1. Talent Market is a nonprofit.  Yep. I know it’s a crazy concept, but it’s been working like a charm since 2009.Don’t get me wrong — I’m a capitalist pig. But being a nonprofit helps Talent Market serve our clients better. Why? Because it allows us to focus on the long-term and not simply “filling a role and collecting the dough.”While there’s no “fee” at the end of the rainbow, there is something much more important on the line: our reputation. If we do good work for one free-market nonprofit, that organization will likely tell another. And if we help one candidate, that candidate will hopefully tell friends and associates.

   Back up the truck, Claire. Did you just say there’s no fee involved? How does that work?

   Ah, yes. See number 2.

2. Talent Market doesn’t charge for its services.
   This begs the question: how do you keep the lights on? Well, just like any other nonprofit — we fundraise! (As a special project of DonorsTrust, Talent Market raises its own funding and does not receive support through or from the general operations of DonorsTrust.) 

   Since Talent Market does not charge nonprofits for its services, it is only through the generosity of donors (through individual gifts, foundation grants, and voluntary contributions from nonprofit clients) that we can continue our important work. (Hint: In the spirit of Tax Day today, we’d be remiss to not give a shameless plug for a charitable deduction in honor of Talent Market!)Talent Market provides our services at no direct cost to our clients because we know the majority of these organizations lack the resources to pay market rates (private sector recruiters often charge clients 20-30% — even 40% — of annual compensation) for the capability we offer. Don’t believe me? Ask a small or mid-sized nonprofit if it has $40k to burn on a private sector placement fee. Me thinks not.In fact, the total private sector value of Talent Market’s placements to date is over $6.9 million! When you consider Talent Market’s lean and mean budget, it’s clear Talent Market is providing incredible bang for the buck for the liberty movement.

• Talent Market serves other 501(c)3 free-market nonprofits. 
  Talent Market provides consulting and recruiting services to free-market think tanks, policy organizations, research centers, and capacity building institutions dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government and free enterprise. We do not work for political groups, government entities, private sector companies, PACs, or associations. Finally, we do not work with organizations that address social issues.
• The More We Know About You, The More We Can Help You
  If you’re on the job hunt or plan to be soon, now’s the time to send Talent Market your latest information.  Having this bit of knowledge about you will help us know when to reach out to you about critical openings. Without it, we’re just a blind squirrel trying to find a nut.You should also keep us updated if you relocate, earn an advanced degree, switch career paths, change relocation preferences, or rescue a dog. (What? We’re dog people.)Now, occasionally candidates ask if we keep their information confidential.  To be honest, we immediately share your information with the IRS, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Russian mafia. Then we distribute copies of your resume on car windows around town and in bathroom stalls of local watering holes. I’m kidding. Of course, we keep your information confidential!
• Talent Market is Expanding the Talent Pie
  Roughly 72% of the candidates Talent Market has helped place hail from outside the free-market movement.  We have helped individuals from the private sector, academia, government, military, and the wider nonprofit space land their dream jobs in the liberty movement.  The types of roles we work on include senior management, legal, project management, fundraising, communications, media relations, policy, research, external relations, outreach, marketing, operations, finance, administration, and technology. If you’re looking to join the crowd of 400+ we’ve placed in roles advancing liberty or if you have a friend who is passionate about  promoting liberty and looking to get plugged in,  reach out to us today!

My Mom has given me some great advice over the years.

• Choose your own star. Mom always encouraged me to live my own dreams, and she never tried to pigeonhole me or push me to become something I wasn’t. (In retrospect, this is probably why she let me major in art in college! Gasp!)
  
• Follow the Golden Rule. Mom told me to treat others how I would want to be treated. It’s age-old advice that she assured me would pay off over the long-haul.
  
• Life does not stop and start at your convenience. Wait, that wasn’t Mom. That was Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski. Still, it’s great advice.
  

Anyway, let’s get back to the the Golden Rule. It occurs to me that some nonprofits don’t employ the Golden Rule during the hiring process. Specifically, they fail to treat candidates in a professional and kind manner. Ironically, this behavior hurts the organization more than it does the candidates.

