That time of year again: peacoats, pumpkin spice lattes, and phonathon interviews! Here are some tips I’ve learned about how to do one-on-one interviews with potential student fundraisers:
Landing an interview at Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) is a significant step towards a fulfilling career in higher education consulting. RNL, a renowned leader in the field, offers a dynamic and rewarding work environment for those passionate about helping colleges and universities achieve their strategic goals. To prepare for your interview, it’s crucial to understand the company’s values, mission, and the types of questions you might encounter.
This comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and insights you need to excel in your RNL interview. We’ll delve into the most frequently asked questions, along with expert tips and strategies to help you craft compelling answers that showcase your skills and qualifications.
Get ready to impress your interviewers and land your dream job at RNL!
Understanding Ruffalo Noel Levitz: A Legacy of Excellence
Ruffalo Noel Levitz has been a trusted partner to colleges and universities for over 40 years. Their comprehensive solutions and strategic consulting services have empowered institutions to achieve their enrollment fundraising and student success goals. RNL’s dedication to innovation and data-driven insights has earned them a reputation as a leader in the higher education consulting industry.
As a potential RNL employee, understanding the company’s values and mission is crucial. This knowledge will guide you in tailoring your responses to align with the company’s goals and priorities.
Here are some key aspects of RNL’s culture and values
- Client-centric: RNL prioritizes building strong relationships with their clients, understanding their unique needs and challenges, and delivering customized solutions that drive success.
- Data-driven: RNL leverages data analytics and insights to inform their strategies and recommendations, ensuring that their solutions are grounded in evidence and best practices.
- Innovation: RNL embraces innovation and continuously seeks new and effective ways to help colleges and universities achieve their goals.
- Collaboration: RNL fosters a collaborative environment where teamwork, open communication, and shared expertise are valued.
By understanding these core values, you can demonstrate your alignment with RNL’s mission and culture during your interview.
Frequently Asked Ruffalo Noel Levitz Interview Questions:
1. Can you describe your experience with outbound calling and how it has prepared you for a role at our organization?
2. How would you handle a conversation with a donor who is hesitant to contribute financially?
3. What strategies do you use to build rapport with potential donors over the phone?
4. Could you give an example of a time when you were able to get a group of people to raise money?
5. How would you approach training new employees on best practices for engaging with donors and prospects?
6. Describe a time when you successfully resolved a conflict between team members.
7. How do you maintain a positive attitude while making multiple calls throughout the day?
8. How would you ease a donor’s or prospect’s mind about the use of their money?
9. What metrics do you believe are most important for measuring success in a call center environment?
10. What ways have you used data and analytics to help your team do better in the past?
11. How do you ensure consistent communication and collaboration between team members?
12. Describe your experience managing schedules, staffing, and budgets for a program or project.
13. How do you balance the need for efficient call times with providing high-quality engagement experiences for donors and prospects?
14. Share an instance where you had to coach a team member through a difficult situation with a caller.
15. How would you create an inclusive work environment that fosters teamwork and collaboration?
16. Describe your experience using CRM systems to track donor interactions and progress towards goals.
17. How do you keep yourself and your team motivated during periods of low call volume or challenging conversations?
18. What are your salary expectations for this role?
19. Do you have any questions for us?
20. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
21. Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
22. Why are you interested in working for Ruffalo Noel Levitz?
23. What are your career goals?
24. What do you know about Ruffalo Noel Levitz?
25. What are your thoughts on the current state of higher education?
By thoroughly preparing for these questions, you’ll be well-equipped to showcase your skills, experience, and passion for a career at RNL.
Additional Tips for Acing Your Ruffalo Noel Levitz Interview:
- Research the company: Take the time to learn about RNL’s history, mission, values, and services. This knowledge will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate your understanding of the company’s culture.
- Practice your answers: Rehearse your responses to common interview questions, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and providing specific examples to support your claims.
- Dress professionally: First impressions matter, so dress appropriately for the interview. This shows respect for the company and demonstrates your professionalism.
- Be confident and enthusiastic: Show your interviewers that you’re excited about the opportunity and confident in your abilities.
- Ask thoughtful questions: Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the company, the role, and the team. This demonstrates your interest and engagement.
- Follow up: After the interview, send a thank-you note to the interviewers, reiterating your interest in the position.
By following these tips and preparing for the most frequently asked questions, you’ll be well on your way to acing your Ruffalo Noel Levitz interview and landing your dream job.
Kicking off the Interview:
- I think that the first one-on-one interviews should all be done over the phone so that you can hear and see how the person sounds and performs when they make fundraising calls.
- Once you get to know the person you’re interviewing, ask them what they already know about the job. Then, use what they say to start going over the parts of the job.
- When talking about the role itself, don’t avoid talking about the problems that will come up. Be honest about the problems, rude people, or awkward situations that will happen. Also, don’t forget to talk about the good things about the job! As I wrote in a recent blog post, the interview is a great time to talk about your motivational strategies to get more callbacks.
- When it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter what questions you ask or what people answer. Can they talk? What links their ideas? How do they build an argument? Good. That’s who you want.
- These are some of the questions I always ask in interviews: What’s your favorite TV show? Why should I watch it? What’s your least favorite thing about this university? Now tell me what your favorite thing about college is. You could give the University a million dollars. What part of the school would you give it to and why?
- These questions help your candidate show you how they can use communication and charisma to get people excited about giving and persuade them to give over the phone.
Reading the Mock Script:
- If you let candidates try out the job during the interview process, you might want to have them call you (or, better yet, someone else who is willing to let you listen in). Have the person being interviewed read a short fake phonathon script while you or a friend pretend to be the prospect on the call. It’s important to have this part of the interview because it shows you how the person you’re interviewing might do on real fundraising calls and helps them understand the most important part of the job.
- You can give the interviewee the script and ask them to read most of it word-for-word, but make sure that when you ask them to say something they don’t want to say, they have time to come up with a response and, ideally, a reason for you to change your mind. If someone says, “Oh, $150 doesn’t work for you? How about $75?” and then says something else, you’ve found a winner. Do they acknowledge your objection? If so, they want to give you a reason to accept their offer.
- Lastly, the script should stress all the important parts of the call that are necessary for the success of your program. For instance, credit card gifts are a big part of the University of Rochester’s phonathon, as they are in many others. So, in the fake script, credit cards are the only way to pay for something; pledge cards are never mentioned. Callers in the future learn to put credit cards ahead of pledge cards when they make real fundraising calls.
