Sector: Social Sector

About the Client: Repair the World is a nonprofit that focuses on engaging more Jews of all ages and backgrounds in community service and on making that service more meaningful with long-lasting results.

Situation: The founders came to On-Ramps when the idea for Repair the World was still in its infancy.  In fact, the name had yet to be selected. The organization’s purpose and mission evolved over the course of our collaboration.

Challenges:

• Narrow Pool of Potential Candidates: The specificity of both the skill set and seniority that the role would require, in tandem with the requisite cultural experience and identity, narrowed the pool of suitable candidates in the broader talent market.
• Bandwidth and Expertise: At the time of the search, the organization was functioning with an interim team and board. The CEO search was the first strategic hire; there were no permanent other staff. As such, there was limited capacity for sourcing and vetting candidates.
• Driving Consensus Among Multiple Decision Makers: Most searches involve a well-established team with a lead decision-maker. In contrast, a newly formed committee conducted the CEO search. In this decision-by-committee process, robust information gathering and open, productive dialogue were required to reach consensus.

Solution:

By provisioning qualified talent, offering access to rigorous assessment tools, and helping navigate the negotiation process, On-Ramps helped Repair the World hire an excellent CEO candidate that was well suited for the role.

• Effective Representation: On-Ramps served as the organization’s voice to outside constituents for both prospective candidates and other relevant stakeholders.
• Leverage of Multiple Networks: We sourced candidates from both the Board’s network and our own network, covering as much ground as possible. Furthermore, On-Ramps assumed the burden of delivering difficult messages to candidates from the Board’s network.
• Search Expertise: On-Ramps designed the process and created a robust set of materials to drive information gathering and assessment.
• Facilitated Process: It was critical that all parties be satisfied with the outcome of the deliberations. As an active participant in the process, On-Ramps was able to mediate conversations among the multiple stakeholders, thereby ensuring that the full ranges of voices and perspectives were reflected in the ultimate decision.