Making it easier to make a difference.
Hiring a new employee is one of the most important investments a nonprofit makes. The right hire can strengthen your culture, expand your impact, and help your organization better serve its mission.
Unfortunately, we've also seen the opposite happen. In the rush to fill an open position, organizations sometimes skip important steps that could have helped them identify concerns before extending an offer.
While Bearing Tree becomes involved once you're ready to make an offer, a successful hiring process begins much earlier. Taking a little extra time during recruitment and interviews can help your organization avoid common hiring mistakes and make more confident decisions.
Here are a few best practices to consider before you reach the offer stage.
1. Don't Start Interviews Without Defining Success
One of the biggest hiring mistakes is focusing only on filling the position instead of defining what success actually looks like.
Before the first interview, ask yourself:
Having clear expectations helps your interview team evaluate candidates consistently instead of relying on instinct alone.
2. Don't Ask Only Hypothetical Questions
It's easy for candidates to tell you what they would do.
Instead, ask them what they have done.
Behavioral questions such as:
These conversations often reveal how candidates actually think, communicate, and solve problems.
3. Don't Forget That Candidates Are Evaluating You, Too
Interviews work both ways.
Strong candidates are assessing your organization just as carefully as you're assessing them. Be transparent about your mission, culture, expectations, and even the challenges of the role.
Honest conversations lead to better long-term matches for everyone involved.
4. Don't Make the Decision Alone
Whenever possible, involve more than one person in the interview process.
Different interviewers notice different strengths, ask different follow-up questions, and bring valuable perspectives. A collaborative process often results in more balanced hiring decisions.
5. Don't Skip Your Due Diligence
An interview should never be the only source of information you rely on.
Take time to review a candidate's professional online presence, including LinkedIn, and conduct a simple internet search for publicly available, job-related information. Sometimes you'll simply confirm what you've already learned. Other times, you may uncover information that prompts additional questions or verification before moving forward. If something raises a concern, give the candidate an opportunity to address it rather than making assumptions. Throughout the process, be sure to evaluate candidates consistently and keep the focus on qualifications that are relevant to the position.
We've seen organizations avoid difficult hiring situations simply by slowing down and completing this final step before extending an offer.
6. Don't Treat References as a Formality
Reference checks are much more than a final box to check.
Rather than asking, "Would you hire this person again?" consider questions like:
These conversations often provide valuable context that isn't apparent during an interview.
7. Don't Rely on First Impressions
First impressions matter - but they shouldn't make the decision for you.
Use a consistent set of interview questions and evaluation criteria for every candidate applying for the same role. Comparing candidates against the same competencies leads to fairer, more objective hiring decisions and helps reduce unconscious bias.
8. Don't Rush the Conversation
Before wrapping up an interview, leave plenty of time for candidate questions.
Some of the best insights come from what candidates ask. Their questions often reveal how they've prepared, what motivates them, and whether they're thinking beyond simply landing the job.
A strong interview should feel like a conversation, not an interrogation.
What This Means for You
Hiring is one of the few decisions that affects nearly every aspect of your organization - from culture and teamwork to program delivery and mission impact. Investing a little more time upfront can prevent costly hiring mistakes and help you build a stronger team for the future.
And when you've found the right candidate, Bearing Tree is ready to help with the next step. We partner with organizations once an offer is ready to go out - reviewing and approving offer letters, coordinating onboarding, facilitating payroll and benefits enrollment, and helping new employees start with confidence.
Once you’ve found the right person, Bearing Tree steps in. Competitive employee benefits play an important role in attracting and retaining great talent. According to SHRM’s 2025 Employee Benefits Survey, 88% of employers consider health care benefits very or extremely important, while 81% say the same about retirement savings and leave benefits.
For nonprofits competing for talented professionals, a strong benefits package can be an important part of the overall compensation strategy - helping organizations stand out to prospective employees while supporting the people already advancing their mission.
Thoughtful hiring and a smooth onboarding process go hand in hand.
That's how we help make it easier to make a difference.
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