Recruiting Potential HOA Board Members

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 well worth the investment of energy and passion. At times, filling positions on the board can be a challenge because homeowners have a lot of demands on their time, but having a stable and energetic board is one of the most crucial parts of a successful homeowners association. 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 strengths or talents for the job. However, an HOA board does not simply need people who are good at accounting (although this is a very important skill for HOA boards to possess), it needs people with all manner of skills. Find people in your community who are skilled at construction, design, information technology, or gardening and appeal to their specific skill-set to help get them involved

Direct Complaints into Participatory Roles

When a homeowner expresses discontent in the way the association is being run, far from being a bad thing, these complaints are actually opportunities for wonderful, passionate residents of the community to get involved. If you find that a particular homeowner is often politely complaining, try to see if you can encourage them to get involved so that they can have an active hand in improving the community.

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

It can be very easy to forget that the association board even exists. It is on the shoulders of the board to make sure that homeowners are aware of its active role in bettering the community, and the many opportunities for everyone to get involved. Try sending letters regularly to residents to remind them of the work that is being done by the board and to invite them to add their talents to the mix.

Be Prepared to Answer Questions

Homeowners who are approached about trying for a position on the board will have a lot of questions regarding their position. Be prepared to answer questions such as “do I have enough experience?”, “How much of my time will the position require?” and “What if I’m not very political?” Prepare answers for these questions that both quell fear and educate the questioner about their role as a potential board member.

Recruiting board members is one of the most important tasks that you will undertake. A strong board can lead to a strong community, so taking the time to find gems among your homeowners will go far in promoting the welfare of your HOA.