Hiring smart always starts with a strong culture, high expectations and a prayerful belief that God sends the team you need.
Yet with all the effort you invest in hiring a new team member, you never know for certain what the outcome will be.
Hopefully, most hires are a dream-come-true rather than a nightmare you didn’t see coming.
It’s always a privilege, not an entitlement, to hire a new person on your team. This privilege deserves wise stewardship.
Hiring someone represents newness, progress and taking new territory, especially if it’s a new position. However, it’s far better to carry an unfilled position, no matter how long it takes, rather than hire the wrong person.
The hiring process is complicated. Quite honestly, it’s a study in human nature. Even done well, there is an element of risk, but there are subtle nuances you can watch for.
Decades of hiring experience have taught me to recognize and discern subtle signals that either invite deeper engagement or suggest it is not the right fit.
To grasp and fully understand this kind of nuance in a person’s story it requires that you:
- Engage the process with prayerful discernment.
- Ask open-ended questions and ask for stories. And remember, your best questions come from their responses. Listen carefully.
- Don’t hesitate to ask tough questions but always keep them appropriate.
- Always include a few others in the decision-making process.
- Don’t cut corners, rush the process or hire under pressure to solve a problem.
(Sometimes a caution flag turns out to be no big deal. It’s just a small piece of the person’s story. And in context of their larger story, it’s not something that defines who they are as a person.)
7 Subtle Caution Flags You Should Not Ignore:
1) It seems like a job more than a calling.
The candidate seems to talk about the position more like a job than a calling.
I’m not suggesting that you over spiritualize or overly idealize the hiring process. There is an exchange of time for financial compensation, however it’s also a church on a God-ordained mission. A sense of calling needs to be evident.
It’s a matter of the heart. The person may be smart, enjoyable and capable, but if it’s just a job and not a calling, or merely a stepping stone, they won’t carry the heartfelt passion necessary to thrive in ministry. It doesn’t take many of these hires to dilute your staff culture.
It’s essential to discover that God’s voice, direction, and leading are a significant part of the person’s consideration to join your church’s staff team.
Understanding a person’s heart without becoming judgmental takes prayerful skill and discernment.
Here are a few helpful practices:
- Invite him or her to worship at your church on a Sunday morning. Afterwards, ask them to describe their impression.
- Share the vision of your church and listen to their response at a heart level.
- Simply ask, “What is God saying to you?”
2) Humility seems to be minimal or possibly even missing.
Unchecked pride or arrogance is a major red flag. What is your sense of their humility – genuine or false?
False humility is when someone is trying to sound humble. With genuine humility, the person neither elevates nor demeans themself.
False humility can be hidden pride and the desire for approval. Authentic humility embraces honest and mature self-assessment and focuses on lifting others up.
Confidence is a good thing, but the source of a person’s confidence is important.
- Do they give credit to others?
- Do they tell stories of gratitude about their mentors and coaches?
- Do they acknowledge God’s part in their successes?
Genuine humility is an indicator of a person’s teachability, their maturity to remain positive when they don’t get their way, and ability to play team ball.
3) They appear to be uncomfortable in their own skin
Every potential staff member deserves some grace in the interviews. It’s natural to be a little nervous, everyone wants to do well. So, help make them feel at home and comfortable.
If, however, the candidate never seems to relax and enjoy the conversation and has trouble being himself or herself, it’s an indicator of possible fears or insecurities that may require focused attention and coaching.
A secure leader knows who they are, is comfortable under pressure, and relaxed in a moment of silence.
Look for things such as:
- Are they telling their story or “reading their resume”?
- Do their answers seem genuine or contrived?
- Are they relaxed and at ease, or seem a bit uncomfortable?
- Do they have a natural sense of humor? Do they laugh easily?
4) Spiritual life and community appear to take a back seat to advancement.
It’s good to know the potential staff member aspires to rise in responsibility within the organization. Healthy ambition is good, but within the church, community is an integral part of competence.
It’s true that you are hiring a person to fulfill a specific responsibility, so be clear about your expectations. However, in a church environment spiritual life and community cannot be separated from a staff member’s formal responsibilities.
It’s vital that your candidate expresses a genuine longing to grow as a Christian, be part of your community and develop in their spiritual maturity.
5) The focus is on what they’ll receive more than what they’ll contribute.
In the hiring process you may be impressed by their talent and experience and tempted to overlook their focus on what’s in it for them. The good news is that this one is generally easy to see.
Things like salary and benefits, time off each week, advancement, a voice in leadership, a seat at the table, decision-making, etc., are all legitimate interests and certainly open for discussion.
But if these things become the primary focus of the conversation rather than a desire to make a significant contribution that results in changed lives, that’s a clear warning sign. Go slow and make sure!
6) Their spouse is not entirely supportive of the idea.
If the spouse isn’t enthusiastic, proceed with caution.
If the candidate says, “My spouse will feel better about this change when we get here,” No, they won’t. If they aren’t happy about the decision before they join the team, it only gets worse after. Don’t force it no matter how much you like the person.
You are not interviewing the spouse, but you do want to get to know them. It’s also important that they attend worship at your church at least once and genuinely love it.
They need to want to attend your church, not just allow their spouse to work there.
7) They are critical of their former church and the leadership
Unvarnished honesty is vital for a successful staff interview.
The potential staff member’s willingness to be candid is necessary. And telling the story of why they want to make a change sometimes contains a less-than-ideal current scenario.
However, it’s not necessary to be harsh or critical about your previous church and its leadership. It’s easy to communicate the big picture idea without backing the bus over anyone.
The essential thing you’re looking for is the person’s willingness to take responsibility for something, or it is always someone else’s fault?
When someone is coming from a less-than-ideal situation, or even a toxic one, it’s important to hear what part of that situation they take responsibility for. It’s rarely a one-way street. It happens, but it’s rare.
I hope these seven warning signs help you discern and make good decisions.
What warning sign would you add?
Please share it with us in the comments.
