Van Halen and Hiring the Right Staff for Your Nonprofit

The way we interpret and extract meaning from seemingly insignificant details can have a profound impact on our nonprofits.  The legendary brown M&M test employed by the rock band Van Halen provides valuable insights into how the right shortcut can save time and strengthen decision-making.

Van Halen's Brown M&M Test:

Van Halen's use of the brown M&M test offers a fascinating glimpse into how to create a simple way to perform a quality assurance check.

By requesting a bowl of M&M candies with all the brown ones removed in their contracts, the band sought to determine the level of diligence and professionalism displayed by the local contractors responsible for setting up their shows.

This seemingly insignificant detail served as an indicator of whether the contractors had followed the technical specifications of the contract, potentially impacting safety and the overall concert experience.

What an awesome way to save time, right?  Alternatively, the Van Halen crew could have spent dozens of hours confirming that every screw on the stage was tightened, the lights were connected properly, and on and on.

At nonprofits, when we can find short cuts like this, it means we can dedicate more time and resources to delivering our mission.

Translating the Test to Hiring Practices:

I’ve applied the principle behind the Brown M&M test to the hiring process, particularly when attention to detail is a critical requirement. The common claim of being "detail-oriented" by job applicants often lacks substantiation.

When I need candidates who genuinely possess this attribute, I include a specific request in the job posting, asking applicants to mention in their cover letter which organizational value resonates with them and why.

That the candidate actually takes care to answer the question is more important, in this case, than what their specific answer says.  That they made the effort at all helps them rise above all the applicants who didn’t.

Navigating the Test's Limitations:

While the Brown M&M test can be a powerful tool, we must employ it judiciously to avoid discriminatory practices.

For example, relying solely on a candidate's criminal record as a basis for rejection can be misleading and unfair. Doing so would represent a disservice both to the organization and the candidate.

Instead, we should assess whether a specific conviction directly relates to the essential job requirements. A drunk driving conviction from two decades ago typically has no relevance when hiring a bookkeeper and the candidate’s ability to perform the job well.  A recent DWI conviction would be significant for a role involving driving responsibilities.

How else might you apply this at your nonprofit?

We can apply this lesson beyond attention to detail.  For example, if the role you’re hiring for gives significant importance to:

• Collaboration:  Can you set up a scenario during the interview process where the candidate has to collaborate with current staff to accomplish a simple task? 

• Jumping in and Lending a Hand:  Can your receptionist guide the candidate to the meeting room, only to find the interviewer cleaning up a bunch of confetti on the floor?  Some candidates will jump in and help with the cleanup while others just might watch, right?

• Flexibility and Resilience:  I remember reading about one employer that invited job candidates to a big social activity.  What they didn’t tell them was that they were intentionally picking the candidates up 20 minutes late to see how they reacted (angry and frustrated or flexible and understanding).

Keep your nose clean:

When implementing a test inspired by the Brown M&M test, it's important to ensure fairness, relevancy, and legality. The goal is to find proxies that align with the values and needs of the nonprofit while providing valuable insights into the desired qualities or attributes of potential partners or employees.  But you must do it in a way that doesn’t put you in legal jeopardy or hurt goodwill.

Pro tip:  Unicorns

Unicorns are beautiful, majestic creatures who can grant our wishes and are perfect in every way. 

And we need to remember that they’re not real, especially when crafting our job descriptions and hiring processes.  Unless you have magical resources, adjust your expectations to hiring a human who can do a good job without expecting them to perform miracles.  Carefully consider what hiring criteria you “must have” versus those that are “nice to have.”  And please limit the “must have” criteria to what to job truly requires. 

For example some jobs, like a fundraiser, need someone with effective fundraising skills much more than skills like attention to detail, right?  So “attention to detail” should end up in the “nice to have” column (if it’s a criteria at all).

Most of all ….

Keep your eyes open for ways to apply the lessons of the brown M&Ms to your nonprofit.  How else can you, fairly and legally, take a little data and reasonably use it to save your time?

And, of course, ROCK ON!