Diving Into the Candidate Pool
Whether you are searching for a church job or your a church searching for an employee, you need to know that there are a lot of candidates out there.
My mom’s small church in the hills of North Georgia posted a job on a church job board looking for a senior pastor about a year ago. This small church, in a small town, received hundreds of applicants.
Hundreds!
So, as you dive into the candidate pool, here are three things to help you keep your head above the water:
1. Know what you’re looking for.
Whether it is a youth pastor, kids minister, admin assistant, it is important that you clarify some of the traits your ideal candidate will have. For example: education, previous experience, references, background, missions experience, public speaking, tech savvy.
The list could go on and on.
But, have in mind a good idea of what you think is the right person for the job.
2. Don’t be ruled by what you are looking for.
It is great to know what you’re looking for. But, be careful that you don’t get tunnel vision or you may miss some amazing candidates.
Perhaps someone with less experience or education would get brushed right off and not given a second look. Stop for a second and give everyone an extra moment of your attention and ask yourself, “am I overlooking a great candidate because he or she doesn’t fit in my box?”
3. Pray
Any time you’re looking through the candidate pool, you should be praying.
I’m not saying that the heavens will open and light will shine on the right candidate’s application.
But, be sure to commit to seek the wisdom and leading of God as you swim through all the applicants.
What about you? Any advice on how to narrow down the applicant pool? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.