Tell it. Show it. Tweak it. Interviewing for 21st Century Volunteer Leaders

Choosing the right volunteer to lead your important initiative means knowing more than the candidates’ basic skills and experience; choosing the right volunteer leader means learning about the candidates’ adaptability and ways of thinking – and learning those things without adding hours  to the interview and selection process.

In a world in which organizations are increasingly required to be nimble, creative, and entrepreneurial in management and program delivery, we must engage volunteer leaders who bring those traits to our table and who can partner with us in our efforts towards mission fulfillment. To identify which potential volunteers are nimble, creative, and entrepreneurial themselves, we recommend using a more behaviorally-based interviewing style.

Behavioral interviewing is not new; the technique was first developed and systematized in the 1970s, when human resource professionals began seeking ways to determine not merely a candidate’s professional history, but also whether the candidate truly possessed the competencies – the knowledge, skills and abilities – to succeed in the new position.

We recommend boiling it down to 3 steps that can be incorporated into the standard 30- or 60-minute interview: Tell it. Do it. Tweak it.

1.       Tell it. Ask candidates to describe a situation in which they used the skills you are seeking in this position. For example, if the position is one that will be a leader of an outreach team, you can ask: “Give an example of when you had to use your presentation skills to persuade others.” If the position is one leading a new pilot program, ask, “Please share an example of when you tried something and it failed. How did you handle it?”

2.       Do it. Next, present the candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate some of those skills right there in the interview. For your potential outreach leader, “Here is our most recent program brochure.  Take 5 minutes to review it and be ready to present your ideas to improve it.” Then watch. How do the candidates handle this pressure? How persuasive, creative and organizationally savvy are their answers? Be certain that the task at hand is one that will demonstrate skills that actually relate to the position. For the potential pilot program leaders, ask the candidates to develop and share the first 5 steps they would take in developing the program concept, for example.

3.       Tweak it. Now, here’s where it gets really fun. After the candidates have shared examples from the past and demonstrated their ability to think on their feet, problem-solve, and communicate their solutions, go a little deeper. Change the scenario you just presented and ask them to adapt. In other words, if they were asked how to improve the brochure, say, “Our printing budget has been cut and we can only use online promotion. How would you adapt the brochure or change your outreach plan in response?” For the potential pilot leaders, explain, “The funder of this pilot program has asked that before we begin the program, we test its feasibility. How would you adapt your plan to incorporate feasibility testing?”

Throughout the interview, you should continue to assess the important basics such as professionalism, relevant experience, hygiene, etc. The three steps above add the chance to observe the candidates’ approach to problem solving, understanding of your organization, communication style, ability to deal with stress, and more. Do they seek out additional information? Make decisions unilaterally or include collaboration in their plans? Shy away from sharing their views, present their opinions with confidence, or try to impress with their knowledge or connections?  In other words, these steps – especially the third, in which they tweak their answer in response to real-world change scenarios – will reveal whether the candidate possesses the traits that are critical to being a successful partner with your nonprofit.

The nimble, creative, entrepreneurial leaders will stand out.