Talent Tips: All Levels
Talent Tip #34: “I’ll Call You”: Rejecting Candidates After the Interview
June 19, 2012
Picture this sad scenario: a sweet, impressionable girl waits by the phone for a boy to call. They went on a date the week before, and he ended their date with these prophetic words: I’ll call you.
Of course, the boy never intended to call. It’s just that saying “I’ll call you” is a cleaner finale than “You’re a nice girl, but I’m not looking to get serious. I’d rather the fleas of a thousand camels infest my armpits than…
Read MoreTalent Tip #33: Lessons From My Parents’ Marriage: It Pays to Court Candidates
May 15, 2012
After 43 years of marriage, my father still opens the door for my mother and my mother still packs my father’s lunch before he heads to work. With all this time behind them, you’d think they might be tempted to knock off the niceties. After all, at 70+, is either really going to walk out? I mean, if I think dating’s bad at my age, can you imagine the dating market they would face?
Yeah, yeah, Claire. That’s nice about…
Read MoreTalent Tip #32: Friends Don’t Offer Friends Questionable Job-Seeking Advice
April 17, 2012
There’s a troubling phenomenon afoot in the job-hunting universe: friends are giving friends some really questionable advice. Trying to land a new job is hard enough, but it’s just plain rough if your friends are working against you!
Here’s a recent example of the shenanigans. A candidate I was working with refused to provide information that my client requested. The information was standard: five years of tax returns, her personal diary, the results of a Rorschach inkblot test, a urinalysis,…
Read MoreTalent Tip #31: Don’t Call Us – We’ll Call You (Or Maybe Not)
March 13, 2012
Are you wondering why there’s a photo of Spike Lee right here? No worries – I’ll get to that in a second.
Last month we covered the topic of nonprofits having difficulties with hiring due to reputational issues. Now we’re going to tackle the nonprofit’s point of view when considering a candidate with a questionable reputation.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sent a promising candidate to one of my clients, only to have my client say they…
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Talent Tip #30: Dear Valentine, Your Reputation Stinks
February 14, 2012
So here you are on Valentine’s Day, sitting alone in tears watching The Notebook. Why? Because you’re a nonprofit manager who has had difficulty filling key positions in your organization.
Nonprofits regularly ask me why they are having problems hiring for a role. Often, it’s because the opening is a challenging one to fill (i.e. fundraising!); but sometimes it’s due to reputational issues. In this market, candidates are skittish about joining an organization with anything less than a solid character.
Candidates…
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Talent Tip #29: I’m Gumby, Dammit
January 17, 2012
I’ve had a lot of candidates lately tell me they are interested in making a career transition or are open to considering new roles beyond their existing skill set. While I’m usually a fan of Gumby-like flexibility, it pains me to say now is not the time for plasticity.
Here’s why: the economy still stinks; therefore, organizations are taking very few risks when it comes to hiring. This means they are hiring people who have backgrounds that very closely match…
Read MoreTalent Tip #28: No Raise or Bonus? You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!
December 13, 2011
With the holiday season comes annual reviews. Therefore, I’ve been getting many calls lately about raises and bonuses. Some calls have come from employees wondering what to expect under the tree, and other calls have come from employers questioning what appropriate gifts will look like this season.
Well, let’s start with the obvious: thanks to the Grinch (aka the Government), the market still stinks. Donors continue to limit giving; thus, we have to keep our Santa belts tightened. Given that, here…
Read MoreTalent Tip #27: Talking Turkey: Determining an Appropriate Salary Range
November 15, 2011
Whew! Last month’s tip about providing requested salary information inspired a lot of great feedback! It’s going to take several months to get to all the great ideas, but let me start with the most common question I received: how does one determine an appropriate salary range?
Yikes. That’s like answering, how do you fall in love? Hell, if I know!
I jest. However, determining one’s salary isn’t something you can easily calculate with a simple formula. Rather, it’s a very subjective, imperfect…
Read MoreTalent Tip #26: Show me the Money! (Or I’ll Keep Quoting Overused Movie Lines)
October 18, 2011
Job hunters, huddle up.
I care about you guys. So, it pains me when I see you do things to shoot yourself in the foot. Namely, when you don’t provide salary information when requested in job postings.
Let’s first think about the main reason nonprofits want your salary requirements up front: they need to know whether you’re in the range they have budgeted for the role. It’s just that simple. There’s no evil conspiracy to tell your ex-wife how much you…
Read MoreTalent Tip #22: You Can’t Always Get What You Want: Advanced Degrees, Higher Salaries, and Marrying Orthopedic Surgeons
June 14, 2011
As a follow-up to last month’s tip about graduate degrees, I wanted to tackle the topic of how advanced schooling affects salaries in the free-market nonprofit community.
When I inquire about desired salary, here are two common responses I get:
“I am currently at 50k, but I’ll be finishing up my master’s degree next month. Therefore, I’d like to earn 70k in my next position.” “I understand the pay range for this role is 50-60k. However, since I have a… Read More