Are Your Employees the Best? Mine Are.

 

Back to my Secrets of Non-Profit Management Series today -- and this is a big one. 

The most important thing to running a great non-profit organization is hiring the right staff members.

You've had this experience -- I know that you have:

• Made a donation and received no boo, no hoo, no f -- I mean bupkis?
• Arrived at a volunteer day excited to help and saw the staff members sitting together and gossipping?
• Walked into an office and the receptionist doesn't even look up, much less smile at you?
• Made an effort to attend an auxiliary meeting and not a single person greets you or welcomes you?
• Called an agency and you can just tell that the person on the other line is mad, bored, or just doesn't care?

I know you've had this experience because I have.  And because I have we try to make sure that this is NOT your experience at Community Partners of Dallas.  And how we do that is my next Secret.

Non-Profit Management Secret # 6 is...

Hire The Personality, Not The Experience.

To me, the type of person is way more important than what they have done in the past.  I look for the Hs & Fs in my hires:

• Happy
• Honest
• Hardworking
• Friendly
• Funny
• Fabulous

Yes, it is great if you can get the Hs & Fs in someone with experience in their position (CPD's Development VP and Volunteer VP are both great examples of this), but don't worry if you hire someone right out of college with little experience. 

If they have the Hs & Fs, you can teach them how to do the job -- the way you want it done -- and they will be great assets to your agency.

Do you agree? 

If not, I'd love to hear from you. 

If so, I hope you'll share the post! 

I'm reminded of a post that Seth Godin (my guru of blogging) wrote.  Here are his words:

Most of all, great stories agree with our world view. The best stories don’t teach people anything new. Instead, the best stories agree with what the audience already believes and makes the members of the audience feel smart and secure when reminded how right they were in the first place.

I'm right.

And yes, I'm the sole judge of that.