The following post was written by Issela Sono, Nonprofit Management and Governance Intern at the Standards for Excellence Institute^®. Issela has volunteered in various nonprofit organizations in the Maryland and Washington, DC area while pursuing her undergraduate studies in Global Business and Public Policy. Issela is certified in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and is currently pursuing a M.B.A., with a concentration in Public Management, at Hood College. Thriving and surviving in the nonprofit sector requires human resources and we all strive to bring the most talented individuals into our organizations.  Setting high standards from top to bottom during the staff  hiring and evaluation process, helps ensure that your organization attracts the most competitive pool of applicants poised to move your organization in the right direction. The hiring process begins by developing well-written, clear job description and postings, where all the requirements of the position are outlined. The clearer the job descriptions, the lower the chances are for misunderstandings. Setting a competitive salary will also help your organization stay in line with the market trends and successfully compete for outstanding candidates. Similarly, upon hiring, all staff members must receive training so that they can understand their roles and responsibilities. It is also  important for staff members to be evaluated on a regular basis, at least annually. As part of the publishing of our 2.0 version of the Standards for Excellence^® educational material, the second section of the code regarding Leadership includes three educational resource packets around the subject of hiring, evaluating, and setting salaries for staff, in addition to succession planning. These three educational resource packets focus on the following areas: Personnel Policies, Employee Orientation, Compensation and Evaluation (updated April 2015)

• Model Employee Handbook
• Telecommuting Policies and Checklists
• Staff roles; Hiring the executive director; Setting the executive director’s salary; Evaluating the executive director’s performance; Maintaining staff other than the executive director; Salary structure and the broader market
• Featured attachments include: Model Employee Handbook, Telecommuting Policies, Annual Review of Executive Director Form, Executive Director Evaluation Form, Annual Employee Evaluation Form, Compensation Philosophy Statements, Model Review of Organization’s Salary Structure, Compensation Policy

Board and Executive Partnership (updated September 2014)

• Defining roles of the board and the chief executive; Sorting out board and staff roles and responsibilities; Understanding the line between management and governance; Executive roles and responsibilities; Evaluating the chief executive; Chief executive termination and removal
• Featured attachments include: Leadership Roles in Management and Governance Diagram, Sample Position Description: Executive Director, Sample Executive Director Evaluation Process Resource Tool

Succession Planning (updated July 2014)

• Types of succession planning; Preparing for succession, leadership and staff development; Key elements of succession plans and procedures; Hiring a new executive director; Succession planning for board leadership
• Featured attachments include: Sample Leadership Development and Succession Plan, Board Room Quick Tip, Strategies for Successful Succession

As is the case with all our updated educational resource packets, the documents include sample policies, procedures, tips and other materials (as outlined above) that will guide your organization through the process of developing and implementing essential policies for your nonprofit. The new educational resource packets are available, free of charge, to all our Standards for Excellence Institute members and can be accessed at this link: http://www.standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org/dnn/Education/Resources.aspx If you are not a member yet, sign up now to have full access to these educational materials and plentiful others!