One of the best ways to enhance your community and make it the best that it can be is to volunteer as a member of the HOA board. Becoming a board member can take up a lot of valuable time, but it is worth the investment. Finding people willing to volunteer is challenging, especially when it comes to the HOA board. For community associations, member involvement is crucial to providing responsible and successful management of the HOA.
Here are a few tips for recruiting potential HOA board members.
Appeal to the Specific Talents of Your Homeowners
Sometimes homeowners may not be getting involved in their community because they believe they do not have the right qualifications for the job. However, an HOA board needs people with a variety of skills. Find people in your community who are skilled in construction, design, information technology, or gardening and appeal to their specific skill-set to help get them involved.
Direct Complaints into Participatory Roles
Sometimes your community may have members that “lightly suggest” a lot of items to your board. While some may see this as complaining, your board should see this as a future recruitment opportunity. These suggestions are all being directed to the board as a means to improve the community. Invite your passionate residents to come aboard and get involved with the development of your neighborhood. An active, caring hand is always important on a board or even a committee. The fact is that if a particular community member knows enough to complain, then they are paying attention to the board and its actions.
Provide Low-Commitment Positions
Some homeowners are hesitant to jump into the board because it is too much responsibility all at once. What if they did not like being a member? One of the easiest ways to gain lasting support from this type of person is to get them involved in low-commitment activities or positions that can encourage a small spark to become a flame of enthusiasm. Committees are a great start for the hesitant resident.
Provide Education for Homeowners
In today’s busy world, a majority of community members are working hard to make ends meet and to juggle family obligations. Out-of-site, out-of-mind complacency is not unusual when it comes to HOA boards. To recruit new members, the board should consider “tooting its own horn” in terms of sharing success stories and highlighting accomplishments. The board could then advocate the need for community involvement. Newsletters, social media, and community events are great ways to call attention to the importance of HOA boards and the need for strong, contributing board members.
The Importance of Recruiting
HOA boards conduct important community business that requires knowledgeable and involved community members. Being a board member comes with serious responsibilities, including fiduciary oversight. Existing board members have enough on their plate and adding recruitment of new members may seem like a daunting task. Recruiting takes time and effort but as members become complacent, board members must not. Investing time in learning more about the expertise of your members, identifying those you want to encourage, and deciding your method of approach are all vital steps to assembling a great board. Boards do not have to go it alone; HOA management services, tools and guidance are available. Start improving your recruiting methods today by implementing the ideas listed above today!