Be Careful Hiring For-Profit Employees in the Non-Profit World
They'll learn pretty quickly how different those worlds are...
When economic problems hit the business world, or executive careers get in trouble, we often see a flood of people from the business world looking for jobs in the non-profit and religious sector. Over the years, I’ve been showered with resumes, and many of our client churches, ministries, and non-profits have gotten hit up as well. The first response from non-profits is usually excitement – “Hey, this former corporate CEO or Hollywood producer wants to come and work for our church!” But let me be brutally honest for a minute, because I’m not impressed. Before you jump at the chance to hire a highly regarded executive from the for-profit world at your church, ministry, or non-profit organization, here are a few things to consider:
1) The business models are dramatically different. To switch from selling products retail or wholesale to donor development is a big leap. It requires an entirely different mindset. And the organization it takes to make that happen is different as well. Just because you successfully ran a division at IBM or Paramount Pictures doesn’t necessarily mean you can transition to non-profits.
2) Non-profits don’t have the cushy perks businesses have. We turn our own lights off, our benefit plans are smaller, and most importantly, our resources aren’t as significant. I know one manager who was so used to having a huge staff that he quit within a month when he transitioned to a non-profit. He actually had to get his own coffee and open his own mail. Shocked, he couldn’t handle it.
3) The non-profit world is a calling and career, not just a “bridge” until you get another “real” job. Too many executives think that they can jump into a church or ministry job for the short term during difficult times. But we’re not a summer camp or internship program. We take it seriously and are in it for the long haul.
4) We work long hours, too. But we don’t have the incentive of bonus pay (even overtime), or a car service to take us home after hours.
5) Sure, you did the occasional pro-bono TV spot at the big agency in New York, but every spot we do has a micro or zero budget. Can you negotiate vendors down to nothing, work with college interns, or maintain equipment with rubber bands and bailing wire?
6) Is there something you’re not telling us? I have trouble believing that if you’re REALLY a successful Hollywood producer or business leader, you actually want to come and work for our church’s media department. Pardon my skepticism, but that’s a big step down professionally. Call me cynical, but why aren’t you still in the big leagues if you really had it going on?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled that people value non-profits enough to want to help. But the truth is, over the last 10 years – and especially during a financial crisis – I’ve seen numerous big-time executives switch to non-profits with catastrophic results. In one case, he ran the budget to the ground because he didn’t know how to manage limited resources. In another, she ran off the staff because she didn’t realize you can’t yell at volunteers. Another couldn’t grasp the donor development model.
A superstar executive, TV producer, creative, or CEO in the secular market doesn’t necessarily understand religious media, non-profit management, or evangelism. Remarkably few have even volunteered at any non-profit organization before.
Pastor, ministry leader, or non-profit executive – take the stars from your eyes. You work in a specialty field that takes special experience, discernment, and expertise. Don’t always assume that a Hollywood producer, advertising agency whiz, or former Wall Street hotshot will get it. Chances are, they won’t.
Let’s think the other way around. If non-profit leaders ran Wall Street, I doubt we’d have so many financial problems to begin with…
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
