We’re closing out the year with laughter and cheer—and a whimsical holiday word game.
By Imani Doyle (she/her) and Shanna Masdea (she/her)
How can organizations set new hires up for success? On-Rampers Imani Doyle and Shanna Masdea share their insights into creating an effective onboarding program.
By Sarah Grayson (she/her) and Nakia James-Jenkins (she/her)
The world of employee benefits is changing. On-Ramps Partners Sarah Grayson and Nakia James Jenkins share what candidates and employers need to know to keep up without sacrificing equity.
By Sarah Grayson (she/her) and Robert Mayer (he/him)
How can hiring managers successfully traverse a job market that advantages candidates? On-Ramp’s partners Sarah Grayson and Robert Mayer share their thoughts to help guide employers through the dynamic hiring process.
By Diana O’Neal (she/her)
Hiring a new team member can be overwhelming—especially when it's your first time doing it. Veteran On-Ramper Diana O’Neal shares six tips that Hiring Managers can keep in mind to set a search up for success.
On-Ramper Katrina Nill shares what she’s learned working at On-Ramps, and how her work as an animator and artist relates to her Project Coordinator role.
By Imani Doyle (she/her), Michelle Kedem (she/her), Saad Qureshi (he/they), and Talei Tarakinikini (she/her)
In their well-intentioned effort to create a more inclusive work environment, some employers have headed in the wrong direction. Here are seven tips for balancing boundaries and openness to help employees feel truly comfortable at work.
By Robert Mayer (he/him) and Diana O’Neal (she/her)
Are you searching for a new chief executive officer? Our team shares their insights into finding and hiring a CEO that fits the needs of your organization.
Research Specialist Laura Polk reflects on how her personal identity, experience in anthropology, and commitment to DEI drive her work at On-Ramps.
By Nakia James-Jenkins (She/Her)
On-Ramps recently reassessed our own policies around compensation equity. Here’s what we learned in the process and how equity-minded leaders can implement pay transparency at their organizations.
We recently asked Desy Osunsade, Global Head of People and Culture at Imaginable Futures, why so many employees are leaving their jobs and what employers can do to keep them during this wave of departures and beyond.
Search Consultant Imani Doyle reflects on her four years at On-Ramps, the importance of empathy in the workplace, and how she refuels after a busy week.
By Diana O’Neal (she/her), Jasmin Rothberg (she/her), Shanna Masdea (she/her)
Wondering what it's like to join On-Ramps in a senior position? We asked three On-Rampers about their experiences bringing prior career experience to the team.
By Imani Doyle (she/her), Kevin Do (he/him), and Michelle Kedem (she/her)
Thinking about changing jobs? Here’s our advice for a successful job search.
By Yahira Cruz (she/her), Alice Gibbs (she/her), and Harry Weiner (he/him)
Are you thinking about creating a Chief Operating Officer position or filling an existing one? Our team discusses the challenges, benefits, and nuances of this always bespoke role in social sector organizations.
At On-Ramps, trivia has become a staple and tradition during our celebrations. The stakes were high this fall: the winners would get to pick the organization who would receive On-Ramps’ annual charitable contribution fund. Here are who the winners picked and why.
Holiday wishes (and treats) from On-Ramps.
By Nakia James-Jenkins (she/her), Josh Baquedano (he/him), and Isabella Cassell (she/her)
How can a Chief Diversity Officer make concrete changes to organizational culture? Our team shares their insights into effectively hiring and retaining a CDO to build a more equitable and inclusive organization.
By Michelle Kedem (she/her), Sarah Grayson (she/her), Harry Weiner (he/him)
On-Ramps’ founding partners reflect on the lessons they’ve learned—as a team and as individuals—over the last decade and a half.
We asked social sector thought leaders to share their favorite interview questions for ascertaining mission and cultural alignment. Here’s what they had to say.
