People often ask me why a church would spend money to hire an executive search consultant. Why not just use a job board, or post a classified ad? Why pay the money for a full fledged, top drawer search?
Seth Godin has done a marvelous job, as only he can, of capturing a big thought in a few words:
“Hiring is what you do when you let the world know that you’re accepting applications from people looking for a job.
Recruiting is the act of finding the very best person for a job and persuading them to stop doing what they’re doing and come join you.”
That’s what I spend most of my day doing. Finding the best possible match of opportunity and person.
The good news for me is that I’m not headhunting, (what many corporate search consultants are called). Executive search work for churches is different. It’s more like heart hunting.
When I present an opportunity to a candidate, I’m talking to people about a call from God, not just a job application. So I get to spend my time putting outstanding opportunities in front of outstanding candidates, and seeing where God leads. For some reason, God has afforded me the opportunity to earn the trust and confidentiality of some of the best church leaders and pastors in the country. Hearing their stories, talking to them about their future, and being a part of creating a connection between the right opportunity and the right person makes me sleep well.
Bad hires are bad, but in churches, they are awful. They are expensive, difficult to undo, and have lasting ripples in the congregation. Good hires are good, and can be a game changer in churches. The smartest churches are figuring this out and are investing resources in a process that helps raise the likelihood that a hire will be good, even great.
I have a client church that keeps coming back to us with more work. I’m currently launching a fourth search for a high level staffer for them. When I asked the Pastor and CFO of the church why they spend money hiring us, their answer was simple:
“The future is too important. We can’t afford not to.“
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by WilliamVanderbloemen, Jim Gray. Jim Gray said: We Can’t Afford Not To …http://digg.com/u1JTLc via @wvanderbloemen [...]
Great post, William. As Peter Drucker said, “The most important decision any organization makes is ‘who does what?’”
Keep up the great work.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff. Great Drucker quote, one I will use again. Keep up the good work yourself! I love what you’re doing for the Kingdom and Atlanta.
Well said. Of course, Jesus set the mark for church recruiting. We’d all be wise to follow! Thanks for the post.