I enjoy hiring people just a little bit more than I do firing people. That is to say – not at all. It is stressful, time consuming, and just plain scary. After years of both successfully and unsuccessfully ‘hiring’ at Elim Gospel Church and the YWCA in York, PA, I’ve landed on a few key principles that I now take into account before I make the final plunge. Over time, these ideas have eased the pressure and anxiety surrounding hiring. I hope you find them helpful as well.
- Take Your Time.
I’ve heard both sides of the argument about whether you should hire quickly or slowly. I’ve landed on ‘slowly’. It’s much better to take your time to find the right person for the job than it is to hire a bad apple and go through the pains of figuring out how to let them go. Waiting can really be difficult in the interim while you are short-staffed, but in the long run, it’s worth it. If it’s any help at all, both Jim Collins in his book Good to Great and Bossidy/Charan in their book Execution encourage doing what it takes to get the right people on the bus as well.
- Use the ‘Four C’ Filter
Evaluate and interview each candidate based on what we (at Elim Gospel Church) call the four “C’s”. You may have heard Bill Hybels use similar language – though we’ve modified it slightly. Each word reflects one key area by which we will evaluate job applicants. We also let the applicant know about these criteria during the interview. If one of these four C’s don’t line up, we are very reticent to move forward with the hire. The four C’s are:
- Character:
Obviously, their faith in God and Christian values should be unquestionable. There should not be any area that we know of in their character that is in question – things like honesty, integrity, respect for authority, etc.
- Competency:
It’s important that the person being hired have the skills necessary for the job. You have to sometimes ask uncomfortable questions to dig below the “glossy surface” people tend to paint on their resume’s. In an administrative role, I would suggest asking them to complete some task or another to see how they handle it. Even just having them write up a letter for you at a computer can be very insightful. I have wished in previous hires that I spent more time evaluating this area.
- Chemistry:
It is extremely important to us that the potential hire will ‘connect’ with our values and culture in the office and church. This has a lot to do with how well we will work together, how closely aligned the candidate is to our vision for the church, office, department, or whatever area it is. Sometimes a person can NOT have the right chemistry, but be a mighty man of God. This probably means the position just isn’t the right fit – but that the person can still fulfill his calling somewhere else in the church or in the body of Christ. I know of a couple of examples where I ended up letting someone go because the chemistry wasn’t a good fit.
- Calling:
We really want to make sure the person isn’t feeling pressured into the role by us or being manipulated by us. We may let the candidate know that we want them for the job, but ultimately it’s up to them to pray to the Lord and seek His advice on whether He is calling them to function in this role right now. We don’t want someone serving on staff who doesn’t believe he is called to – otherwise, their motivation may be for money, prestige, or something else that doesn’t really fit.
- Don’t Hire Alone.
I’ve come to the realization that it’s wise to have two or three others involved in this decision as well as the interview process. Often, one of us may have insights about the person the other doesn’t that helps move things along. In fact, sometimes having others in the process protects the church from me. I might have in my mind that this is who I want to hire and end up disregarding important ‘red flags’ as a result. Others will help catch those ‘blind spots’ as well. Also, it’s a great feeling to hire someone when several of you were able to confirm that it’s a fit.
- Hire from Within.
It’s almost always safer to hire someone who meets the above criteria who is already part of your church and/or leadership. Among other reasons, they will likely tend to be more loyal to you and the mission of the church than someone from the outside. That’s not to say you can’t hire from outside the organization. Sometimes it’s very appropriate and necessary. Just err on the side of hiring from within whenever you can.
- The Three Month Trial
In other words, give them and you an easy “out” if it’s not working. We usually let them know we will evaluate how things are going in 3 – 6 months and decide if we will continue on from there. This provides a natural safety net for you if the hire is going sour. It also gives the new hire an easy out if they can’t seem to get motivated to continue.
- Ask for a Two Year Commitment.
Note: this suggestion primarily applies to leadership or highly administrative roles. It takes the average person a good year just to learn their new position, even if they are very experienced and competent. This is because they aren’t just learning the trade, but also the culture, communication, vision of the church, etc. Asking for a two year commitment means you get at least one good year of their full capabilities and production after they have been fully trained and acclimated to their new role.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”