By Nakia James-Jenkins (she/her)
We recently caught up with Dana Winfield, Chief Human Resources Officer at The Frick Collection. She shared with me the museum’s journey to building a more inclusive staff, which included employing people with disabilities. Here are the tips, takeaways, and beautiful benefits from her experience.
By Talei Tarakinikini (she/her), Scarlyn Cuevas (she/they), and Andrew Sun (he/him)
Our newest search analysts discuss why they chose On-Ramps during their recent job search.
By Deonté Savage (he/him/his)
Search analyst Deonté Savage discusses his “other life” as a singer and songwriter, and how it informs his work at On-Ramps.
By Michelle Kedem (she/her)
Building a fair and impartial recruiting process—and ultimately building a more diverse team—requires implementing a number of best practices. Here are five we think are essential.
By Alice Gibbs (she/her/hers)
Hiring managers can create more equitable interviews by replacing gut feelings with a more intentional, structured methodology. Here’s a look at how disciplined, competency-based assessment can help combat the pitfalls of style-based biases in the interview setting.
By Michelle Kedem (she/her/hers), Isabella Cassell (she/her/hers), Yahira Cruz (she/her/hers)
After working remotely for many months, On-Ramps came together recently for a long overdue in-person meetup. It was a joyful reunion, and a reminder of just how invigorating it can be when teams interact in real life.
By Emani Inoa (he/him), Suzy Cintron (she/her), Imani Doyle (she/her), and Rob Mayer (he/him)
On-Rampers, who are also members of the LGBTQ+ community, discuss insights and practices that have helped us match queer candidates with welcoming workplaces.
When we’re not face-to-face, we need a more intentional approach.
By Sarah Grayson (she/her) and Nakia James-Jenkins (she/her)
The multiple crises of 2020 forced a much-needed reexamination of employee policies and benefits to support mental health. Here are some of the changes On-Ramps and partner client New York Cares made.
By Rob Mayer (he/him/his)
When an organization’s board of directors is handling the search and hiring process, synthesizing the numerous voices and opinions can be a challenge. Here are 4 best practices to add clarity and fairness to the process.
By Isabella Cassell (she/her), Imani Doyle (she/her) and Madeline Scheffler (she/her)
What does the absence of day-to-day connections show us about how we spend our days? Our culture team unpacks Roxane Gay’s latest op-ed for The New York Times about how our society is re-evaluating work life.
By Nakia James-Jenkins (she/her)
On-Ramps surveyed 100 social sector organizations to find out what changes we should expect to see in workplaces post-COVID19. Here’s what we learned.
By Saad Qureshi (he/they)
Search associate Saad Qureshi discusses how his role as a board member at the nonprofit Act to Change informs his work at On-Ramps.
Can the traditional search process yield successful results in a predominantly remote working world? The answer might surprise you.
By Suzette Cintron (she/her), Emani Inoa (he/él) and Deonté Savage (he/him/his)
What’s it like to join an organization without ever meeting in person? New members of our team reflect on where our virtual hiring and onboarding succeeded, and where there’s room for improvement.
By Isabella Cassell (she/her/hers), Imani Doyle (she/her/hers) and Madeline Scheffler (she/her/hers)
What goes into keeping a company together when everyone is working remotely? Here are the questions, decisions, and ideas that have fueled our culture initiatives over the last nine months.
By Will Wong (he/him/his)
8 interview questions to give you a better sense of a company’s culture—including its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Our team reflects on 2020 and welcomes in 2021.
A holiday greeting (and treat) from On-Ramps.
Extraneous barriers to the interview process reveal larger issues of accessibility and privilege. It’s on us to check our biases and hold ourselves accountable.
By Imani Doyle (she/her/hers)
How to make the career switch from the private to the social sector.
By Yahira Cruz (she/her), Kevin Do (he/him/his), and Michelle Kedem (she/her/hers)
We discuss the questions, challenges, and opportunities that come with making hiring processes more accessible and equitable to a broader range of candidates.
