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As the economy continues to rebound from the recent recession, hiring—not downsizing—is the name of the game in nonprofit HR. For leaders that have been in the difficult position of managing layoffs and coping with increased work demands due to vacancies, the availability of funds for new personnel is a welcome development. But with the enthusiasm to “staff up” to restore staffing levels to what a mission needs, there is a commensurate risk of committing costly mistakes. Screening—separating the “want to work here” from the very best candidates for open positions—is the key to hiring the caliber of staff your mission deserves.
Not every applicant is suited for the vacant role posted on your website and on job boards. Ineffective screening can lead to:
The risks of inadequate screening are exacerbated when:
Screening prospective staff has become routine for most nonprofits. Yet despite its familiarity, it’s never safe to screen on autopilot. Consider following new developments as you re-tool, update or revamp your screening process to increase its effectiveness.
Ban the Box: A growing number of employers have removed from the application the question that has been asked for decades: “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” The primary reason for the shift is due to “ban the box” legislation that prohibits employers from asking that question on an employment application. Why? Research suggests that employers are very unlikely to give an applicant who answers “yes” any further consideration. And this is true even in cases where a criminal history has not been identified as a disqualifying characteristic. According to the National Employment Law Project, more than 50 cities and counties and 10 states have adopted laws requiring that public employers wait to ask about criminal convictions until a later stage in the hiring process. States with ban-the- box laws applicable to private employers are: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Rhode Island. EEOC Enforcement Guidance issued in 2013 includes the following “best practice” recommendations for employers who use criminal history information when making employment decisions:
Social Media Site Surfing: At a recent presentation by our CEO, Melanie Herman, more than half of the attendees acknowledged surfing the Web to find information on applicants. The motivation to surf is a valid one: to identify prospective staff whose lack of maturity or good judgment would disqualify them for paid positions. While that sounds good, did you know that surfing the Web for “dirt” on applicants can be risky? The principal risk lies in the potential to learn something about an applicant that an employer isn’t legally permitted to consider when making a hiring decision, such as:
Ongoing Screening: A growing number of nonprofit employers are adopting policies that require rescreening during an employee’s tenure. Re-screening sends the important message that your eligibility or disqualifying criteria apply to current, as well as prospective staff. In an article that originally appeared in the publication eVolunteerism, Consultant Linda Graf wrote:
“Once a candidate has been screened, accepted, and placed, the organization continues to have a duty to ensure that he or she performs satisfactorily in his or her assigned position. Potentially harmful candidates can slip through even the most comprehensive screening protocols, and initially superb candidates can decline in capacity or develop ill intent at any point after their acceptance into a position. Simply put, it is nothing short of dangerous to assume that risks end when a candidate has been screened, even when the screening has been rigorous.” Source: “It’s Never Over: Ongoing Screening of Volunteers and Paid Staff,” by Linda Graf
One of the downside risks of ongoing screening, however, is creating a culture of mistrust. Consider the following tips when re-screening to ensure that you aren’t doing more harm than good:
“Reference checks remain a vital screening tool. They are uniquely valuable because they provide an opportunity to learn about the candidate from someone other than the candidate.”
Auditions, Tryouts and Trial Work Periods: A growing number of organizations are placing less emphasis on resume sorting and interviews, and instead using a structured trial period to determine which prospects best fit the organization’s culture and the requirements of a particular job. In his HBR Blog titled “Hire by Auditions, Not Resumes,” Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, writes that, “trials don’t just help us better determine who will succeed at Automattic; they help potential employees avoid big problems down the road.” His company pays potential candidates on an hourly basis for 10-20 hours per week over an eight week period. These staff are assigned tasks related to the jobs they are seeking and are given specific feedback along the way. The trial work period enables managers to experience a prospect’s work ethic and style, as well as their ability to get up to speed quickly. Your organization will need to customize the process to best fit your mission and culture, but a tryout is a great way to really see the potential of an applicant. Keep in mind that a shortterm trial period will work best when you are considering an employee who is currently out of work, or an applicant returning to the workforce after a period of retirement or time off. Applicants with full-time positions may be unable to accept a trial work period at the risk of losing their current position. In those cases it may be possible to assign a task or project the applicant can complete during their non-work hours that enables you to evaluate the applicant’s suitability. Source: “Hire by Auditions, Not Resumes,” HBR Blog Network, January 7, 2014.
So in addition to considering screening trends, what specific steps or approaches will help you minimize the danger while maximizing the opportunity for a perfect fit? As in other areas, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Consider the tips described below to fortify staff screening in your nonprofit.
Melanie Herman is Executive Director at the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. She welcomes your feedback and questions about the topic of staff screening at Melanie@nonprofitrisk.org or (703) 777-3504.
Resources
“Hire by Auditions, Not Resumes,” by Matt Mullenweg, featured on the HBR Blog Network, http://blogs. hbr.org/2014/01/hire-by-auditions-not-resumes/
“It’s Never Over: Ongoing Screening of Volunteers and Paid Staff,” by Lindra Graff, from Linda Graff and Associates, Inc., www.volunteermbc. org/sites/default/fil es/pdfs/It’s- Never-Over-Ongoing-Screening-of- Volunteers-and-Paid-Staff.pdf
“More Hiring Tips for Nonprofits: Screening,” from the Hiring Tips & Strategies forum by The NonProfit Times, www.thenonprofittimes. com/jobs/more-hiring-tips-fornonprofits- screening/
“6 Tips for Screening Prospective Volunteers,” from the Management Tips forum by The NonProfit Times, www.thenonprofittimes. com/management-tips/6-tips-forscreening- prospective-volunteers/
“Ten Tips on Screening Resumes,” by John Vlastelica, featured in the Tools for Better Hiring on Dice.com, http://resources.dice.com/report/ tips-screening-resumes/
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