Exploring interview questions for stronger charity recruitment

Hiring the right people for charity roles isn’t always easy. Charities face challenges like limited budgets, fluctuating funding, and the need to attract candidates who are not only skilled but also genuinely committed to the cause. With increasing pressure to hire candidates who can thrive in these conditions, charity recruitment requires more than just focusing on qualifications.

You need to assess whether candidates align with your mission, adapt to change, and work well with others. The right interview questions will help you identify these qualities and ensure you bring in people who will make a lasting impact.

In this guide, we’ll explore key interview questions that will help you find candidates who are ready to contribute to your charity’s long-term goals.

What makes a strong charity hire?

The charity sector continues to face staffing challenges—but not due to a lack of applicants. In many roles, especially in HR, finance, and operations, the issue isn’t volume but alignment. It’s about finding people with the right mix of skills, motivation, and long-term commitment to support organisations under pressure.

37% of charities say they’ve struggled to recruit in the past 12 months. In functions like HR, finance, and operations, the numbers are even higher. And it’s not just about experience. More than ever, hiring managers are reporting skills gaps, burnout, and concerns around long-term commitment. With 42% of non-profit professionals saying they’d consider leaving the sector depending on the opportunity, retention is just as important as recruitment.

So, what does a strong charity hire look like in 2025?

Skills that match the realities of the role

Charity jobs often require technical skills, but context matters. These are not corporate environments, but many are run similarly. Staff switch focus quickly, manage with fewer resources, and need to deliver real impact. It is not just about being good at digital or finance. It is about using those skills effectively in teams that rely on focus, flexibility, and collaboration.

A people-first mindset, even in specialist roles

Soft skills are no longer optional. Fundraisers need to build trust. HR teams are balancing wellbeing with compliance. Finance professionals are involved in shaping culture. Listening, communicating well, and working across teams makes the difference between a capable hire and a lasting one.

Transferable experience, grounded in sector understanding

Hiring from other sectors can work, especially in digital, comms, and IT. But success depends on understanding the differences. Charities work with tighter budgets, flatter structures, and purpose-led goals. Strong cross-sector hires ask questions, adapt quickly, and respect the culture they are joining.

Resilience and realism

Budgets are tight. Teams are stretched. Resilience matters. But it cannot come at the cost of wellbeing. The right candidate is someone who stays calm under pressure, focuses on solutions, and supports others. This is especially important at mid-level, where satisfaction is lower and turnover is rising.

Unlike corporate hiring, charity recruitment requires a balance of:

• Mission alignment: A genuine commitment to your cause and understanding of the charity sector.
• Adaptability: The ability to work in evolving environments, often with limited resources.
• Soft skills: Empathy, communication, and collaboration are just as important as technical ability.
• Sector expertise: Depending on the role, an understanding of fundraising, governance, marketing, or service delivery is essential.
• Long-term commitment: Retention is key in the charity sector, making it crucial to assess motivations and career goals early.

Key interview focus areas and essential questions

Effective charity recruitment is about more than qualifications. It’s about understanding how candidates work, what motivates them, and whether they can meet the challenges your organisation faces. Asking the right questions helps you assess more than skills. It helps you make decisions that support long-term success.

This section outlines five key focus areas for any charity recruitment strategy, with examples tailored to different types of roles. Whether you’re hiring for permanent staff, interim or temporary charity jobs, working with a charity recruitment agency or reviewing applications in-house, these questions will help you build a stronger, more resilient charity team.

1. Mission and values

Mission alignment is one of the clearest indicators of long-term fit in charity recruitment. When resources are limited and teams are under pressure, candidates who care about your organisation’s purpose are more likely to stay motivated. This applies across all roles, from service delivery to finance, and is just as important when hiring for interim charity jobs through a charity recruitment agency.

There are simple ways to assess this in interviews, from direct questions to practical scenarios. These can help you spot candidates who are genuinely motivated by the mission and likely to stay engaged.

What to look for:

• A clear understanding of your charity’s purpose
• Motivation that goes beyond job stability or title
• The ability to connect their work to wider impact

Example questions: 

• What drew you to this charity and the work we do?
• Can you give an example of a time you felt connected to a cause or organisation?
• What do you see as the wider impact of this role?

What these questions reveal: 
Candidates should be able to talk about your mission in real terms. Look for responses that reference your work directly or show a genuine interest in the non-profit sector. 

According to TPP’s 2024 Salary, Rewards and Retention Survey, 46% of respondents said the organisation’s mission or values were the main reason they took the role. For retention, this rises to 49%, making it the top reason people stay in non-profit jobs.

