Six Questions With Executive Search Firm Peña Search

…published in Giving Magazine, were answered by Holly Peña, based on her decades of experience working with mission-driven companies.

How do you interview executive-level candidates? Please describe your process, including how you identify strengths or red flags. 

We look for mission alignment, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence and cultural fluency, and candidates who can connect their experience in objective terms to the organization’s mission and goals. Our process includes at least two recruiters in each interview to help minimize personal bias and ensure a balanced perspective, greatly increasing the likelihood of an accurate match.  Red flags include difficulty articulating one’s background in measurable terms, a lack of humility and self-awareness, and treating nonprofit leadership as a career step rather than a calling, as any of these signal potential challenges in leadership or stakeholder engagement. Ultimately, leadership in mission-driven organizations is about stewardship of people, purpose, and trust. 

What one thing could the fundraising industry do to reduce turnover and strengthen leadership retention? 

Ensure alignment between the board and leadership because turnover often stems from unrealistic expectations, lack of internal support and compensation structures that are not aligned with market realities.  Fundraisers are in constant demand and are frequently recruited away — sometimes even when they’re only loosely qualified — because another organization offers a higher salary or greater internal support mechanisms.  Turnover could be reduced by investing in coaching and other professional development, aligning pay with job expectations and market realities and implementing incentive structures that recognize and reward measurable success. 

What are the most common deficits you see among executive-level candidates? What suggestions do you have to correct those deficits? 

Many executives struggle to describe their accomplishments in concrete, measurable terms. They often rely on subjective language instead of using data to demonstrate accomplishments and impact. Candidates can correct this by tracking their achievements and outcomes over time — including metrics, growth percentages, or tangible results. Being able to quantify success makes an executive’s story far more compelling and credible. 

In your experience with executive search firms, what do they get right, and where do they need to improve? 

The best firms act as long-term partners to both clients and candidates, not just matchmakers.  Many firms underestimate the importance of cultural and mission alignment in the nonprofit sector and putting greater emphasis on this critical piece serves the candidate, the organization, and the nonprofit sector overall. 

Thinking about hiring fundraisers, what one or two qualities do you look for above all others? 

Exceptional communication skills — both written and verbal — are essential. The best fundraisers can clearly convey a mission, build trust, and inspire investment.  Equally important is the ability to translate performance into measurable outcomes. Strong fundraisers know how to connect storytelling with data, showing both heart and results. 

What is the most difficult position to fill, and why? 

Prospect research and planned giving roles are consistently the hardest to fill. The candidate pool for each is relatively small, and both require technical expertise. In addition, many professionals in these specialties now prefer fully remote work arrangements, while many organizations still require some degree of on-site presence. And, finally, particular to planned giving fundraisers, demand for that expertise has grown as more nonprofits recognize the importance of building endowments — but supply has not kept pace. 

[Read the published article in Philanthropy.org’s Giving Magazine here: https://philanthropy.org/six-questions-with-executive-search-firm-pena-search/]