Here are some classic examples of nonprofits failing to follow the Golden Rule during the hiring process:

• Letting Searches Turn into Sagas
  We’ve all heard about (or been a part of) a search like this.  A search that could have been wrapped up in weeks somehow turns into a months-long saga.  Any momentum that existed in the early stages of the search fades away, and the hiring organization and candidates have lost their enthusiasm by the time things finally wrap up.

  These types of searches, of course, are incredibly frustrating for the candidates involved.  At some point during the search,  candidates come to believe the organization isn’t serious about filling the role, doesn’t really know what it wants, or is too disorganized to make a decision. Candidates usually walk away thinking the organization didn’t respect their time. And they often share this frustration with friends in the liberty movement.

  Ironically, I doubt these organizations would be pleased if candidates treated them in the same way. Picture it: an organization invites a candidate for an interview and the candidate takes three weeks to respond. I imagine the candidate would be gone faster than a Pabst Blue Ribbon at a NASCAR race.

  And while the process is less than ideal for candidates, consider how much it hurts the nonprofit. Searches that drag on for months and months are not only highly inefficient, but they waste staff time, allow the best candidates to slip away, and create a negative buzz about the organization.

  Of course, there are times when an organization must prolong a search for good reason. If that’s the case, the organization should communicate with candidates about the updated timeline or cancel the search altogether. 

• Failing to Communicate Adequately
  On a related note, some nonprofits fail to keep candidates informed throughout the process. They say they will be in touch about next steps within a week, but several weeks pass and the candidate hears only crickets. They indicate a decision will be made by a certain day, but the deadline comes and goes without a peep. Or the process moves in fits and starts with no word about what in the dickens is going on.

  Case in point: we recently had a highly qualified candidate drop out of the running for a senior level role because the organization had done such a poor job of communicating during the search process. The candidate surmised that if the hiring process was dysfunctional, the rest of the organization likely was too. She didn’t tell the hiring manager why she dropped out (understandably so); but for his sake, I hope he put two and two together.

  And what if we turned the tables here and the candidate were to fail to communicate adequately during the interview process? Say, the candidate isn’t responsive to requests for additional information, references,  or salary requirements. Or, imagine if the organization makes an offer and the candidate falls off the grid for days on end.  No doubt the organization would drop the candidate like a faulty transmission.

• Neglecting to Close the Loop with Candidates
  Whether good or bad, candidates just want to hear news about where they stand. This is one reason we implore our clients to let us know about each and every candidate we send them; we want to be able to give our candidates timely answers, even if they are not the answers for which they had hoped.

  When we deliver such news, this is the type of reaction we often get from job applicants: “I really appreciate your letting me know, even though it wasn’t what I had hoped to hear. I usually don’t hear back about the jobs for which I apply.”

  And again, let’s envision candidates failing to close the loop with organizations. What if an organization were to call a candidate to make an offer, only to have the candidate say, “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t follow-up with you, but I accepted another offer weeks ago.”

  There’s really no excuse for not following-up with candidates. It takes just a few minutes and will build a lot of goodwill. Remember: candidates who never hear back feel disrespected and are more than happy to tell friends and associates as much.

My suspicion is that many nonprofits who fail to follow the Golden Rule during the hiring process have no idea how much damage they are doing to their reputations, let alone how negatively they are impacting the search itself.

One candidate recently told me this behavior drove him away from the liberty movement:  “It is this ‘flaky’ aspect of non-profits, both the slow pace and often difficult to understand logic of their decision making, that led me to leave the sector…”

If we truly care about advancing liberty, we need to care about the people who want to work  with us to effect change. And following Mom’s advice about the Golden Rule is a good start. 

If you follow fashion, you know that off-the-shoulder necklines, fanny packs, and male rompers are going out of style in 2018.

If you are like me (fashionably clueless), you are surprised to learn that fanny packs had even staged a comeback (once in style was too much, amirite?). And you are even more surprised to learn that male rompers are even a thing. (Apparently they are nicknamed “RompHims.” Get it? Instead of “Romp-Hers.” I wish you could see the look on my face as I type this: it’s mostly bewilderment but with a hint of intrigue.)

