What is worse than having an open position at a church? It is having the wrong person in that position. When hiring a candidate, a church must understand the candidate’s strengths and personality profile. This will help the church see where the candidate’s strengths are and how they fit into the bigger picture in regard to the rest of the staff and church. A reputable tool is StrengthsFinder ®. This assessment tool helps a church understand what they need to know about a candidate in regard to how they will operate in the life of that church.
StrengthsFinder ® has 34 different strengths that fall into 4 different categories. The categories will help the candidate and church understand each other better. The four categories are:
- Executing
- Influencing
- Relationship Building
- Strategic Thinking
Here is how these four categories may come into play during the hiring process:
The Role of StrengthsFinder® Assessment in Hiring
Using a StrengthsFinder® assessment can bring clarity to the process. Here are 6 ways to use StrengthsFinder ® to understand candidates:
1. Understanding Strengths
This assessment helps a church see the strengths of the candidate through the lens of a personality profile. The church should aim to create a well-balanced team that feeds off the strengths of each other. The candidate’s core strength and domain of leadership should align with the church’s expectations. If there’s a mismatch in expectations and the candidate’s style, the strengths could become a liability.
2. Awareness of Weaknesses
The StrengthsFinder ® assessment also helps the hiring team understand where the candidate might struggle. For instance, a Relationship Building domain is great with people but can have the weakness of missing deadlines or avoiding conflict. An Executing domain can be proactive but can also easily offend people. It’s important to have a realistic assessment of what the candidate will excel in and what they won’t be able to change.
3. Compatibility Dynamic
The candidate will become part of a larger team. An assessment such as StrengthsFinder® can help understand fit. It’s smart for the current team to also do an assessment to understand how the new team member will fit in. Another consideration is the dynamic between the Senior Pastor and the new team member. Similar personalities could create frustration.
4. Setting Expectations
This assessment gives the church a better understanding of what to expect from the candidate. This can help manage expectations and reality and prevent frustration.
5. Better Understanding of Others
The StrengthsFinder ® assessment helps the candidate understand other people better. By understanding their main strength, they can more effectively interact with others.
6. Skills Development
A complete assessment aids in developing the skills and mitigating the weaknesses when hiring a new team member. Once a leader knows the strengths of someone they are hiring, they can help them improve those skills.
The Value of Assessment in the Hiring Process
Though an assessment like this might slow the process and cost time, energy, and money, it can save the church from hiring the wrong person. Assessments should be seen as a necessary step not only for hiring but also for team development. This step will save the church in the long run, create better unity on the team, and empower the new team member, setting them up for success.
