Congratulate Ginger on her new position at the University of Oregon! So says my LinkedIn email announcing another DO on a new, awesome job adventure. This got me to thinking: 1) There are jobs during the pandemic. 2) Organizations are hiring. 3) Ginger likely vacated another job which leaves another institution with an opening…which they may or may not refill.
According to GG+A’s June 8, 2020, weekly COVID-19 impact survey, 72% of advancement offices implemented budget cuts and controls, and 63% put hiring freezes into place. Regardless, shops will continue to hire when the absence of a person in a role will adversely affect the institution, but we must do this smartly.
Which brings me to what I’m proposing today: Combine internal data analysis with the perspective of your talent management team to make data-informed position decisions. In partnership with the UO’s Senior Director of Strategic Talent Management, Chelsey Megli, we began analyzing a unit’s performance data before they decided to refill a position.
The feasibility study asks, Is it feasible to hire? At what level can we support this unit? Our partnership is about layering the talent management side of advancement, with the prospect data and fundraising metrics side of advancement, and bringing this to stakeholders.
Providing feasibility studies in partnership with talent management is very rewarding, where data-informed decision making is actionable. Let’s walk through how this looks.
Discretion, impartiality, curiosity
The data represent years of hard work and deep relationships. The outcomes could reveal unexpected insights regarding the unit or personnel. These should be treated discreetly and respectfully. The analyst should approach the insights curiously and without conclusions. Ask questions instead of passing judgments. The analysis should be impartial to allow those with the vested interest to have all the information they need to make the right decisions.
The parties involved
As potential openings emerge, a partnership among the talent management director (or HR director), the data or business analyst, and the unit head is the basis of a great feasibility team.
- The talent management director will give the talent perspective regarding the resource and budgetary landscape. They’re taking into account several information sources including internal and external talent, leadership opinions, and will want the decision-makers to balance all of these perspectives. They will be close partners with the analysts.
- The analyst takes on a diplomatic role providing neutral, data-informed reports. They have access to and understanding of: prospect and proposal data, contributions (fundraising) totals, and the campaign (if relevant). They should bounce interpretations of data off of the talent management partner early and often. Critical thinking is key here.
- The unit head has a “vested interest” in filling the position. This person may struggle with impartiality because they’re aiming for quickly refilling the role or perhaps wanting to fill the role at a preconceived level. Conversely, this person may be the requesting party and could be a ready partner who is open-minded to receiving the analysis.
Some scenarios
Here are two feasibility studies and outcomes.
A professional school on campus had a director of development position opening. The expectation was to hire an assistant director of development.
- From the donor data, we saw 96% of giving residing at the lowest levels of the giving pyramid, resulting in recommendations for engagement and pipeline building opportunities
- Very few gifts and prospects resided at the higher levels of the pyramid (major and principal giving levels).
- Additionally, we discovered declining enrollment numbers for 10 consecutive years, which resulted in declining alumni and therefore declining donors at all levels. This will affect current and future pipeline growth.
- With that analysis, our feasibility team recognized an opportunity for elevating a current team member and validating the hiring of an assistant director of development.
- The data we used included: donor counts by range (5 years), total giving by range (5 years), prospect and potential counts, as well as our institution’s IPEDs enrollment trends data.
A cultural program was deciding how to fill two open development program positions.
- We used proposal outcomes data to understand the team performance with the number of solicitations funded and declined, as well as the dollars raised by these development officers. What was found was that the biggest gifts were received by non-unit DOs.
- Further, we found that deferred solicitations were not showing up as we would have expected. This could help shape potential future deferred giving conversations.
- After diving into the data, we recognized a dearth in grant dollars, causing us to ask what this meant. We were surprised by this because the prior position emphasized grant writing.
- Campaign projection scenarios were created to illustrate different ways to achieve the unit goal.
- With these insights, the feasibility team was able to make recommendations to the unit lead.
- The data we used included prospect and proposal data, as well as fundraising totals for the campaign.
The recommendations
Consider providing a menu of potential scenarios and recommendations for future steps. Solutions are not the end-game… finding insights are. You can do this effectively in charts and bursts of information.
Layout strategic approaches with tactical partnerships. Your analysis may find not only insights for a talent-related decision, but also impacts for improved unit effectiveness. If you believe there’s stakeholder appetite, go that extra mile to identify strategies and partnerships to work with these insights. Clearly state the unanswered questions and your future recommendations. Don’t leave anyone guessing.
When and why you’re using the report
The analyst will partner with the talent management director to present the findings and recommendations. Whereas the analyst plays the neutral and objective party, the role of the talent management director adds the right interpretation and flavor for the unit head to create a menu of options to move forward with data-informed scenarios. The meeting should be a dialog with questions, and contextual explanations and offers of additional analysis. Future uses of the report include:
- Packaging your case for your budget manager and HR director.
- Making the case to hire the position with your VP, AVP, dean, provost, and other stakeholders.
- Starting conversations about organizational changes in your team or unit.
- The talent management director can use the analysis to inform conversations with prospective candidates or search firms.
- Once hired, the analysis can be implemented as a tool for onboarding.
Smaller shops and non-higher ed
This approach fits our large advancement shop. Smaller shops or non-higher ed may not need to dive as deeply into your data. Brainstorm with your analyst the questions that will provide insights into and direction for the stakeholders in your staffing decisions. Some ideas that may inform your hiring and/or resource investments:
- What is the age of your donor population by giving range?
- What regions are your gifts predominantly flowing from?
- If you are in a campaign, calculate different scenarios for achieving the goal. What type of hiring would it take for each scenario?
Wrap up
Feasibility studies are a way to use data to impact organizational decision making. Hindsight is 20-20, and we can use that to be informed in our future decisions. In looking at the data and the personnel we’re able to make data-informed recommendations on future-state staffing for that team. My partnership with talent management has provided many insights and allowed for data-informed strategic decision making. So go for it! Be a team player with TM!
I want to hear from my TM colleagues. How have you partnered with your data analysts to inform your own strategies?
By Maureen Procopio
Senior Director, Campaign Strategy and Institutional Benchmarking
University of Oregon Advancement
541-346-2061