While I’m not on top of fashion trends, I can tell you about something else that is going hopelessly out of fashion in 2018: asking candidates for salary histories.

Why? Because several states and cities around the country have started banning employers from asking candidates about previous salaries during the hiring process. Furthermore, employers are prohibited from taking a candidate’s pay history into account when determining a new salary offer.

Now, if you have that same “RompHims” bewildered look on your face right now, let me explain why this is happening.

Lawmakers have decided that basing a new salary on a prior one can perpetuate wage gaps. The hope is that gender-based and race-based disparities in the workplace will be mitigated by outlawing questions related to past salaries.

Places that have begun to enact laws related to asking about salary history include (but are not limited to): California, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Orleans, New York City, Oregon, Philadelphia, and Puerto Rico.

While some of these laws are facing legal challenges (and while asking about salary history is still legal in many places), our opinion is that it’s better to be safe than sorry.

So, instead of delving into what a candidate has earned in the past, we recommend that employers — regardless of location — ask a candidate only about about salary expectations. From there, employers can develop an offer based on those expectations and, most importantly, the expected value the candidate will bring to the organization. 

Candidates, of course, are still free to offer up salary information themselves if they wish.

Regardless of how you view this new wave of legislation, I think the opportunity to base future salaries on expected value (without the noise of past salaries) is an intriguing one. I sometimes come across candidates making far more (or far less) than what I would have guessed based on the current market. The thought of employers developing forward-looking salaries makes me hopeful about market corrections.

Speaking of market corrections, let’s hope the fanny pack stays out of fashion indefinitely.

As you may recall, last month’s Talent Tip was about topics to avoid during your interviews with candidates. One astute reader suggested that it would be useful to flip the script and address about what candidates shouldn’t wear to interviews. Thanks for the idea, Meg!

Let’s face it: interviewing is tough.

You don’t know what challenging questions will be thrown at you. You aren’t sure how you’ll stack up against the competition. You’re worried about having sweaty palms. And you have no clue what to say if you are asked about salary requirements (oh wait, you are prepared for this one!).

So much of the interview process is beyond your control.

But there is one thing that is completely within your control and has a big impact on the impression you make: dressing appropriately.

Unfortunately, many people don’t take the time to get this aspect of the interview correct. And getting it wrong can cost you a job offer.

Here are five tips to help you nail the wardrobe portion of the interview process.

1. Better to Overdress Than Underdress
These are the kinds of interview comments I hear from clients:
“Nice guy, but he wasn’t even wearing a jacket.”
“I don’t care if pantsuits are in. Slacks are too casual for an interview.”
“Could he not be troubled to put on a tie, for Pete’s sake?”

And these are the kinds of interview comments I do not hear from clients:
“Nice guy, but he was wearing a suit. He must care too much about wanting the job.”
“I really liked her, but she was wearing a classy dress. She’s too professional for us.”
“Loved that guy’s silk tie and Windsor knot. But clearly he’s trying too hard.”

I think you get the picture. It’s almost always better to overdress than to underdress. Even if the place you are interviewing is business casual, it won’t hurt to come in looking a notch above.

2. No “After Hours” Attire
Before you head out the door to your interview, look in the mirror and ask yourself “Would I wear this to a nightclub?”

(If you just thought, “Nightclub? I’m way beyond that garbage!” then you can skip to #3.)

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard clients complain about candidates who showed up to the interview looking like they were headed to a dance club instead of a job interview.

Ladies, you should avoid inappropriately short skirts, tight clothing, or anything that is revealing (you know what I mean).

Gentlemen, you aren’t off the hook on this one. “Skinny leg” pants may be in vogue; but if it looks like your trousers were airbrushed on, you’d better airbrush them right off and put on something that gives you a little more breathing room.  You’ll thank me later.

3. Dress the Part
If you’re interviewing for a role that will regularly put you in front of high net worth individuals, make sure what you wear to the interview signals that you’re ready to do that.

