Comments on: Where do you see yourself in five years?

By: Wild Woman Fundraising You got the interview! Now what? – Wild Woman Fundraising

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:22:55 +0000

[...] job.” hahaha. Just kidding. Say, “Working to make the X cause succeed.”) I wrote a whole blog post about this question [...]

By: 5 Years From Now… « Nonprofit Leadership

5 Years From Now… « Nonprofit Leadership — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:28:50 +0000

[...] her recent post, Where do you see yourself in five years?, Mazarine tackles that common interview [...]

By: admin

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 05:33:03 +0000

Dear Hoong Yee,

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Consider where this question comes from. Your blog is all about creativity. Why are you asking the same old questions all of the time? Why not ask, “What makes you passionate about our mission?” Or, “What management styles work for you?” or, “What’s your idea of a fun afternoon?” 5 years is a really long time, especially to gen X and gen Y, and ESPECIALLY in this economic climate. Is your nonprofit even going to EXIST in 5 years? Maybe not.

High turnover is very often a sign of an ineffective nonprofit, and can say a lot more about leadership and management styles than about the individual. I once had to interview two people for a job. One was “really fun,” enthusiastic, and charismatic. One was very quiet and didn’t exhibit much enthusiasm. I hired both of them. Guess who flaked right away and ran off to another job? Guess who stuck it out and became my best employee? Yep. The one who appeared “boring” at first glance. But that person was the hardest worker I ever had. So, I don’t think Mick Jagger’s philosophy really applies to nonprofit hiring.

By: hoong yee lee krakauer

hoong yee lee krakauer — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:28:36 +0000

wow! i must confess that i ask that question a lot when i interview prospective job candidates. having experienced high turnover in the last few years i never assume the person will be around in 5 years. for me it is an illuminating way to gauge the person’s passion for the work.

i look for energy, not experience.
can i have dinner with this person?
is this person fun?

my hiring philosophy comes from mick jagger who said,
“you have to have the chops. but if you’re not fun on the bus, you’re off the tour”

best,
hoong yee lee krakauer