10 Lessons For Pastors About Recruiting Top Staff

I hear it all the time, “I’m looking for a great worship leader…I’m looking for a great groups leader…I’m looking for a great education pastor…I need a good assistant.”  Pastors understand that one key hire could be the key to their ministry going to the next level.

But how do you secure top staff?  The September 5th edition of USA Today gives us unique insights into this process from an unusual source- Hollywood.

First-time director Theodore Melfi recounts how he secured the much in-demand Bill Murray for his debut film St. Vincent.  Though a Hollywood film, Melfi’s story will help you with the approach needed to secure top talent.  You can read the full article by clicking here.

The following are 10 Lessons For Pastors About Recruiting Top Staff:

1. Go After Who You Want, Not Who Is Available – The most talented people are rarely available.  You must aggressively attempt to secure their services.  Murray was Melfi’s top choice for his film and he was prepared to go through extraordinary lengths to enlist him.
2. Know The Best Way To Make Initial Contact With Desired Staff – Murray is unique in Hollywood in that he has no agent and manager.  Melfi said, “You just call the 1-800 number. And I left, I don’t know, a dozen messages. It’s not his voice on there. It’s a Skytel voicemail with a menu. You have to record the message and send the message. It’s so confusing.”
3. Respect Potential Staff During The Recruiting Process – Potential staff likely already have jobs they are very happy at.  They are deeply entrenched in their current ministry environment.  Remember you reached out to them.  Therefore, do not put them in awkward situations.  Melfi noted, “He (Murray) might call you back. I started calling once a week, and then sometimes once every two weeks so I didn’t annoy him.”
4. Recruiting Potential Staff Is Often Done Best Through Relationships – You may think you are in the “ministry business” but you are actually in the people business.  A great way to connect with potential staff is often through mutual friends.  This approach builds trust.  Melfi said, “I finally called his lawyer and said, ‘I’m trying reach Bill.'”
5. If Potential Staff Are Interested They Will Respond Accordingly – Melfi said, “Bill calls two weeks later, he picks up the phone and calls my producer’s assistant (who is flabbergasted) and says, ‘I never got that script.’ So we Fed Ex the script to a place in North Carolina.”
6. Potential Top Staff Value Relationships – Top talent understand the power of relationships.  They also understanding respect and timing.  Rarely do they discount people or burn bridges.  Not being able to work together today on a project is not an indication of now working together five years from now.  When Murray and and Melfi finally connected after several weeks, Murray said, ‘Ted? It’s Bill Murray. Is this a good time?'”
7. Top Staff Leaders Are Attracted To Other Top Leaders – Murray was as interested in WHO he would potentially be working with as much as WHAT the script was.  Great leaders will not work with average leaders.  Murray said, “‘Listen, I got this script of yours and I don’t know who you are. I don’t Google people. I don’t know who you are, what you do. Tell me about yourself.'”
8. Potential Top Staff Do Not Waste Time – Once potential top staff are interested and ready to move forward they will not waste time.  They will be ready to move right now.  Therefore, do not reach out to them unless you are serious.  Murray asked Telfi, “‘Want to get together and have a coffee and talk about the script?’ I say, ‘I’d love to.’ He goes, ‘How about tomorrow?'”
9. Potential Top Staff Will Be Extremely Prepared – Prior to meeting with Melfi, Murray had thoroughly read the script.  Melfi noted not only did Murray have it with him, the script was dog-eared with scratches.  Because potential top staff will be extremely prepared, you must be as equally prepared to answer questions and address their concerns.
10. To Secure Top Staff You Must Go To Them – Potential top staff have many options and full calendars.  Therefore, you must insert yourself into their timeline.  Melfi concludes, “We drive from L.A. to three hours south at the Pechanga Indian reservation. I have no idea where I am or where I’m going. We drive and drive and drive. We end up at the back of this reservation on a golf course. He has a house there. We talk about the script the entire way.”

Pastors and church leaders, what other things do you do to add the finest leaders to your church staff?

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