We’ve been helping one of our long-term nonprofit clients implement live case studies this year. And it’s transforming their hiring process!
Hiring managers are finding it really helpful to see a candidate’s thought process unfold and to understand how and why they arrive at their recommendations.
They also gain a lot of information about a candidate’s skill in problem-solving and managing a complex project (2 of the competencies they want to assess during the hiring process).
Case studies are also AI-proof since there’s no time to prepare in advance!
Bonus: If you decide to hire a candidate, you already have insight into where they may need coaching and support in their new role.
Case studies are so illuminating, in fact, that our nonprofit client plans to use them instead of written thought exercises from now on (except for certain roles, like accounting, where written thought exercises may be more helpful).
Try this — Add a case study into your hiring process
Plan
- Decide on which competencies you want to assess. For example, our nonprofit client is primarily using case studies to assess problem-solving and ability to manage complex projects.
- Decide on which type of cases will assess those competencies the best. There are 3 main types of case studies (according to Accenture):
- The Great Unknown: The candidate gets a little information and needs to probe for additional details and ask questions to come up with a recommendation
- The Parade of Facts: The candidate gets an information dump and has to sift through it to discern what’s most important in order to make a recommendation.
- The Back of the Envelope: The candidate gets a little information and has to make an estimate regarding cost, time needed, etc. Primarily relevant to nonprofit operations and finance/accounting roles.
- Determine the ideal recommendation(s) you want the candidate to come up with. Include what you hope to hear in the thought process, understanding that there are multiple ways to get to a strong recommendation.
- List out the questions candidates may ask and the additional details/context you will share.
- Write up the case study document to share with the candidate. Include a problem statement and relevant information.
Implement
- Share the case study document right before the interview so the candidate does not have time to prepare.
- Give a time limit (e.g., 30 minutes). Ask the candidate to think aloud as they work through the task and come up with a recommendation.
- While they work, assess the competencies in addition to things like poise, flexibility, communication, and other intangibles (e.g., decisiveness, time management).
- Debrief with the candidate after the live case study is done.
Want help developing and/or facilitating a case study in your own hiring process?
Join us — September Talent Roundtable
September is a great time to take stock of where we’ve been and plan for what’s next!
So at the next Talent Roundtable, we’ll discuss trends in the 2025 talent market.
Join us on Wednesday, September 10 from 12 to 1pm Eastern.
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Work with us – Talent Acquisition
You know how essential it is to hire and retain the right people for your organization.
But building a talented team takes time — all that sourcing, sifting through dozens of résumés, and conducting all the screenings and interviews to make sure you find people who are the perfect fit for each role and your organization.
This is where TalentED Advisors comes in. We’re pros at nonprofit recruitment and hiring.
We’ve found an exceptional candidate for every single search we’ve completed! And many of our clients come back again and again to grow their organizations.
If your nonprofit wants support in hiring talented team members, book a free, no-obligation call so we can explore your challenges and see if we’re a good fit to help.
