What kind of recruitment incentives or 'difficult to fill' incentives are appropriate for a nonprofit organization to offer to potential employees? We have two positions where thorough targeted recruitment has not resulted in actual hires. Money is the issue; we...
I'm curious about the proliferation of 'Best Employers' and 'Best Places To Work' lists. Are people tempted to apply for jobs with organizations that make it onto lists like these? Many of you probably noticed the coverage given to Canada’s...
So you've done your business process re-engineering; you've down-sized/right- sized/restructured (or whatever it's being called this month); you are now a flat organization; you are client-driven and all your employees are empowered team- workers. Oh, and by the way, all...
Maximize the effectiveness of your interview questions After devouring a sumptuous feast of General Tao’s chicken at the Piment Rouge in downtown Montreal, my fortune cookie read: “The best prophet of the future is the past.” Talk about food for...
In my organization we're having a problem hiring people who fit. Too often we bring in someone who seems to meet our criteria only to have to dismiss them later, or have them resign, because they're just not working out....
Most recruiting that is done is considered urgent! Whenever we ask the question, “When would you like this position filled by”, the answer is invariably “yesterday”. There is pressure, therefore, to dive into the recruiting process without paying attention to...
My nonprofit routinely hires the children of staff as summer students. Do you think this is ethical? Like any good ethics advisor, I often give answers of "it depends" because details matter, and I rarely have all the information. I...
Our board of directors recently approved the creation of a new position, and I have to staff it quickly. I don't want compensation to be a problem in bringing the right person in. How do I go about establishing an...
I'm always in a quandary when it comes to writing a job description. If I keep it general, I get flooded with resumes from people who aren't qualified, and who I'm never going to hire. On the other hand, if...
Our efforts to recruit the right candidate for a position are hampered by the large number of resumes we often receive from people who clearly aren't qualified for the job. We have to scan these resumes, track them, and file...