Clients hire us in part because diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices are integrated into the process we use to find them the best candidates. Here’s how we strive to walk the talk when hiring for our own team.
By Michelle Kedem (she/her/hers)
Founding partner Michelle Kedem shares how working as co-founder of Red2Blue helps her work with others.
By Sarah Grayson (she/her/hers)
There are more effective—and equitable—alternatives to back-channel references.
By Sivan Philo (he/him/his)
Tips for hiring managers: who to include in interviews, and how to approach the process.
One of our founding partners, Harry Weiner, draws upon his own experience in executive search for the financial services industry to respond to the Wells Fargo CEO's ridiculous and harmful statement.
Search consultant Omar Lopez discusses how his role as village trustee for a small New York town complements his role at On-Ramps.
By Cindy Menz-Erb (she/her/hers)
On-Ramps search specialist Cindy Menz-Erb shares how mentorship is a form of social capital, and offers 6 tips for mentors and mentees.
By Diana O'Neal (she/her/hers)
On-Ramps search consultant Diana O’Neal discusses how her experience as a first-generation college student inspired her mentorship, and shares 3 tips for mentees.
By Saad Qureshi (he/they)
On-Ramps search analyst Saad Qureshi shares 8 tips on making mentorship meaningful for both parties, based on his experience volunteering at NYC’s LGBT Community Center.
In this webinar recap, Nakia James-Jenkins shares advice on the nonprofit job search process for BIPOC leaders at any stage of their career.
An announcement about our list highlighting open roles at mission-driven organizations that On-Ramps is not involved in filling.
By Alana Althans (she/her/hers)
4 tips for how to effectively gather and use references in your onboarding process.
By Nakia James-Jenkins (she/her/hers)
Nakia James-Jenkins, a Partner at On-Ramps overseeing the organization’s operations and talent practices, discusses 3 changes her team has made in response to the pandemic—and the conversations that went into making those changes.
Here are some resources and actions each of us can take to show a commitment to anti-racism.
Zeryn Sarpangal, chief financial and people officer at Code for America, shares how her organization has adapted its remote working practices in order to preserve its strong culture during the pandemic. This unique chance to experiment with different approaches has resulted in changes that may become permanent.
Jennifer Anderson, vice president of people and culture at JFF, shares the 4 big shifts in talent practices that her organization has made during COVID-19—some of which might live on past the pandemic.
Today, mission-driven work is more important than ever, particularly for organizations that serve our most vulnerable communities. On-Ramps is eager to help, which is why we’re sharing the Community Hiring Collective—a list of open jobs at great mission-driven organizations.
By Imani Doyle (she/her/hers)
6 ways hiring managers can move the job interview process forward when in-person meetings aren’t an option.
Whether you’re a hiring manager or a candidate, we have some advice to ensure a smooth, productive conversation.
Here’s how we’re addressing COVID-19 at On-Ramps.
By Michelle Kedem (she/her/hers)
Move beyond “fit” with a more thoughtful approach.
By Imani Doyle (she/her/hers)
Here’s how to listen and act on what your team really needs.
Since we last wrote about “The Compensation Conversation”, many states and cities have passed laws explicitly prohibiting prospective employers and search firms from asking about current compensation. These policies are intended to stop pay discrimination (the practice of unfairly paying some employees, typically women and people of color, less than others) based on compensation history. These...
I wrote an article for Crain’s New York about the recent New York City Council‘s law banning all city employers from asking about salary history. As someone committed to pay equity, with deep experience recruiting candidates to work at organizations fighting for social justice, I’m dismayed that this City Council chose to pass this law. This is...
This past weekend, people around the world celebrated our planet on April 22nd. Our partners at Perfect Earth Project treat every day like Earth Day. Their PRFCT Principles help landowners and landscapers around the country keep their lawns and green spaces beautiful without the use of harmful chemicals. For those of us living in the "urban...
