Leadership Matters Provides Insights into Considering Internal Candidates for Senior-Level Positions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) August 25, 2008 -- Promoting employees to leadership positions from within a nonprofit organization has a tremendous upside for both nonprofits and their employees, but the evaluation and hiring process must be handled carefully to overcome potential challenges that can include miscommunications and ill feelings, according to the August issue of “Leadership Matters.”

Published by Bridgestar, a nonprofit initiative of the Bridgespan Group dedicated to attracting, connecting, and supporting leadership for the sector, “Leadership Matters” addresses best practices and challenges nonprofit organizations face when considering internal candidates for leadership roles. The feature article, “Considering and Evaluating Internal Candidates for Senior-Level Nonprofit Positions,” along with related articles, “Helping Internal Hires Succeed in their New Roles,” and “Nonprofit Careers: Tips for Moving Up in Your Organization” describes strategies for handling the evaluation process sensitively, and ways internal candidates can make the case to be considered for internal leadership positions.

Strong internal candidates are valuable options

“Considering and Evaluating Internal Candidates for Senior-Level Nonprofit Positions” suggests that strong internal candidates have already proven their ability to fit with the organizational culture and generally can hit the ground running. According to David Simms, managing partner, Bridgestar, “It’s important, though, for organizations to handle the hiring process sensitively to avoid potential miscommunication or ill feelings. By providing clear and constant communication through the entire process, organizations can often overcome challenges that might arise and make the hiring experience a positive one for internal candidates and organizations alike.”

Kathleen Yazbak, Bridgestar’s managing director of national relationships, said that internal candidates surface in about 30 percent of senior nonprofit roles for which Bridgestar has conducted a search. In the article, Yazbak said she would typically advise organizations that have an inside candidate who has 70 percent of the required skill set as an outside choice to hire the insider candidate.

“I always tell clients that it’s a huge opportunity if somebody matches your culture and is already successful in your environment because your risks in the search are far lower–there is a greater risk when you bring somebody in from the outside that it won’t work out,” Yazbak said.

The article suggests the following strategies and best practices when considering internal candidates for senior-level positions:

• Ongoing communication is key. Organizations should establish clear and constant communication with an internal candidate from the time they first learn of the employee’s interest until the final hiring decision is made.

• Don’t forgo a full search. Even if an organization feels that the internal candidate is ideal for the position, conducting a full search will help ensure that the internal candidate is fully vetted and enables the organization to feel confident that they have gone through the process. It also helps to avoid any doubts and provide credibility for the internal candidate.
• Conduct due diligence. To further demonstrate credibility, internal and external candidates should undergo the same review. Even though it may seem unnecessary, it is helpful to conduct reference checks on internal candidates. When the employee was first hired, the checks may have focused on a different set of roles and responsibilities; so organizations should ask internal as well as external candidates for references who can address the types of experiences they will need in the new position.

• Maintain confidentiality. To ensure that internal candidates are not considered lame ducks or feel embarrassed if they are not hired, it’s important to keep these interviews confidential.

• Address rejections delicately. According to Karen DeMay, Bridgestar regional director of talent and recruiting, if an internal candidate is clearly not a good fit for the role the organization should try to coach the person out of the process. If possible, allow the person to withdraw his or her application rather than have it rejected. When a strong candidate makes it to the final stages but does not get the position, it is critical to communicate clearly and sensitively. Organizations might consider an in-person meeting to tell the employee why he or she is not being offered the position, list the requirements of the position and explain how the other candidates more closely align with those requirements. In addition, organizations can communicate that the process was valuable and enabled them to get to know the employee’s background better. If appropriate, tell the employee that he or she will continue to have opportunities in the organization. “Let them know what a tough search it was,” DeMay said. “Tell them these are really hard decisions, but in the end you have to do what’s right for the organization. You should reassure them that you never would have let them be a part of the process if you didn’t think they had a really strong chance of getting the job.”
• Communicate honestly with the new external hire. The new hire should be informed about any personnel changes or friction that may occur as a result of the hiring process. Tell the new hire that there was an internal candidate who was interested and how the situation was handled.

Organizations can support internal hires to succeed

The article “Helping Internal Hires Succeed in their New Roles” presents strategies to help an internal candidate hired for a leadership position be successful in his or her new role, including: announcing the decision and the full hiring process internally and externally; clearly defining the employee’s new role to the rest of the leadership team; filling the employee’s previous position before he or she assumes the new one; and providing a new workspace that underscores the new position. It is also important that senior leaders reinforce the authority of the internal hire by deferring to his or her decisions.

Candidates should make a clear case and present themselves accordingly

For internal candidates interested in moving up in their organization, the article “Nonprofit Careers: Tips for Moving Up in Your Organization” advises that they prepare as they would for external positions and polish up their resumes, request an interview for the job, and make their case by documenting and presenting past successes. Additionally, it recommends that these candidates avoid playing politics by asking for favors from influential people, but instead use objective criteria to show why they are right for the job.

Each month, Bridgestar’s newsletter, “Leadership Matters,” focuses on a nonprofit leadership recruiting- or career-related theme. Available to Bridgestar members (or, for a complimentary subscription, please email subscribe@bridgestar.org), “Leadership Matters” is part of a robust portfolio of offerings that includes a free job board listing more than

300 nonprofit management and leadership positions across a range of service areas including the environment, human services, elder services, human rights, and youth services. Bridgestar has also assisted many organizations in finding new leaders through its recruiting services, which include executive recruiting and related advisory activities.

The current issue of “Leadership Matters” is available at: https://www.bridgestar.org/Resources/Newsletters/2008/August2008.aspx.

About Bridgestar

Bridgestar (www.bridgestar.org), an initiative of the Bridgespan Group, is a nonprofit organization providing recruiting services, a free nonprofit management job board, content, and tools designed to help organizations build strong leadership teams and individuals pursue career paths as nonprofit leaders. Bridgestar’s goal is to attract, connect, and support senior talent, leading to greater organizational effectiveness and social impact.

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