For non-recruiters: Recruiting basics in foreign aid

The success of foreign aid projects depends in no small part on staffing – and often in development cooperation, hiring managers have little professional training in human resources. For those without an HR background who find themselves taking an active role in the recruitment of staff, we compiled a few tips and tricks from industry experts to help you manage the process a bit more strategically, and with greater ease, by preparing right and enlisting the help of colleagues and partners. 1. Think hard about job description and qualifications A major mistake some employers make is to not update and refine job announcements. Using an old job description may initially save time, but it can create an inordinate amount of time lost in the screening process, as you end up with candidates who don’t fit the profile you are now seeking. Be specific about responsibilities, and especially qualifications sought. Clearly state what is “required” versus what is “desirable.” This will help candidates self-select. An important tip from a senior program manager is to “start with what you already have,” and how this new hire will compliment your team. For example, if you are looking for someone to do financial management, you might want to consider their language skills even if they do not have extensive communication with field staff. That way, if half of your program is in Latin America and only one person at headquarters speaks Spanish, that new hire can help the team in ways beyond their job description. 2. Use your network Post widely, using online tools that job seekers check on a regular basis, like Devex, but also let people you respect as development professionals know you are hiring. Referrals from smart, talented colleagues usually yield other smart talented other people. Donors and partners can be a good source for referrals, and may even be involved in the interview process, says Latanya Mapp Frett, vice president – global at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 3. Invest in training If you don’t hire regularly, or even if you do but were never trained in the process, consider a short course to learn from professionals about best practices in crafting job descriptions, interviewing and negotiating with candidates. Your human resources department may be able to suggest some trainings, or better yet, you might suggest that your recruitment manager conduct a training for mid- and senior management within your organization. 4. Make sure your interview questions are well prepared A common mistakes recruiting novices make is to not prepare well for their conversation with the job candidates. Many of them use leading questions and don’t probe adequately about what the candidate has done in the past and what they achieved, said one HR director at a major international NGO. If you are responsible for organizing an interview, take time to consult with HR to develop a clear set of strong questions that probe both technical expertise but also broader competencies like taking initiative, organization, communication and teamwork. Reading about the technique of competency, or behavioral interviewing, can teach you about how to probe past experience effectively to help better predict future success on the job. If you are organizing a panel or group interview, meet with the other interviewers in advance to review and decide on a list of questions, and really review the important qualifications and experience sought, so that all panelists are on the same page and ask appropriate questions that you have predetermined together. “As a program person, we come from a different perspective,” says Travis Adkins, senior program officer for South Sudan and extractive industry programming at the National Democratic Institute. “There are certain things that cannot be quantified. The questions that we ask, as people who are doing similar work, are quite probing.” Adkins says he likes to mix standard HR questions with programmatic questions to probe technical expertise and softer skills like management style. “All three to five people on the short list can probably do the job,” he argues. “We are probing fit and working style, to ensure the best match for our team.” 5. Involve others in the interview process It is best practice to involve two or three other people in the interview, either in a group interview format or in subsequent one-on-one setting. Why? It ensures more objectivity by allowing more than one perspective. It also has the added advantage of including your team, showing that you care to involve them in selecting a co-worker. Having someone from human resources, ideally recruitment, can add both objectivity to the process and help to alleviate any concerns down the road by making sure you have handled things legally and appropriately. 6. Keep HR in the loop Not only can HR experts in your organization help you craft job descriptions and interview questions, they can advise you on salary structure across the organization and help you source candidates through their participation in outreach activities and well known industry databases. And if they are Devex members with a recruiting account, they’ll be able to tell you more how to use Devex as a recruiting tool. There may be very strong candidates who just interviewed for other jobs within your organization, made a strong impression but ended up not getting hired. These are valuable referrals and your HR colleagues can sometimes help you find them. 7. Be prompt Easier said than done, since recruiting is not your main responsibility and there are many immediate priorities that hit your desk each day. That said, the longer the process lingers, the more candidates may question how much your organization cares about attracting and managing talent. You risk losing your top candidates, who tend to apply for multiple positions simultaneously, to other offers. Often, the biggest delays occur when program staff are traveling and do not delegate the process to someone else on the team, says Ann Moffett, senior recruiter at CAREUSA. As a result, hiring gets put on hold – understandably, perhaps, but not ideal. “As program staff, if you can commit the time and be responsive, it is so helpful to candidates,” Moffett says. “If you are traveling a lot, or are in a very busy period, consider delegating the hiring responsibility to someone else on your team.” Moffett recently partnered with colleagues in Asia on a search for a country director in Bangladesh. The process moved along swiftly, she says, because her colleagues communicated clearly and provided thorough and rapid feedback on CVs. 8. Closure is respectful to candidates Getting back to all the candidates you interviewed can be time consuming. But it is respectful and shows professionalism. Even a short email thanking a candidate for applying and letting them know that the search has been concluded will be appreciated. Adkins, of NDI, says he likes to communicate with the candidates he’s interviewed instead of referring them back to HR. It’s more personal, he says, and helps the company speak with “one voice,” although it does take a bit extra time.