With a firm commitment to impact, we believe that it’s our responsibility to drive positive change, not only through our work, but also through engagement in regular volunteer service opportunities. Over the years, we’ve developed a vibrant internal group – we call it our Service Council. Its purpose is to identify and design ways for us...
Every January, we get the calls: New Year = New Job. People reach out, friends make introductions, and appointments are scheduled. Job seekers arrive well-prepared, able to talk about their successes and their goals. And then, the dreaded topic: compensation. We always ask the question the same way “Where are you currently and what are you...
By Harry B. Weiner (he/him)
As 2016 comes to a close, it’s a natural time for organizations to reflect on the progress made within the last year and to set goals for the year ahead. At On-Ramps, we’re proud of our accomplishments over the last 12 months, particularly the addition of human capital consulting (https://www.on-ramps.com/consulting/) to our suite of services. As...
If you run a school (or multiple schools), you should be Near the end of every April, we get a series of calls from school, CMO, or district leaders all with same problem: a leader-less school and no solution in sight. When these calls come in, we do our best to be helpful, but the situation is...
It’s official! We just announced that in addition to talent recruitment, we now offer human capital consulting to mission-driven organizations committed to social change. Our services include:
Organization and role design
Core values
Development of recruitment and strategy goals
Onboarding
Performance management
Compensation strategy
Over the last few years, our clients have been asking us to...
The On-Ramps team visited Edible Schoolyard NYC’s Brooklyn site and spent the day preparing for their Fall Festival. Edible Schoolyard’s programs change the preference, attitude and eating behaviors of young New Yorkers in favor of healthier foods. The Brooklyn site boasts a fully functioning half-acre garden, chickens, greenhouse and kitchen serving the greater community. Students prepare simple...
Thank you again to our panelists Ben Hecht (Living Cities, CEO & President), Elisa Villanueva Beard (Teach for America, CEO) and Nick Turner (Vera Institute of Justice, President & Director) for such an engaging and productive conversation. An audio recording of this webinar is now available for listening. Want to keep the conversation going? Feel free to...
Heads of Teach for America, Living Cities, and Vera Institute Join On-Ramps
For Oct. 18, Noon ET Panel Discussion (Free)
As a recruiting and consulting firm focused on the social sector, On-Ramps considers diversity, equity and inclusion among our core values. Having spent the last two years working to address issues related to diversity, equity...
Amy Gallo at the Harvard Business Review recently published a great piece on a topic near and dear to my heart: How to Manage Managers. For many of us, there's a turning point along our career paths where we realize success is no longer about our own performance; it's about the performance of our team members....
Lately, formal performance reviews have come under attack, referred to as a “perpetually weird ritual” by CNNMoney, for example. It seems that companies are abandoning them in favor of less formal, real-time feedback to employees. We just finished our mid-year review cycle and, based on how productive an experience it was, I offer this in defense...
I am pleased to announce that I recently wrote an article for Co.Exist about the discussion of complex, potentially difficult topics in the workplace. The website, part of the Fast Company family, provides “a daily tour of the latest world-changing ideas and innovations in transportation, energy, education, food, and health." As you know, diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamentally important to us....
By Harry B. Weiner (he/him)
May 23, 2016, Chicago, Illinois
I had the honor of taking part in A Better Chicago’s inaugural Education Summit this past week. The vibrant event convened business, civic and academic leaders to explore how philanthropy can accelerate change and deliver a world-class education to every Chicagoan. I participated on a panel discussing the high ROI of...
We know that many forms of diversity within and across teams are important for everyone. We believe it. We see it. And we want it for our own teams and organizations. When trying to create a diverse team, gender and racial-ethnic diversity are easier to spot straight away and come to mind quickly. But what about...
I am often surprised at how frequently impressive candidates, in the context of otherwise strong interviews, falter when I ask them to tell me about a time they failed. I started asking the question to get beyond rehearsed stories of success and to uncover a candidate’s capacity for humility, self-awareness, and learning. More often than not,...
