I almost got side-swiped while traveling 65mph (okay, more like 70) on the freeway recently. The driver of an F-250 pickup apparently did not see me. Though I was likely in this person’s blindspot, I was able to quickly slow down as he jumped lanes, narrowly avoiding a crash.

I probably don’t need to state the obvious, but in the church world we have blindspots as well. And more specifically in the world of church personnel placement I see some obvious blindspots and/or mistakes churches make in the hiring process.

Here are four mistakes I often see:

Repeat Questions.

By the time a candidate is actually doing an onsite interview he or she has likely answered questions about his or her testimony, strengths, weaknesses and philosophy at least a half-dozen times.

Solution: Keep a summary sheet for each candidate and anytime you invite new congregants and decision makers into the process bring them up to speed so you’re garnering new information from the candidates.

Technology

There is no reason for a telephone “conference call” anymore. The comfort and ease for the search team sitting in the same room is fantastic for the people in the room, but not for the applicant on the other end of the phone. Awkward pauses, questions from faceless voices and laughter for no apparent reason only causes confusion for the candidate.

Solution: The internet is your friend. Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, and Webex are all better options than the old-fashioned conference call. When you’ve narrowed to a top 5, get online with your candidates and enjoy some face-to-face internet interaction.

Slow-Motion

The adage is that things never happen fast in a church. But I can tell you that search processes do not have to go in slow motion.

Solution: Before you start a search process have an end-date in mind. Outline your meetings in advance. Recruit a team to that plan so that everyone knows how quickly you intend to move. Yes, schedule conflicts will arise, but know that there are only small windows of time that a candidate is looking and once he or she is looking at your church they are often looking at multiple options. Keep moving and keep communicating.

Too Expensive

Stewardship of kingdom funds is a responsibility we have to take seriously, but so is the stewardship of time and relationships. Whether it is the Senior, Executive or Associate Pastor leading the search process, he or she will either add hours to their schedule or take away time from other pressing matters. The average search will take a church 8-12 months on their own. A church must realize that absence of a leader in a critical staff position may actually lead to people leaving the church as well— this will have financial ramifications.

Solution: Outside search firms (such as what I do as YS Search) may actually be the wise

stewardship choice. We already have a network of relationship to tap into. We do this as our full-time focus, giving a significant advantage over a pastor taking time away from his or her regular responsibilities. I would make the case that not using YS Search may be too costly for the church rather than the other way around.

Whether you’re changing lanes while driving or making a change in personnel at church, be warned— check your blind spots! A small correction can save you from big mistakes.