Definition: Most Senior Staff Person 1
The person who reports to the board of directors and to whom any other employee of the organization reports either directly or indirectly. Common titles for the most senior staff person include President, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.
Recruiting the most senior staff person: Hiring and monitoring the Executive Director or most senior staff person is one of the primary responsibilities of the Board of Directors of a nonprofit organization. 2 It is important to have processes in place for recruiting a new Executive Director to ensure that the best possible candidate is selected for the job and to avoid crisis as your organization transitions between one Executive Director and the next.
Why is orienting the most senior staff person important? Effective orientation has been demonstrated to improve job performance as well as to instill a sense of commitment among new employees. 3
From "Accreditation Preparation Workbook Section A: Board Governance," Katharine Zywert, Social Prosperity Wood Buffalo at the University of Waterloo, 2013.
- “Standards Program Definitions,” Imagine Canada, May 2011
- “Hiring a Director for a Nonprofit Agency: A Step-by-Step Guide,” Kurt J. Jenne and Margaret Henderson, Popular Government, Spring 2000
- “HR Management Standards: Second Edition,” HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector, 2011