Job title, scope of responsibility, passion for the organization, compensation – these are all fine factors to consider when weighing a potential job opportunity. And of course you know that you should “like” your new boss, but is having a fantastic manager that important? Many candidates underestimate the importance of vetting their future managers before signing...
On-Ramps was thrilled to be a part of Schools That Can NYC’s panel on empowering teachers and cultivating talent. Sonja Weaver-Madsen joined principals and talent professionals from across the city at the Stevenson School to discuss the importance of assessing for mission fit in the hiring process and developing structures to foster staff empowerment and development....
In advance of second round interviews, we are frequently asked some variation of the following two questions: ”Should I share my feedback from first round interviews with my colleagues before they meet candidates? Shouldn’t I allow them to form their own opinions?” To these questions, we respond: “yes and yes.” To make the best use of...
Anyone who interviews has a favorite question. It's the question that they think provides a meaningful snapshot of a candidate and his/her fit for the role. What’s *my* favorite question? I like to ask, ‘Tell me about your dream job…’ This question not only gives me a sense of a candidate's current motivations but also an...
Committed to having a positive impact in the communities where we work and live, the On-Ramps Service Council organizes pro bono opportunities and volunteer engagements for the firm. On December 13th, five members of the On-Ramps team joined Catholic Charities for their annual St. Nicholas Project shopping day at a Kmart in Manhattan. Having volunteered with...
There is a moment near the end of every interview when the interviewer asks if the candidate has any questions he or she would like to ask. In the past month or two, I have witnessed a notable uptick in the following exchange:
Interviewer: Do you have any questions for me?
Candidate: How do I stack...
Committed to having a positive impact in the communities where we work and live, the On-Ramps Service Council organizes pro bono opportunities and volunteer engagements for the firm. On October 31, seven On-Rampers stepped away from their desks to enjoy a lovely day gardening at P.S. 216 in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Welcomed by the delicious smell of borscht cooking in...
On October 16th, On-Ramps convened NYC-based senior human capital leaders to focus on a timely topic in performance management: maximizing the annual review process. Sarah Grayson, Partner at On-Ramps, Becca Howlett, Vice President of Recruitment at Achievement First, and Nia Monroe, Senior Director of Human Resources at ARTstor started the discussion by sharing snapshots of the competency...
Lately we’ve been thinking and talking about culture fit even more than we normally do. In addition to working with our clients to assess candidates for culture fit, we’ve also been doing some hiring of our own. Both experiences have pushed our thinking on the notion of culture fit and have helped us to unpack the...
Hiring is difficult. Candidates, the strong ones, at least, are choosy. There’s a mountain of data showing that interviews are unreliable. We have found that one of the most useful parts of the hiring process – one that addresses these challenges – is what we call the “thought exercise.” The thought exercise is pre-work, (or, as...
On-Ramps spent a lively and engaging evening with the New York Chapter of Net Impact as part of its "Consulting with Impact" series. On-Ramps team members met with young professionals interested in mission-driven work and doled out resume tips, career advice, and helpful resources. We also loved listening to the panel of experts, which included professionals from...
We connect with people in transition every day. In addition to understanding key accomplishments from your past roles, we also want to know what prompted each of your career moves. As you reflect on your career history and prepare to interview, keep these things in mind:
Do: spend time reflecting on the circumstances that motivated each...
On May 15 we hosted our first of many Cocktails and Conversation gatherings. Over Pimm’s Cup cocktails, Sarah Grayson and Michelle Kedem shared their insights on recruiting successfully in the social sector, highlighting the frequently overlooked, high-leverage practices that all organizations can incorporate into their internal recruitment processes. Thanks to all who joined us, including Jumpstart,...
A strong development department is essential for any nonprofit to thrive—but navigating donors, DEI, and a turbulent job market is no easy task. Learn how Wendy Sealey, Vice President for Development at the Guttmacher Institute, and Erin Dodd, Vice Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at Columbia Business School, do it.