Life Cycle of an Advisory Board: Continued Recruitment

application recruitment iconTurnover is a normal part of running an advisory board. There will be times when a YAB member will step down or spots will become available for new members to join. When recruiting new members:

  • Be transparent if a member is stepping down from the board and that there is an opening for a potential new member
  • Allow time to discuss this with members, acknowledge their contributions, say goodbye, etc.
  • Do the first round of interviewing as facilitators
  • You may decide to do a second round of interviews with the current YAB members
    • Bring potential members in for a second group interview with board members (make sure interviewees are aware beforehand that this does not guarantee them a spot in the board)
    • Make sure current members know that they're allowed to say no to anyone/feel comfortable enough to do so 

It is impossible to determine the dynamic of your YAB during initial recruitment. Once the board is more established and members have a sense of community, this will become clearer. It is important to keep these things in mind during recruitment of new members to an established board as well:

  • Will they be a good fit within the current culture of the YAB?
  • Will they bring something new to the table?
  • Are you aiming for representation of a certain type of identity or experience (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, socioeconomic status)?