Third Sector Company Hiring The Interim Development Director A Guide To Effective Interviewing For The Third Sector Company Interim and Prospective Clients By Jeffrey R. Wilcox, CFRE 1 PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW For The Position Of Interim Development Director The hiring of an Interim Development Director, Development Director is a strategic leadership decision that incurs additional costs for an organization and the decision will demand a significant return on the investment of limited funds. The purpose of this interview preparation guide is to help you put your best foot forward to a group of individuals that usually have limited experience in hiring nonprofit professionals and virtually not experience hiring an interim to serve as an acting Development on a short-term basis. It is up to you to not only sell your skills as they relate to what the client is seeking, but to also help the organization understand the benefits of hiring an interim. At Third Sector Company, we encourage our clients to take full advantage of the unique talents and skills that an effective interim director can offer. We believe these skills and talents should be different from the attributes sought in the permanent replacement. Our experience has shown that the management of people, processes and politics to affect a positive transition are a unique set of leadership qualities that are needed in addition to the proven experience they are looking for in quality nonprofit management. We guarantee that all of our recommended candidates at Third Sector Company are trained to provide these highly unique skills and to follow established protocols for leading agency operations on a short-term basis, while working to effectively manage organizational transition. It is important to review the materials and notes that are a part of every Third Sector Company affiliates meeting to make sure you are able to answer important questions about interim Development management. Our Interview Guide encourages our clients to consider the following variables for evaluating the candidate for appointment as interim: Presents the skills necessary to complete the most pressing obligations of the organization over a four- to eight-month period; Demonstrates the experience necessary to advise senior staff and board members about the most pressing challenges currently facing the organization and recommend ways to lessen or alleviate those challenges; Exhibits the professional style to effectively work with people at all levels of the organization during a time of transition and change; Possesses the reputation for handling transitional situations well and to the satisfaction of those involved; Negotiates the appropriate role of an interim manager as compared to the roles and responsibilities of the permanent successor; and Presents a very positive first impression that will engage people in supporting a transitional leader. We are complemented that you are a part of the Third Sector Company family of professionals and hope that this guide is an additional tool of our company to help you and our client find higher ground during transition. Our thanks to Sunny Breed, Vice President of Affiliate Relations, for helping to compose and compile this guide. She is available to help you throughout the process as needed. She can be reached at (562) 951-9514, JEFFREY R. WILCOX, CFRE President and Chief Development Officer - 2 - Interview Preparation Step #1: ARE YOU READY TO CREATE A FAVORABLE FIRST IMPRESSION? Setting The Stage For Good Discussion & Dialogue An interview session, even for the most experienced professional, can create anxieties for everyone involved. A good introduction process helps to alleviate those anxieties that can stand in the way of working together. The goals of the introduction are to immediately begin sharing important information, creating a forum for the exchange of ideas throughout the meeting, and facilitating participatory discussion about important matters. Be prepared to answer any of the following questions from your interviewers: Please introduce yourself to the group in a brief and unique fashion. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Tell us briefly about your nonprofit Development experience. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Tell us briefly why you are interested in serving as our interim. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Tell us briefly why you think you would make a good interim for us based on what you currently know about our organization and our current situation. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Interview Preparation Step #2: ARE YOU READY TO CONVINCE THE CLIENT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE THE MOST PRESSING TASKS & OBLIGATIONS? Discussing The Current Needs of The Client Organization Using the Scope of Work prepared by Third Sector Company, outline below the five most pressing tasks that the Interim will be facing upon hire: 1. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ - 3 - 2. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ For each of the five priority areas, be prepared to answer any of the following questions that assures the client you have an understanding of the urgency and are ready to provide leadership: Tell us briefly about your experience in leading an effort to successfully manage a similar situation. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ In your experience, what has been the biggest roadblock for organizations like ours to successfully managing a situation like this? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Briefly explain what would be your first steps in approaching this situation at our organization. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Given this particular need, what do you see as the appropriate roles for the Interim Development and for the board in working together to successfully manage it? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Tell us briefly what, in your opinion, is the appropriate role of an Interim Development Director in approaching this challenge during your time with us. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ - 4 - An important aspect of the interview is to ask questions of the interviews for clarity and to invite dialogue. Here are a series of questions you might consider asking as you discuss the most pressing tasks and obligations: How long has this situation been a challenge for the organization? What, in your opinion, has caused this situation to become such a challenge at the present time? What efforts are already underway to address the situation? Was this particular situation a factor in the position being vacated? What do you think can be reasonably accomplished with good interim leadership over a four- to eight-month period towards resolving the challenge? Interview Preparation Step #3: ARE YOU CLEAR ON THE ROLES & FUNCTIONS OF AN INTERIM DEVELOPMENT POSITION TO SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS? Creating A Mutual Understanding Interim Development Management is the core competency of Third Sector Company. We work with both you and the client to make sure that the maximum benefit will be realized by everyone involved for having made the decision to secure an acting senior Development. When appropriate remind the client of the benefits of bringing on an interim to their organization by being prepared to have answers to the following questions based on our marketing and training materials and your knowledge of the client and their needs: What are the advantages for an organization like ours to consider engaging an Interim Development Director while we search for a permanent replacement? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ What are the disadvantages for having an interim? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Wouldn’t it be easier