Scenario to use: 
A service user challenges a team decision that appears to go against the organisation’s values. How would you handle that conversation?

This helps assess whether the candidate can uphold your values in real situations. Strong responses will reflect accountability, empathy, and an understanding of how their actions affect your wider charity team.

2. Soft skills: collaboration and communication

Strong interpersonal skills can be the difference between a capable hire and a lasting one. In charity teams, where resources are stretched and collaboration is constant, how someone communicates and works with others is often as important as their technical skills. This applies across functions, from fundraising and HR to programmes and operations.

Soft skills shape how someone manages pressure, builds relationships, and contributes to team culture. They are especially important in smaller teams, where boundaries between roles are blurred and everyone shares responsibility for outcomes. Yet, they are also one of the hardest things to assess during recruitment.

Try asking:

• Tell us about a time you had to adapt your communication style to work with someone very different from you.
• How do you manage competing priorities when working across different teams?
• Tell us about a time you had to handle a difficult conversation at work. What was the outcome?

Look for thoughtful, practical answers that reflect awareness of tone and team dynamics. Responses should show the candidate understands how to listen, adapt their approach, and stay focused on shared goals. These traits are essential to building a strong charity team and should be a core part of any charity recruitment strategy.

3. Adaptability: Navigating sector challenges

Adaptability is a key quality in charities. Whether you’re hiring for leadership or delivery roles, you need people who can adjust, stay focused, and make progress under pressure.

This has been clear in recent years. During the pandemic, 81% of UK charities changed how they used digital to keep services running (NCVO). Today, 40% still report recruitment challenges, and 57% say roles are hard to fill. That makes adaptability essential in non-profit jobs, especially in delivery, fundraising, and project-based roles.

What to listen for:

• Signs of flexibility and clear thinking in unfamiliar situations
• Willingness to learn or try new approaches
• Calm and practical responses under pressure
• A focus on outcomes, even when the process had to shift

Try asking: 

• Can you share a time when you had to respond to a big change at work?
• What’s the last thing you had to learn quickly to get a job done well?
• Tell us about a situation where things didn’t go to plan. What did you do?

Scenario to use:
You are mid-way through a campaign or service delivery project when a key funder pulls out. How would you approach the next steps?

This can help assess how a candidate balances urgency with clarity, communicates during uncertainty and takes ownership in difficult situations — all of which are vital for a resilient charity team.

5. Commitment and retention: hiring for the long-term

In a sector where resources are limited and teams are often small, retaining the right people makes a real difference. High turnover disrupts delivery, adds pressure, and can slow progress at every level. That’s why effective charity recruitment is not just about who can do the job. It’s about who will want to stay and contribute over time.

This matters across all types of non-profit jobs, especially where progression routes are less defined. Whether you’re recruiting directly or working with a charity recruitment agency, understanding what drives a candidate to stay is essential. The strongest charity recruitment strategies look beyond skills and focus on long-term fit.

What to listen for:

• A clear reason for wanting to work in the sector or stay in it
• Realistic expectations about the role and organisation
• Signs of long-term thinking and commitment to development
• An interest in feedback, progression, or taking on more responsibility

Try asking:

• Where do you see yourself in the next few years, and how does this role fit in?
• What has kept you committed to previous roles or organisations?
• What kind of support or development helps you stay engaged in your work?

Look for honest, reflective answers that show the candidate is thinking beyond the short term. Commitment, curiosity and motivation to grow within a role are all signs they could be a strong addition to your charity team.

Final thoughts on charity recruitment and hiring well

Hiring the right people for your charity team is an important part of ensuring your charity’s long-term success. The right candidates can help you overcome the unique challenges of the sector, drive your mission forward, and create a lasting impact. By asking the right questions, you’re not just assessing technical skills, but also the qualities that will make candidates succeed in a sector that requires adaptability, passion, and teamwork.

With the right charity recruitment approach, you can build a team that is skilled and fully aligned with your values, helping your non-profit achieve its goals for years to come. The questions you ask during interviews are a key part of that process, guiding you to hires that will make a real difference in the charity sector.

Need support with your charity recruitment?

At TPP,  we understand the unique challenges of charity recruitment and the importance of building teams that align with your organisation’s mission and values. Whether you're hiring for interim charity jobs or long-term positions, our expertise can help you attract the right candidates committed to making a real difference.

Contact us today to see how we can support your charity’s recruitment strategy and help you build a strong, dedicated team that will drive your mission forward.