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Think Differently About Employee Recruiting

Olivia Hairfield
Published:  09/27/2023
A woman in a tan blazer is shaking a person's hand

Staffing and retention top the list when healthcare philanthropy professionals discuss workplace challenges. Employees are the driving force behind a team’s success, so knowing how to find the right candidateand keep themcan make the difference when you’re looking at the cost to raise a dollar. Ann Caulkins, senior vice president of Novant Health and president of Novant Health Foundations, implemented new employee recruitment and retention principles when she first came to the organization in 2019, and she’s seen her innovation pay off. In this two-part series, I will delve into the insights she shared during her presentation at Leading Forward at the 2023 International Conference. 

Know the Characteristics of Your Ideal Hire 

When recruiting, Ann suggests looking for specific characteristics rather than focusing primarily on a candidate's background. Skills can be taught, but qualities like curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to distill information quickly are unique to the individual and invaluable when building an effective fundraising team. These traits help employees excel in the dynamic environment of healthcare philanthropy and drive organizational growth and innovation. 

The interview phase is essential to reveal a candidate’s qualitative attributes. Focus on behavioral and scenario questions in the interview and make sure the candidate speaks with a variety of interviewers over multiple rounds. Multiple sources will give you a clearer picture of the candidate. It’s also important to train your team members to conduct purposeful interviews to find the people who best fit your ideal characteristics. Be explicit about the characteristics you want in a new hire.  

Think Long Term 

When you’re evaluating a candidate, match them to the role, but also think about how they would fit into future roles. In a 2021 survey by Pew Research Center, 63% of those surveyed reported leaving their job due to the lack of advancement opportunities. When you have your dream hire, planning ways they could fit in with your organization as they grow can help you keep them for the long run.  

Be Honest About the Role  

Let the candidate know if they may need to work late nights or long hours. Be transparent about the challenging moments they can expect to have. It’s better to have a candidate leave during the interview process than a new hire back out a few months later because they are surprised by the realities of the job.  

Diversity Matters   

Diversity in the workplace looks like many things: different gender identities, ages, socio-economic backgrounds, cultures, and more. Organizations that embrace diversity and inclusion are more attractive to talented young professionals who will become your future leaders. Plus, a diverse workforce brings different perspectives and strengths to the table, contributing to innovation and growth at a time when healthcare philanthropy is rapidly changing. 

 

NEWS  /03/29/22
Professional development is a powerful tool to give your staff a reason to build a long-term career at your organization.
NEWS  /08/31/20
Starting a major gift program? Here's how to find the right people.
NEWS  /12/20/19
Millennials are taking over the philanthropy workforce, and they want different things from their careers than prior generations. Here's what you need to do to get their attention and make them stay.
NEWS  /05/12/21
Ann Caulkins shares how she made the switch into healthcare philanthropy after 34 years in the newspaper industry.

Meet The Author

Olivia Hairfield
Marketing Senior Manager
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

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