TruPath Places an Executive Director by relocating talent to a small town of 500 people.
A large organization came to TruPath, a National Recruiting Firm, for help finding the right leader for their company’s non-profit.
The Client’s Need:
The Board of Directors for a non-profit Community Center serving a small rural community in the northern midwest was seeking an Executive Director. The company’s internal recruiters had already screened local candidates and knew relocation and community integration would be the next step if they wanted to find the right person for this role. This leader must understand the needs of a community center. This requires experience with maintenance, fundraising, programming, and community relations. Additionally, this person has strong financial and business acumen. A successful candidate enjoys rural living and is familiar with harsh winters.
TruPath’s Strategy:
This Executive Director position search required a lot of perseverance through passive candidate rejections as TruPath recruiters contacted individuals all throughout the midwest. However, the most important strategy for this role was partnership and continuous communication with the client. Due to the challenging location, the client and recruiters knew this wouldn’t be an easy fill. TruPath recruiters started contacting candidates with general non-profit experience, but the skillsets weren’t a perfect match. Then, the focus shifted to candidates leading community centers and camps. However, these candidates didn’t have the financial and business background required for this specific position. After a brainstorming session between TruPath recruiters and the client, the search was expanded to candidates who may have owned or managed a brick and mortar businesses. This brainstorming session was key!
The Result of Partnership:
TruPath recruiters found a candidate who owned her own catering business with several locations. She also had experience leading a Community Center. Not to mention, she sat on the Board of Directors for a very similar Community Center to that of the clients. Even though she had a unique mix of experiences, the job responsibilities were directly in alignment with her experience and what she enjoys doing. She feels like this is a great opportunity to move closer to family, take on a new challenge, and give back.