Beyond the usual suspects: practical tips for trustee recruitment and boosting board diversity

A charity’s board plays a crucial role in its governance, strategic direction and oversight, among other things. It's therefore a little concerning that around 90,000 trustee positions remain unfilled across the UK.  

According to Getting on Board’s research, almost three-quarters (74%) of charities say they struggle with trustee recruitment, with nine in ten relying solely on word of mouth, and 68% not interviewing prospective trustees. At the same time, many boards still struggle with diversity: the majority of trustees tend to be white, male, retired, and earning above the national medium income. This lack of proactive recruitment can leave boards underprepared as well as unrepresentative of the communities they serve.  

Having a board made up of a diverse mix of skills, experience, ideas and insights is essential to a charity’s ability to make good decisions, manage challenges, and make the most of opportunities. A diverse board can also create a mutually beneficial dynamic and fulfilling learning environment for all – which ultimately benefits the charities and their users.  

But recruiting a diverse range of trustees can be challenging, and the time and costs involved can limit the appeal of trustee roles. Fortunately, Getting on Board’s guidance sets out some key learnings about how to run a successful – and equitable – trustee recruitment campaign.

1. Start right: reflect, be clear and prepare  

Before starting the recruitment process, charities need to take time to reflect, so that they’re clear on their charity’s needs – both now and for the future. The mix of people on a board will

be specific to each organisation and will change over time, but being clear on what skills and other qualities are needed is an important first step.

A skills audit can help identify the gaps, while a diversity audit can reveal how recruiting for different perspectives and life experiences may add value.  

Once your board has clarity on what it needs, it needs to prepare an effective recruitment process. This includes developing a clear recruitment timeline, drafting a concise trustee role description, establishing what potential applicants need to know and how they can apply, thinking about where and how to advertise, and planning the interview process. Trustees should also ensure that the right people are involved so that the recruitment process is as engaging and inclusive as possible for all candidates.  

2. Widen the net with effective advertising strategies

Boards may need to use a variety of methods across different channels to reach as many people as possible, and to specifically target the candidates they’re looking for. For instance, they may want to advertise on social media, through partnership organisations, or via specific industries or even professional groups if they’re looking for specialist skills.

Bear in mind that an advert will often be the first insight into your charity that a person has and is a key engagement and attention-grabbing tool. It’s therefore crucial that it appeals to, and resonates with, your desired audience. But perhaps more importantly, it needs to be disseminated widely and be clear about what you are looking for and why.  

Getting on Board’s guide includes some helpful ideas of where to advertise and how to make the most of your network.  

3. Converting interest to interviews and ensuring interviews are inclusive

To get the best out of your candidates and ensure that their skills and knowledge fit with what your charity needs, it is important that the shortlisting and interview process is as open, transparent, equitable, and accessible as possible.  

Aside from providing information in an advertisement, some charities may also choose to create a recruitment pack that provides potential applicants with all the information they need about the charity and what the role of trustee involves. Others might invite potential candidates for an informal discussion about the role and what they are looking for.  

Preparing and telling candidates what to expect from an interview is key; some charities even go as far as sharing the questions they will be asking. Involving your charity’s service users in the process can also be valuable – for example having them on the interview panel or inviting candidates to meet with them informally.  

4. Don’t fall at the final hurdle – getting appointment and induction right

Once you find the right candidate(s), it’s important to communicate what it is you think they have to offer and why you’d like them to join the board. It can also be helpful to encourage the potential new trustee to observe a board meeting to help them make their decision.  

Just as importantly, if you don’t find the right fit for the role, don’t appoint for the sake of it. Remember to inform unsuccessful candidates quickly as well and provide constructive feedback that might help them with future applications.  

Once your new candidate joins, enlist them in a comprehensive and well-planned induction process. Every board and every candidate is different, so it’s important to match up individual induction needs as required.  

Similarly, if new trustees require training or support to perform their role effectively, accommodations may need to be made. Of course, all trustees, no matter how new, must be consulted equally and their views taken seriously – all board members share the same responsibility and must be able to participate on an equal footing.  

5. Always keep learning

Finally, an important step in the trustee recruitment process is evaluating how it went, giving and getting feedback, and learning what could be improved or done differently. This will help lay strong foundations for future trustee recruitment.  
 

For more guidance, download Getting On Board’s informative guide ‘How to recruit trustees for your Charity’, proudly sponsored by Rathbones.