Hiring someone with the perfect CV doesn’t always guarantee a good fit. Especially in mission-driven organisations, alignment with your values often predicts performance, retention and team harmony better than qualifications alone.
This doesn’t mean lowering the bar. It means shifting the lens, from what candidates have done, to how and why they do it.
Here’s how to build values-based hiring into your charity recruitment process.
- Define the values that actually matter day-to-day
Most charities list their values somewhere. But in charity talent recruitment, they need to be more than words on a wall.
Ask your team:
- What behaviours do we celebrate?
- What gets someone praised or promoted in our organisation?
- What kind of actions make someone a good colleague?
From this, shape 3–5 specific values or behaviours that matter to how your organisation operates, not just what it says.
- Translate values into assessment questions
If you want to assess for values, build them into how you interview, not just the charity job advertising.
For example:
- ‘Tell me about a time you adapted your approach to support someone in crisis.’ (Compassion, adaptability)
- ‘Describe a situation where you had to challenge a decision, and how you approached it.’ (Integrity, communication)
- ‘When have you worked with someone whose background or experience was very different from yours?’ (Inclusion, curiosity)
Use real-life scenarios to explore how someone thinks, reacts and behaves, not just what they’ve achieved.
- Create scoring criteria linked to behaviours
Avoid vague assessments like ‘good cultural fit’, they’re often shortcuts for bias.
Instead, define what good looks like:
- What does a ‘4’ in integrity mean?
- What does poor alignment with inclusion look like, and why?
- How do you balance values with skills when scoring?
This makes it easier for panel members to agree on candidates, and helps you explain decisions transparently using your applicant tracking system for charities & not-for-profits.
- Include values in your job materials
Don’t just assess values, promote them in your charity job adverts.
- Add a short section in your job ad: ‘What we value in our team’
- Use real staff quotes to show how values show up in practice
- Mention values in your application questions or supporting statement prompts
This helps attract people who already share those principles, and makes your workplace feel more human and less transactional.
- Be honest about your values
Candidates value honesty in not for profit recruitment. If you’re working on building a more inclusive culture, or improving communication across departments, say so.
No organisation is perfect. But showing self-awareness gives candidates confidence that your values aren’t just a slogan.
- Don’t forget to include values in onboarding
Values-based hiring doesn’t end at offer stage.
Reinforce your culture by:
- Sharing real examples of how values have shaped decisions
- Celebrating behaviours that align with your values
- Creating a culture where feedback, including values alignment, is part of performance
This closes the loop from recruitment to retention.
Final thought: Values drive the mission, not just the culture
In charity recruitment, values aren’t just a ‘nice to have.’ They’re often the clearest indicators of who will thrive, lead, and stay. Hiring for values helps ensure the people you bring in will care as much as you do, and act accordingly.
Key takeaway: Skills are important, but values shape how those skills are used. Hire for both.
Next step: Want help writing values-led job ads? Find out more: https://www.webrecruit.co/charities/
