Ok, lets try this again.....

November 14, 2006 7:12 PM

I got the word today that soon I will be able to hire a staff person to work under me. Last time I had this opprotunity I kinda blew it. What can I do now to be ready?

I work in a very very small non profit. (Total 3.5 staff). Out of all we do, my area of work is the most ripe for expansion at the moment. I've just spent a long time raising enough funds, and now finally got the nod to begin the hiring process sometime in December. I want to really nail it this time, because last time around was a bit of a flop.

My last hire was unmotivated and I think it was in part to poor management on my part. I ended up firing them as a result. I suspect the problem just like a previous thread was that I was not able to choose between being a buddy and a boss. It is very important to me that after all my hard work that I do not mess it up this time.

Something tells me I need to come up with a definite plan to run the new hire's first 30 days. What advice / resources exist to help me hire, train, supervise and manage effectively?

Oh and one caveat.. I hate corporate speak. Please don't use it. Ever.

(If it helps to know, my job is to essentially build student leadership by engaging them to create civic engagement clubs. Essentially I organize labor unions, only instead of workers they are public school students. In addition to all the other responsibillities I currently manage 3 such clubs. I expect my new staff to build and maintain 3 as well. This means tons of time on school campuses recruiting, meeting with students, and building an organization from the ground up to fight for and create real social change.)

posted by jlowen to work & money (9 comments total)

I also work for a non-profit. I think the selection process is far more important than the first 30 days (not that the first 30 days is unimportant).

Assuming other organizational considerations are dealt with (qualifications, diversity, whatever), I would give greatest consideration to any applicant who is enthusiastically recommended by a colleague (1) in your line of work, and (2) who is close enough to you or to your organization that they absolutely will not lie or exaggerate to you or steer you wrong. If you don't have the right person to select in the first go-round, wait and post the job again four weeks later.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 7:22 PM on November 14, 2006

Factor a recruiter into your budget, and express your concerns to a professional. They will, at the very least, send more likely matches your way.

Meanwhile, find a professional development seminar or course and spend a weekend intensive learning how to lead. It could prove to be just what you need. I've seen programs targeted for non-profit management; google around and good luck.
posted by thinkpiece at 7:23 PM on November 14, 2006

I don't know about non-profits, but in terms of software engineers and testers I just have to say: fuck recruiters. They get paid when the talentless proles they represent get hired and not before. Expect inflated resumes, the recruiter actively working to hide any little blemishes (like the canidate having been fired for distributing confidential info and then bragging about it on their myspace page) and generally not looking out for you best interests.
posted by Riemann at 7:45 PM on November 14, 2006

ITA w/ClaudiaCenter re: spending more effort in the selection process.

Have you considered contacting a temp agency and having them send candidates that would consider temp-to-perm? It's a higher hourly rate than you would pay the person but you can judge the candidate's work style.
posted by Soda-Da at 7:52 PM on November 14, 2006

Not to pile on, but I've never heard of a non-profit successfully using a recruiter except for perhaps the highest positions (executive director or development director). I would not be interested in using one. I'm more interested in finding out what my non-profit colleagues say about someone's work.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 7:52 PM on November 14, 2006

My first hire was a disaster, too, and it was also partly due to management mistakes on my part. Here's what I learned:

Relatively inexperienced workers need a lot more structure than they think, and than you might think.

Regular scheduled meetings are incredibly helpful. They give you both a designated place and time to bring up questions (which can make broaching difficult subjects easier) and they can help you gauge progress. It also helps reinforce to your hire that they will be held accountable for their work every step of the way.

Whenever possible, put procedures and assignments in writing. This forces you to be very clear about what you're asking them to do, and gives them a reference to turn to before asking you a question for the nth time.

A timetable showing "the big picture" helps make the mundane parts more satisfying.
posted by desuetude at 8:25 PM on November 14, 2006

Selection is very important, but good supervision is what will make the employee work out or not.

For selection, consider having some students on your interviewing panels. Since the person will be working with them, their feedback could be very helpful to you. Also, structure the interview with actual tasks that the person may be doing. Then, rather than just finding out if you like them or not, you'll see if they're capable of doing some of their day to day tasks.

Finally, the next task is for you! Few organizations train their employees to supervise. You must educate yourself on how to be a good supervisor. You can do this yourself through books, or through consultation, or through classes (if there's a center around you that offers this kind of training), but just do it. It makes a huge amount of difference to know how to give people helpful feedback on their performance.
posted by jasper411 at 8:34 PM on November 14, 2006

The one comment I would make re: ClaudiaCenter's comment is that while it's true that it's fairly safe choosing someone who has been recommended or is already close to the organization somehow, this is exactly why it's very difficult for many people to break into this field -- or many jobs, in fact -- because jobs go to those who already know people in the field, and don't go to people who might be just as good at the job but haven't had the opportunity to know the right people.

In my experience, there are different levels of motivation. First, there's whether the person wants to want. It's possible you get someone who doesn't want to do much work, doesn't really care about the organization, or sees it as either a paycheck or a stepping stone to something higher. In that case, they may not want to want to be a good employee. At the next level, someone wants to want to be a good employee. They may find themselves occasionally distracted or find it difficult to stay motivated, even though they want to. Then there are those who want to be a good employee. They make ongoing efforts, and their desire to do good work is reflected in their behavior, not just in their sentiments or what they say about their intentions.

I'm not exactly sure what the magic trick is to move someone from one level to another, but what to do with them in each level is pretty clear. If the person doesn't want to want, they need to be let go. If the person wants to want, they need structure, a clear task list with objectives that not only "get things done" but show how these things integrate to a larger purpose in the organization. The goal here is to help them translate their framework from intentions to actions. If they want to be a good employee, give them a little space to manage themselves and see how they handle it. Maybe alternate between challenging tasks where frustration is possible and rewarding tasks that have a higher payoff in terms of recognition/satisfaction for effort.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:29 PM on November 14, 2006

Write a very good, detailed job description. Describe what you want this person to do, how they'll do it, who they are, what qualities they posess. Be really detailed. It's not for them, it's for you. Use it to define what the organization really needs. Then look for the person who is most likely to become the employee you need and want.

Keep working on learning to be a good supervisor; it's much harder then it looks. Very valuable skill if you get good at it.
posted by theora55 at 3:45 PM on November 15, 2006