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Recruiting Board Members
By Michael Sessions
S
omeone recently said to me:
“Recruiting board members?
I thought recruiting is what Board succession planning is a process that
boards did when they looked for
a CEO. I had never thought about finding requires intention, attention and effort.
new board members as ‘recruiting.’” But
boards are responsible for more than fill-
ing the CEO position — they are respon- Other credit unions believe open recruit- Your membership relies on each board
sible for finding and training new board ing is problematic. They find that vetting member to function properly at all times,
members. and qualifying members for a board post even in the event of unplanned depar-
can be difficult. Turning away or turn- tures. To make this happen, follow these
Board succession planning is a process ing down members, they suggest, has steps:
that requires intention, attention and unintended negative consequences. These
effort. It’s about putting systems in place credit unions prefer that board members n Add succession planning to your board
to ensure that the right people are in the keep their eyes open for members who agenda.
right place at the right time. It means might be qualified and have an interest
n Talk about diversity.
aligning the strategic and governance in serving. Names are forwarded to the
needs of the board with the talent secretary, who keeps a running list. n Consider an open versus a closed process.
required to carry out those needs. This
is the duty of the board, not staff or Closed recruiting takes place when the n Decide on what a person must know
management. open position is not announced publicly. before voting.
We have found that a closed process tends
It’s not enough to find good people. Board to produce candidates who are “like me.” n Sketch out a timeline for the entire
members must be educated so that they People who are known and are liked process.
understand the credit union, policy and are more apt to be recommended. With
governance before they begin voting. The the demographic of credit union boards n Consider unplanned board departures.
transition should appear seamless and being predominantly white males 61 years
n Write a policy on board succession.
not disrupt the credit union or board’s of age, it is important to be intentional
function. This requires forethought and about the process you undertake and the If you do this, you will have started down
planning to ensure that recruitment and outcome you hope to achieve. the road of giving board succession the
new member orientation policies remain intention, planning and effort your mem-
active. Steps to Success bers expect.
It may take longer than anticipated to
Recruitment Tactics recruit, vet through the nominating com- Michael D. Sessions, Ph.D., is senior vice
Two recruiting methods exist: One is mittee, approve through the entire board president with DDJ Myers.
open and the other is closed. Open simply and orient a new board member. Our
means you announce positions in the experience suggests that it takes about
newspaper or on your website. We know one year for a person from recruitment
of credit unions that openly advertise for through orientation — including learn-
board positions. They receive numer- ing governance and building familiarity
ous responses from a diverse group of with the implications of policy — to the
members and are able to solidify good moment they feel fully informed when it’s
candidates. time to vote.
54 The Federal Credit Union January–february 2013