Hiring for Potential vs. Experience Why Charities Should Rethink Their Approach
Hiring managers often face a challenge: should you prioritise experience or potential? While an impressive CV might seem like the safest bet, hiring for potential can open your charity up to fresh energy, innovation, and a more diverse talent pool.
To explore this, we spoke to four charity sector leaders about how they approach hiring for potential in their teams:
Gemma Cornwell, Head of Fundraising and Engagement at Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK
“You can teach many skills, but you can’t teach someone how to truly enthuse, engage, and motivate others. That’s what you should be assessing in an interview. Ask: How would they inspire and engage someone? Identify what can be learned—and what must come naturally.”
Wenda-Kate Randle, Head of Culture and Development at Starlight Children’s Foundation
“We all achieve results in different ways. Instead of just focusing on transferable skills, think about transferable strengths. Someone may have delivered results in a different environment or team, but what truly matters is understanding what success looks like in this environment.”
Siobhan Nugent, Head of Regional Engagement at Alzheimer’s Society
“Focus on what skills are essential and what can be taught—prioritise transferable experience over just time in a role. Support candidates in reframing their experience, and create opportunities for learning through mentoring, coaching, or hands-on development.”
Imogen Fitzpatrick, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Communications at World Association of Girlguiding and Girl Scouts.
“Having led corporate fundraising teams for years, I’ve found that looking beyond the charity sector is key to building successful teams. By considering candidates from various industries, we’ve brought in fresh perspectives, innovative approaches, and diverse skill sets – some we didn’t even realise we needed!”
Their insights highlight the importance of shifting traditional hiring mindsets to create stronger, more adaptable teams. But how do you shift your approach to recognise potential rather than just ticking off experience-based criteria?
Rethinking Your Hiring Criteria
- From “Years of Experience” → To “Demonstrated ability to”
Instead of requiring a set number of years in a similar role, focus on whether a candidate has developed relevant skills in different settings. For example, someone from a corporate background might have exceptional stakeholder management or sales skills that translate well to fundraising. Breaking down a role into key skills rather than experience allows you to identify candidates who can grow into a position. Think about what is teachable – and what isn’t! - From “Proven Track Record” → To “Ability to Learn and Adapt”
A candidate may not have done the exact job before, but have they demonstrated a history of picking up new skills quickly? Focusing on strengths rather than just transferable skills—what innate talents does a candidate bring? By thinking this way, hiring managers can focus less on how a job ‘should’ be done and more on how different strengths can shape a role. Look for signs of curiosity, resilience, and a growth mindset in their past roles or experiences. - From “Specific Qualifications” → To “Evidence of Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving”
Instead of prioritising degrees or certifications, consider tasks or interview questions that test how a candidate approaches challenges and adapts to change. introducing scenario-based questions or practical exercises can help assess how a candidate thinks, rather than just what they know. By providing opportunities for candidates to reframe their experience, you can uncover hidden talent. - From “Direct Sector Experience” → To “Passion with the Cause”
A passion for your mission can be just as important as experience in the charity sector. If a candidate has the drive and motivation to make a difference, they may bring fresh perspectives that lead to innovation. Smaller charities in particular benefit from candidates who can work fluidly across roles, ensuring consistency in communications and income generation. Passion and adaptability often outweigh direct experience. - Testing for past experience → To assessing potential with practical exercises
Introduce real-world tasks or hypothetical challenges. Present a common issue in your organisation – observe how they structure their response. Do they ask questions, suggest creative solutions? Consider shifting away from the traditional ‘interview’ mindset, which can often feel like a test. Instead consider values-based conversations, asking questions like ‘What’s been a real ‘high five’ moment for you’? Or ‘What’s the most useful feedback you’ve received, and how did you apply it?’.
In Summary
By shifting your hiring mindset and hiring for potential, you open your charity up to incredible talent that might otherwise be overlooked. Relying too much on traditional requirements can exclude talented candidates from different sectors or underrepresented backgrounds. Even better – hiring adaptable, growth-oriented people means you’re building a team that can evolve as the sector changes.
At Ashby Jenkins Recruitment, we are a charity sector specialist agency recruiting specifically for fundraising, marketing and communications, and fundraising operations roles.
Let us be your end-to-end recruitment partner and support hiring managers with sourcing top talent and streamlining the recruitment process – or even with top tips like these for writing a how-to re-frame your approach to recruitment!
If you would like to read more insights into the charity sector recruitment market, check out the rest of our blog posts.
About the Author
Heather is a Fundraising Consultant at Ashby Jenkins Recruitment, and she specialises in charity sector recruitment. If you would like to get in contact with her, please email [email protected].
