The role of board, council, or committee members requires individuals with the right skills, values, and commitment. While some organisations may be comfortable with long-standing members, forward-thinking organisations recognise the need to refresh board representation. Diversity is essential for growth and innovation, and attracting new candidates ensures a more inclusive leadership that reflects the broader membership base. A balanced and forward-thinking board is crucial for long-term success.
Here are some simple points to attract new members to your board.
Awareness of the role
The role of board member can be challenging, so in order to get new candidates to participate in the process a clear outline of the requirements should be made readily available to all members. Included should be an explanation of the role and the benefits of becoming a board member. Professional development, leadership building and networking opportunities are tangible benefits that can be associated with board member positions.
Membership organisations should factor in the importance of the member awareness stage into the election timeline. Ideally, the pre-nomination phase should be around four weeks, this should be enough time to disseminate the information to your members and generate a good level of awareness. A further three to four weeks is normally sufficient for nominations.
‘Onboarding’ members to a crucial leadership role may always be required, but by having engaged a good pool of members with your awareness efforts, it is more than likely that you will have a strong group of qualified candidates, which can reduce your post-election training requirements.
Disseminate the information
In order to experience the best result you may want to consider using a mixture of channels. From printed information packs, newsletters and postcard ‘reminders’ to intranet/microsites, social media and member emails – these are all ways to encourage participation from potential candidates. In addition, face-to-face workshops and webinars can be a useful way to explain the requirements of a board member – this way any member feedback can be addressed immediately.
Make it easy to nominate
Providing nomination packs and / or having an online nomination platform will make it easy for enthused members to put themselves forward. The nomination process for professional membership organisations will more than likely require that the candidates secure one or more supporters. Making the candidates aware of this and ensuring your nomination period is long enough, will allow candidates to prepare in plenty of time to submit their applications and canvass support.
In addition, any postal packs should be marked with the organisation’s branding and an explanation of the pack’s contents, so that it is easily identifiable to members. If the process has incorporated a particular theme or colour scheme, it is a good idea to carry this on all printed and electronic communications.
Get Started with Your Board Elections Today
Ready to attract fresh, diverse candidates to your board? Partner with UK Engage to streamline your election process and enhance member participation. We provide tailored election services to help you engage, nominate, and elect qualified candidates for your organisation.
UK Engage provides election services for many types of membership organisations; from NHS foundation trusts and social housing providers to professional bodies and company pension schemes. Contact UK Engage today by phone or email.
Contact us today to discuss your needs and ensure a smooth, inclusive election process.