Communication
Finding and placing talented people in the right roles is critical. A ministry search starts with a thorough process and a reasonable timeline to find quality candidates. Communicate with ministry stakeholders, key leaders and position candidates throughout the process.
Outline a search process before you talk with any candidate or conduct any interviews. In the first conversation you have with a candidate, communicate the process along with an estimate of search scope and length. As a rule, most candidate communication should include:
- Where we are in the search process
- A specific due date for the next communication
- An action step for the candidate
- An action step for the interviewer
Schedule due dates as a reminder for communication with specific candidates. That extra step builds trust and prevents any confusion between the candidate and the interviewer. Generally, communication follows a search process step outlined below.
First Steps
First steps in a search process might include the following:
- Key Leader Discussions & Recommendations
- Develop a Position Profile
- Online Job Posting(s)
- Initial Resume Screening
- Initial Phone Calls
- Formal Phone Interviews
- E-mail Questionnaires
- Speaking/Teaching Video Samples (as appropriate)
- Narrowed Search
2 | Position Profile
- Create a position profile for online job postings
- Introduce the church and community
- Profile the position and job responsibilities
- Describe required candidate skills, strengths, gifts and personality
3 | Online Job Posting
- Post your position profile with online job postings
- Grade submitted resumes with a tier ranking
- Send reply confirmation e-mails to anyone who submits their resume
5 | Initial Phone Calls
- Introduce the church and community.
- Preview the ministry department and team.
- Profile the position.
- Understand why the candidate is interested.
- Ask the candidate to pray about the opportunity.
- Confirm the candidate’s desire to enter the process.
6 | Formal Phone Interviews
- Called – Is the candidate called to ministry, your position and your church?
- Character – Does the candidate exhibit a habitual pattern of integrity?
- Competence – Does the candidate have the essential skills needed to get the job done?
- Catalytic – Does the candidate bring energy and create activity to make things happen?
- Chemistry – Is the candidate likable and a team fit?
7 | E-Mail Questionnaire
- A questionnaire allows the church to dig deeper about a candidate’s ministry philosophy, theology, personality, family and hobbies.