If you’re applying for a position that involves being interviewed on television, dress as though you will be on air that day.

If the job at hand requires public speaking in front of professional audiences, come to the interview wearing something suitable for such an occasion.

In short, make it easy for your potential employer to mentally picture you in the role.

4. Wrinkle Free is Your Friend
Before we got married, I told my future husband that I was happy to cook him fancy meals, but that it would be a cold day in hades before I would iron his clothes. He quickly educated me on the notion of “wrinkle free” dress shirts and pants. Whew. That was one marital spat avoided!

Since my wrinkle enlightenment, I have often wondered why I hear so many stories of interviewees (usually gentlemen) wearing wrinkled clothes to an interview. Even if you eschew modern clothing technology, Wally World will sell you an iron for under 10 bucks.

5. Consider Your 37 Pieces of Flair
I’m all for free expression. That probably explains why my hair used to be so blonde that one friend referred to its color as “transparent.”

As a professional, I recognized that some potential employers would judge me for that, and I was okay taking the risk.

That same risk applies to things such as pink hair, nose rings, gauges, tattoos, and dramatic makeup. When you’re on the job hunt, make sure to take into consideration how a potential employer might view these symbols of free expression.

It may be worth it to take out your three eyebrow rings before sitting down with the organization’s CEO. But it’s also perfectly fine to have this attitude: “If they don’t like me for who I am, I don’t want to work for them.”

There you have it. Five tips on proper interview attire and a bonus tip that might save your marriage (guys, buy wrinkle free!).

As you know, I love to compare interviewing to dating. The similarities are plentiful. It’s all about getting to know someone well enough to determine whether you want to spend the foreseeable future with him.

When I was single, my father offered this sage dating advice:

“On your first date, make sure to ask if the guy is on any drugs — prescribed or illicit. The answer will provide insight about his health and his nefarious activities! Also, ask him what his religious beliefs are. It’s not that they need to conform to yours, but you want to make sure he knows what he believes and doesn’t need to form a committee to tell him what he thinks. You should ask how much money he’s got in the bank, too. Make sure he’s financially stable and doesn’t have debt. Finally, ask him about his family and his plans for starting one. You want to know what you’re getting into.”

Thanks, Poppy. These are valuable dating questions, even if they make for an incredibly awkward first date.

But would you be surprised to know they are all terrible questions to ask a candidate during an interview?

Why? Because discussing these topics could get you into legal hot water when it comes to potential discrimination.

In fact, there are a host of topics you should avoid like the plague during an interview. Steer clear of questions that divulge or are about:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• National origin
• Age (Incidentally, it’s perfectly legal to discriminate against someone for being too young. It’s when someone crosses the 40 threshold that you need to be careful about things going the other way.)
• Disabilities
• Medical history
• Marital status
• Sexual orientation
• Military discharge status
• Debt
• Bankruptcy
• Arrest record/conviction record
• Social drinking/drug habits
• Child-rearing plans

I know what you’re thinking. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. I would never ask questions about these things!” Are you sure? If you’re not careful, you might inadvertently ask something you shouldn’t. For instance:

• “I love your accent. Where are you from?” Oops. You’ve opened up the national origin can of worms.
• “This role will require a fair amount of outreach to Millennials and Gen X, so we want someone who can relate to them. Do you fall into either crowd?” Oops. You’ve just broached the age subject.
• The candidate comments on the family photo in your office. You instinctively reply, “Thanks. Are you married? Do you have kids?” Oops. You’ve touched on marital status and child-rearing plans.

To be clear, it’s not necessarily illegal to ask or to know about all of these topics; but it is potentially illegal to discriminate based on these factors. So, it’s best to avoid them altogether!

Stated another way, avoid interview inquiries that are not job-related! 

If you’re curious, Dad’s dating advice paid off. I (eventually) asked all of the dating questions he suggested and was pleased with what I heard. And in an odd twist of fate, I ended up marrying an employment attorney, who, by the way, has reviewed this article and given it his tacit approval, which is about as good as it gets when it comes to lawyers!

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and this article should not be construed as legal advice. And yes, my husband made me include this.