One of my early mentors advised me to try to always hire people who are passionate about their craft–whether it be human resources, strategy or design. She shared that in her experience, people who love their profession not only do better work, but are also more productive, and they bring out the best in everyone around them.
A resume that includes pro bono service stands out for this reason. People who use their free time to practice their talent are likely passionate professionals. They love what they do and want to use their jobs to make sure organizations that can’t afford their services can still access them. Why else would someone engage in pro bono service on top of a 50+ hour-work week?
Plus it shows they clearly can multi-task, adapt to working with diverse teams and settings, and all while giving a damn about the community.
So, next time you are interviewing candidates for a job, ask them if they ‘do it pro bono.’
