Hello First name / community member,

 

Managing change in a search process is a complex process.  As soon as a leader announces their departure, people begin to worry, plan, and wonder.  Communication is key—frequent, regular, and transparent.  And this communication doesn’t stop once a hiring decision is made—it continues through a year of onboarding.

 

So, why is it so difficult?  Generally, we find that staff, board and leadership are operating from different assumptions and a different point of view.  What is impacting someone with daily contact with the departing staff person is different than what is impacting a volunteer or an outside partner. Having the opportunity for people to share their perspective on what they see now and what they hope to see in the future is a beginning conversation to see how aligned the organization is in their perspective. The less alignment, the more conversation and engagement needs to happen.

During a search process, the work itself is very quiet and very contained.  There are confidentiality agreements for participants and candidates along with a process focused on gaining information about candidates that is indepth and yet respectful of the organization’s internal work.  Sometimes, this means that staff and partners are unsure about what is happening, what priorities have been identified and where they fit into the puzzle.  Regular updates are helpful, but more important is the communication between board/staff or leadership and staff that comments have been heard and are being included in the process.  Board members should consider attending a staff meeting and making sure they are participating in events to show presence and support for the extra work staff is doing.  Staff need to be recognized for maintaining the organization during a transition and know that there is a plan for on-boarding.

 

On-boarding is often thought to be the transition for the candidate, but in reality, it is the transition for the entire organization.  Reporting lines may change, some people may be asked to offer additional support to a new leader, board members may be asked to step in to more actively meet partners, funders etc.  While we often estimate on-boarding to be an HR process, it is an organizational change management process with extensive involvement from many people and opportunities for building new connections.

 

All through these steps, additional changes may be happening—new board members joining, long-term board members departing, staff starting and departing, organizational contracts and funds adapting.  This is often why organizations ask to have external support with a search.  With so many moving pieces, managing candidates and the hiring process becomes one too many activities in this busy time.  Your search consultant should be available to offer on-boarding support and can be a resource for other support services.

 

Changes in staffing are never easy and the overall impact can last for many months.  A solid change management plan may include an interim, coaching for senior leadership, external search support, organizational assessments and HR support and much more.  The key here is to recognize that change is happening and provide your team additional resources to manage themselves through this change.

Join us in congratulating our recent placements:

As Nonprofit Professionals Now celebrates five years as an independent company serving nonprofits across the Pacific Northwest, we want to thank the incredible organizations, leaders, and partners who have been a part of our journey. 

 

To show our appreciation, we’re inviting you and clients of Nonprofit Professionals Now and A to Z Staffing to join us for this special complimentary event.

 

With ineffective communication costing nonprofits more than $20,000 per employee per year, it’s high time to upgrade the way you, your team, and your organization communicate, both internally and externally. Organizations that use the Communicate for Good framework have increased year-end donations by 178%, landed million-dollar grants, negotiated mergers and acquisitions, and navigated organizational change. But how you get those results will surprise you. 

 

During this interactive keynote, you’ll learn:

Share (Vancouver, WA) is hiring a Chief Executive Officer. Salary: $160,000 – $175,000. Closes 6/20/26.

 

Project Access Now (Portland, OR) is hiring a Director of Development. Salary: $80,000 – $90,000. Closes 6/21/26.

 

Childswork Learning Center (Portland, OR) is hiring a Director of People, Culture and Equity. Salary: $68,000 – $75,000. Closes 6/21/26.

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503-713-1218 | jobs@npprofessionals.com | npprofessionals.com