Hiring As An Act of Worship

Hiring the right people is one thing, but getting people in the right place is equally important. Jim Collins (2017) wrote about this in his famous illustration about getting the right people on the bus. Collins does not stop there. He goes on to say it is equally important to get the wrong people off the bus and get the right people in the right seat on the bus. This is easier said than done.

A quick search of some Christian schools in the southeast shows that most schools are still looking to complete their faculty and staff openings. With 6-8 weeks before school starts, are we looking to fill positions or get the right people in the right place? This is the first challenge we often face in the hiring process… Patience.

Finding the right person for the position should be a priority. The idea of exercising spiritual gifts is so important that Paul discusses this topic in Romans and 1 Corinthians. Peter addresses the topic in 1 Peter. The exercise of spiritual gifts is so important that Paul spends 2 long chapters discussing the importance of using spiritual gifts correctly.

What I find so interesting is that we rarely discuss spiritual gifts in relation to the open positions at our schools. Our Job Descriptions don’t indicate the gifts a position requires, and we don’t ask candidates about their spiritual gifts as part of the interview process. This should not only be a part of the process, but a valuable part of the process. This may require patience and put us in the uncomfortable position of waiting for the right person to fill the needs.

The second challenge we face to getting the right people in the right place is identifying where the bus is going. This may be called vision casting or being mission driven, but I often hear those who are not in leadership positions say they don’t know where the bus is going. Can those who work for you not only state your mission, but also understand your core values? Maybe these foundations should be covered regularly so that everyone understands the values that decisions are based on.

So, if what Collins says is true, we need to wait in order for the organization to thrive. We need to make sure that everyone in the organization knows the direction of the school and their role in it.  In 1 Peter 4 the proper use of gifts is directly linked to the act of glorifying God. If our schools are to complete our mission, we need to not only find the right people, but also make sure they are in the right positions.