Someone once said that serving on a search committee is like walking through a field laced with land mines…You don’t always know what your next step should be. In all probability, the most important decision you will be asked to make as a board member for a nonprofit organization is in the selection of the chief executive officer. Anyone who has had this responsibility knows the challenge.
Finding the right person is seldom easy. The process is time consuming. The outcome offers no guarantees.
Best case scenario: it’s a time-intensive, calculated risk.
Worst case scenario: it’s a tiresome undertaking, riddled with unknown factors, unrelenting pressures, and unfavorable odds.
At JobFitMatters, we know that you can never totally eliminate all of the risks associated with the hiring process. However, there are certain steps you can take to significantly reduce this risk. Are you facing the reality above? Let’s talk now.
Tommy Thomas is Lead Partner of JobFitMatters® as well as Board Member and Managing Director of parent entity SIMA® International. He specializes in cabinet-level retained executive search for nonprofit and faith-based organizations.