even more beneficial to create structures in the hiring process that mitigate bias. Some strategies Dina suggests include:
Consider standardizing questions so that all interviewees are responding to the same inquiries and can be compared objectively. This keeps the discussion focused on the job and results in fewer tangents about personal similarities with the search committee, such as sharing the same hometown or alma mater.
Respondents to NEDRA's hiring survey shared some favorite interview questions including:
© 2021 New England Development Research Association
Sitemap
