Four Tools For Landing Hiring Decisions
When making hiring decisions most churches involve a Personnel or a Search Committee to drive or advise the search process. Anyone who has chaired or led such a committee knows the challenge of facilitating agreement once two or more candidates have been identified for consideration.
The following four surveys are helpful tools in leading a committee or team to clarity and consensus around the candidates under consideration.
Degree Of Importance Survey
The Degree of Importance Survey will help you identify the attributes and experiences that the committee feels are the most important to success in the position. This survey will help determine where the group is most likely to consider trade-offs. Use the Job Description and Position Profile to pull key attributes and experiences. The examples below are for a Missions Minister Position.
From your point of view, use the following 1-4 scale to rate the position profile attributes listed below in degree of importance:
4 = Extremely Important
3 = Very Important
2 = Somewhat Important
1 = Not Important At All
Local Church Staff Experience =
Foreign Mission Field Experience =
Younger Age =
Older Age =
Extroverted/Relational/Influencing Personality/Strengths =
Logistics/Organizing/Administrating Personality/Strengths =
Preaching/Communication Skills =
Networking Skills =
Existing Missions Network of Relationships =
Position Fit Survey
Use the Position Fit Survey to gain a sense of how well the committee feels each candidate fits the Job Description and Position Profile.
Based upon your understanding and perception of how the two candidates align with the Job Description and Position Profile, share how much you agree or disagree with their “fit” using a five-point scale where:
5 = strongly agree he is a good fit
4 = moderately agree he is a good fit
3 = uncertain if he is a good fit
2 = moderately disagree he is a good fit
1= strongly disagree he is a good fit
Candidate #1 =
Candidate #2 =
Next Steps Survey
Use the Next Steps Survey to identify how the group wishes to proceed in hiring decisions.
Circle the number that best reflects how you currently feel about how we should proceed.
- Take time to prayerfully consider what was heard and meet back again within two weeks to determine next steps.
- Conduct a conference/video call interview with the committee and each candidate to see if that helps us differentiate the candidates further.
- Candidate #1 has the clear edge over Candidate #2 and we should proceed to invite him for an initial site visit and meeting with the committee. Hold Candidate #2 until we see how the site visit with the Candidate #1 goes.
- Candidate #2 has the clear edge over Candidate #1 and we should proceed to invite him for an initial site visit and meeting with the committee. Hold Candidate #1 until we see how the site visit with the Candidate #2 goes.
- Both Candidates are equally viable and we should immediately schedule each of them for site visits and face to face interviews with the committee.
- Neither Candidate excites me, therefore I recommend we release both Candidates and reopen the resume solicitation process.
Test For Support Survey
Use the Test For Support Survey to gauge the level of support for any recommendation that is being considered by the committee.
Rate your degree of agreement with the recommendation using the following scale:
5 – Love It – Strongly Agree.
4 – Like It – Agree.
3 – Live With It – Ambivalent but willing to go along with the group.
2 – Leary of It – Disagree.
1 – Loathe It – Strongly disagree and can’t support it.
There is no fool proof tool that will guarantee group clarity and consensus in hiring decisions, but surveys like these can help to keep a search process moving.
Posted on February 21, 2017
