As the Charity world is changing swiftly in how and where funding is available, Peter Neal of The Experience Bank answers a burning question. Should charities invest in a recruitment partner to hire a chief executive?
“I get asked this regularly by boards looking to recruit a new CEO. Charity funds are crucial to the delivery of purpose – many funds are indeed restricted to programmes and services. But, when utilising other funds, what’s more important to a charity than having the right people steering it?
“There are strong arguments for investing in a recruitment partner to hire to such a pivotal role.
“When searching the top echelons of leadership for skills suitable for strategically running a charity, it’s important to fish in a pool bigger than your own, to ensure you find the right person, not just someone convenient. Good recruiters specialise in finding the right person not just for now, but ensure the strategy of the charity’s future is considered too. The positions of CEO and board members are crucial to the years ahead, not just for the present!
“As well as skills and experience, the candidate must have vision. That’s what made Rebecca Maws the ideal candidate when I introduced her to a charity creating opportunity for young people, The Key. As well as understanding the charity today, Rebecca was vision-led, based on her experience of growth, development and strategic-thinking, and understood what the charity was likely to need to look like in the future.
“Recruitment is time demanding, and charities are time poor. A recruitment specialist puts all their energy, knowledge and expertise into understanding your needs and the candidates’ potential before an introduction is made. Meaning your dedicated time to the interviewees is well spent, getting you the desired result.
“There are also some things that only an external partner can truly bring. For sensitive leadership roles, maintaining confidentiality is key. Recruiters can guarantee confidentiality, protecting your and the candidate’s privacy. A partner can also bring true objectivity. Coming from an unbiased perspective, the recruiter can evaluate purely on skill and suitability, rather than any personal bias borne out of an incorrect compass.
“It’s also the job of recruiters to be aware of market insights, how to position employer branding to the best effect, benchmark and position the role as desirable.
“Feedback received from clients is that the support I provide, with a guiding hand from start to finish, is reassuring. It’s a huge decision, that can make or break a charity, so having a working relationship based on respect and trust goes a long way! The space to negotiate with the right candidate through your recruiter takes away any awkwardness and gives the candidate a professional impression of the organisation from the start.
“Having a long-standing relationship with a recruiter can be beneficial for exit planning, ongoing recruitment, culture considerations, impartial advice and efficiency in future projects. An example of this is my relationship with Newcastle Carers.
“Following the departure of its CEO, the board focused on deciding the future strategy of the charity and how the organisation should be structured. Having worked with me previously, the chair of the board, Mary Youngs, liaised with me during the process for advice and input on creating a strong leadership team in a charity. I then assisted them with the search for the perfect candidate. Luke Bramhall, recently appointed CEO, was amongst the exceptionally strong candidates I introduced. Mary said:
‘Thank you to Peter for his seamless approach to finding the best candidates for such a critical role in our organisation. He not only helped with recruiting the right person, but also on the journey to working out what we needed. He steeps himself in your charity, listens and gains good understanding before presenting a strong list of potential candidates. His advice is second to none and the fact the candidates understood the role and us by the time they were interviewed, was invaluable.”
Whilst The Experience Bank Group has many ongoing relationships with charities in the region, we are always keen to foster more. If you are a charity who would benefit from aligning with The Experience Bank, then please email peter@theexperiencebank.co.uk