Recruit trustees
One ymca
"Action Planning helped us find new Trustees. We felt they really understood the brief and helped with the design of adverts and job descriptions that showcased our organisation and explained the roles on offer effectively. Action Planning were able to find us a pool of credible and experienced candidates from which we went onto recruit successfully."
GUY FOXELL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ONE YMCA
Background:
One YMCA, based in Hertfordshire, is among the five largest YMCA branches in the UK. It helps people to develop their full potential in body, mind and spirit and creates supportive and energising communities that are open to all, inspired by, and faithful to, its Christian values. When the need arose to replace members of the trustee board, its Chief Executive Guy Foxell approached Action Planning and found that our experience of working with Christian organisations satisfied one of his fundamental criteria.
Brief:
The brief fell into three parts: i) help with the wording of the job description and advertisement; ii) conduct a desktop search for suitable candidates; iii) if the desktop search proved insufficient, extend the search to a more comprehensive recruitment drive.
Process:
We began by collaborating with Guy to write a very pithy job description, which we then carried forward into a desktop search. As it turned out, we were required to increase our efforts to a full recruitment drive, left open for about five months, during which time we notified Guy of any likely candidates that came to our notice.
Outcomes:
Over the course of the five months, two suitable candidates were found and both were recruited to the trustee board. One, Jane Cotton, has since gone on to chair the People & Governance Committee.
Consultant's Insight:
Recruiting trustees requires as much professionalism and thoroughness as recruiting paid staff. And it helps to be really specific about the skills and other attributes that you are looking for in your new trustee.