When Hiring for Guest Services, What’s the Right Mix?
A few weeks back I was talking to a friend about the right mix for a guest services staff member. For our illustration, we’ll say that guest services covers areas related to guest services, covenant membership, and general onboarding into the life of the church. This would be the person responsible for moving people from connected to committed.
If you’re hiring for this role, are you looking for:
A person with high people skills, who never meets a stranger, is the life of the party, and is able to foster friendships with various demographics around the church?
Someone with high organizational skills, who can churn out a volunteer spreadsheet in their sleep, never loses track of a first time guest card, and makes the database beg for mercy?
A hire with high leadership skills, able to spot and call out talent out of those who are not currently involved, raise up a new generation of leaders, and mentor current volunteers?
Somebody with an unusually large vision, who can take the minutiae of weekend ministry and help people gravitate to it, who can give the why of vision to the what of parking, seating, and tons of other teams?
In an ideal world, you’d say that you want someone that perfectly embodies all of these things. But let’s say that Jesus isn’t available and you’re looking at a stack of resumes. Which skill set is the most important? The least important? Do some complement each other? Do some conflict? What skill did I leave off that should have made the list?
Love your article. I think this is the snap shot of the “perfect” person. However, I do feel that the most important of the list were 1 and 3.
I have high people skills, which means that I am highly relational. With that being said, I DO NOT like spread sheets. This is the one down fall to my job. When I work on spreadsheets it drains me. However, it is part of the job and I just have to do it.
In order to grow a large vision, this person must have a high leadership capacity. This is not a job that someone on staff can have in a growing and thriving church and do it alone. This person needs to be able to build a team around he/she and give them responsibilities which in turn helps to grow the ministry.
That’s a great word, Carla! I think knowing your weaknesses and being able to hand them off to someone who holds them as a strength is a key to any of the personality types.
You ask your volunteers for résumés? Or are your greeters a paid position?
Hilary, in terms of this post, I’m referring to the paid position of a Connections Pastor…the person who would oversee the entire vol team. I’d love to be able to pay all of our greeters, but that would bankrupt us pretty quickly. 🙂
Generally, I would look for the leader who can develop a team of people who can complete the task. He/She would be able to recruit a group that would embody all of these. The CP has to have a heart for moving people from “street to seat,” meaning that connecting people fuels what he/she does.
I would want to see a track record of building teams to accomplish goals. A person who can strategize and implement with a team, who are highly motivated to be successful. I want them to expect the details to be covered, recruit to get those done, but I am careful to recruit that “detailed person” for he/she may have a tendency to get lost in the details of forms and reports and not see people move to deeper commitment.
You need the “third person” (high leadership skills) first, who can identify, inspire and mentor the “first person” (those with high people skills). If they truly are a leader, then they will have the “fourth person” passion for the minutiae of the connection experience and the understanding of what fulfilling those details means to connecting with future disciples.
What about the “second person” high organizational skills and spreadsheet fever? That would be the cherry on top! Of course, the keystone of the ministry is to remove all hindrances to connecting and failing through disorganization would be like fumbling on the one yard line. Ideally, you need someone who can think with both sides of their brain, or you will need an additional detail person to help organize and analyze the data.
I like it, Scott!