AAW HOW TO: How to Recruit Senior Managers to Your Organisation

As we continue to explore the top trends in charity recruitment, we hope you enjoy these pieces of wisdom from our search team! Do get in touch if you’d like to find out more.

As of March 2022, more than 170,000 charities were operating in England and Wales.

As you’ll know, a lot goes into running a not-for-profit organisation. Ultimately, an organisation will only achieve its goals if its employees have the skills, experience, and drive needed and this is particularly the case for senior managers. 

Finding the right talent can be difficult, especially when it comes to management positions. In this guide, we'll go over some key tips that can help you recruit the best senior managers for your organisation. Keep reading for more.

Know the Role Inside Out

When recruiting for any job, you need to know the role and responsibilities involved. This is even more important for senior positions.

Senior positions typically involve a more thorough recruitment process. You'll be looking at things more closely, so the more detail you know about the job, the easier it will be for you to specify ideal candidates.

You need to do this before you even create a job posting and start looking for candidates. You want to advertise the position effectively, and creating a precise and accurate job description will ensure that only people who are confident the role is right for them will apply.

If you fail to do this, you might get a lot of applicants who aren't suitable. This will only waste time. Some good candidates might also pass over the job if it's not clear what it involves.

Aim for Passive Candidates

In most cases, recruitment protocols involve looking for people who are actively searching for work. When looking at higher positions in organisations, however, there tend to be fewer people seeking new employment. This is because senior employees are often happy in the position they're already in, and because there are fewer of them!

Your recruiting strategies should vary depending on the level you're hiring for. If you're after someone for a senior manager role, you may well have more luck using passive recruiting.

One way you can do this is to look at similar roles within other organisations. A good strategy is to find experienced employees who could potentially be promoted to the role you have available.

When you find a potential candidate, you can approach them to find out if they'd be interested in a career move. Bear in mind that, while this is perfectly legal, some organisations look down on poaching employees, so you need to be discrete when doing this.

If someone is considering your offer, they'll want to think it over privately. Keep any communications private, ideally through their personal email rather than their current work email.

You should also look at the track record of candidates. If they have a proven history of success, they're likely to be a good choice. This can be especially beneficial if your organisation is currently facing challenges, as they may be able to provide a fresh perspective that can prove helpful.

Pay Attention to Culture

Culture is a huge part of any organisation and it needs to be monitored and worked on to ensure long-term success. When it comes to recruitment, it's also critical to consider your organisation's culture when looking at potential new hires. 

With more junior team members you typically want to hire people that align with your current culture. At more senior levels, however, you want to hire people that will guide and improve your company culture. The ideal candidate will fit the current culture well, but will also be able to introduce new values and show others what they mean.

Your charity consultants will also look to senior management for guidance in a range of ways. Having someone whose cultural values work well with your organisation will help guide the rest of your team.

Conversely, if you hire someone to a senior position and it turns out their values conflict with those of your organisation, it's likely to cause issues. They might stand in the way of you moving things in the direction you want to, and more junior employees could be influenced by them.

Think Long Term

Recruitment isn't always an easy process, especially for senior roles. It can take a long time, so you need to be patient. If you try to rush things, you might end up hiring someone who isn't suitable for the job.

Consider the long-term results of hiring someone. You might want a manager to start working quickly, but if they're not a good fit, things could fall apart after a while.

It's better to take the time to find someone that fits the role perfectly. This will give you the best chance of good long-term results, making it easier to ultimately meet your goals.

Consider Internal Promotion

This isn't something you should rely on, but it's always an option. You could already have suitable candidates at your company who are fit for a promotion. Not only can this make the recruitment process easier, but it's a great way to recognise team members who are performing well, and retain staff. 

You'll already be familiar with these employees, so you know if their personalities and values align with your organisation. You'll also know what their current role involves, and if that will translate well to the new position.

While this can be the perfect solution in some cases, you should still always also look externally. This way, you can evaluate the current marketplace and get a broader look at potential candidates, making it easier to find the best fit.

Finding the Right Senior Managers for Your Organisation

It may not be an easy task, but taking the time to find senior managers who fit in well with your organisation can be incredibly beneficial. Make sure you know exactly what you're looking for, and don't rush things. Consider all of the options available so you have the best chance of finding the ideal candidate.

AAW Group works with UK charities and not-for-profits to help them achieve their goals and get the results they're after. If your organisation needs assistance with consultancy or recruitment, our team can help. Take a look at our recruitment page to see how we can help you find the perfect senior managers for your organisation.