We know how hard it is to conduct advancement searches well. And we know that putting the right advancement people in place is critical for your institution’s success—these days, it’s critical for your survival. Though, in general, an economic downturn brings out greater numbers of job-seekers, the small universe of talented, experienced advancement professionals, those with solid, verifiable records of success, does not grow. Sifting the gold from the silt is more challenging than ever and, to come out on top, you need to inspect, detect and select candidates flawlessly. While conducting these searches internally is sometimes an option, it often means long-drawn-out timelines, limited candidate pools, and the absence of an objective source of information for candidates. Getting around these common pitfalls typically means engaging the expertise of a retained search firm to conduct the entire search soup to nuts, a service for which you may no longer have the budget. Designed to assist you in those areas where you need help the most, our ala carte services include:
Search Preparation
- We will help you determine precisely what you need your new hire to accomplish and what behaviors, characteristics and qualities it takes to meet those goals. We will write a compelling position specification that markets the opportunity and the institution. We will provide you with an efficient interview process, thoughtful and targeted interview questions, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all who participate in the search. If you anticipate interest from internal candidates, we will evaluate their candidacy and help you determine whether you need to conduct a search at all.
Prospective Candidate Research
- We will provide you with targeted call lists of accomplished professionals both in advancement and, where relevant, in other fields. We employ a library scientist and researcher with a background in the field of competitive intelligence and we maintain a database with up-to-the-minute information on 40,000+ advancement professionals.
Outreach
- We will carefully analyze your available position and we will market the position on your behalf. Our outreach will be directed to an extensive list of sources and potential candidates via the telephone, email and through advertising.
Candidate Screening
- We will interview interested candidates extensively over the phone, and, once confident that they have potential for the role, we will meet them in person. We will probe not only to learn about candidates’ backgrounds and accomplishments, but also to find out what they are like as people and to discover their values. We will make sure there is a real fit with your values, culture and the daily practicalities of the role. Complete candidate assessments are provided via telephone; detailed written narratives are available for an additional fee.
Reference Checking
- Reference checking is the most important part of the search. There is a big difference between what looks good and what is good. After a decade of building relationships in this business, we nearly always know someone or can network our way to someone who can provide an off-the-page reference. We get people providing references to tell us the truth, the whole story about candidates and we communicate that to you in a way you can digest it.
