Recruitment Policy
Purpose
To provide a guideline for the Committee responsible for nominations to ensure that an appropriate process is followed to recruit appropriate individuals to the Board of Directors based on the needs of the Hospital.
General Philosophy
Board recruitment is one of the fundamental building blocks of the organization and, as such, should be a focused ongoing exercise in striving to source future leaders. Board recruitment is also the starting place for the educational body of knowledge that evolves for each board member as it is at this stage where perceptions are formed and certain principles are engrained. It is therefore an integral part of the organization's education strategy, as well as feeding into the organization's succession planning strategy.
Candidates should be afforded every opportunity to learn about the hospital, the board and its practices. Governance expectations have increased over the years and it is imperative that candidates are made fully aware of their potential role within the organization. The Chair and the CEO should lead this process and allow the candidate to meet with other board members if they wish. The overall objective should be to engage the candidate from the first meeting.
Application
The Committee responsible for recruitments and nominations of Directors to the Board of Directors of St. John's Rehab Hospital.
Policy
Responsibility
Given that the overall responsibility for succession rests with the entire board, and recruitment is a part of succession planning, the ultimate responsibility for successful recruitment rests with the entire board of directors. This responsibility is naturally delegated to the Governance Committee, who in turn requests the Chair and CEO to take a lead in the process. However, it should be noted that the entire board of directors should (a) be aware of the recruitment process and eligibility criteria; (b) recognize their responsibility in accessing their own networks for potential candidates from time to time and (c) be aware of the importance of successful recruitment to the organization.
Interview Process
The interview process is designed to ascertain interest, career path, other hidden areas of expertise, potential level of engagedness, and fit, among other attributes. The attached process highlights possible interview questions which may assist in drawing out this information. It is recognized that the assessment of the candidate can be subjective and it is preferable that any candidate be interviewed jointly by the Chair, CEO and Chair of the Governance Committee.
Recruitment Steps
Steps |
Responsibility |
Notes |
|
|
|
identification of potential recruits based on skillset matrix and policy |
All, led by Chair |
Board members, and ongoing relationships contribute to identification of potential recruits |
Make initial call |
Chair |
Determine if there is interest in pursuing further |
Forward information package on hospital (with time commitment expectation) |
Chair/CEO |
Standard information package (Note: identify what exactly) |
Set up face to face meeting |
Chair/CEO |
Executive assistant to co-ordinate meeting |
Meeting |
Chair/CEO/ |
See Schedule ?A? attached with sample questions |
Assessment based on meeting |
Chair/CEO |
Discussion and joint assessment |
Report to Governance Committee |
Chair/CEO |
Verbal report to Governance Committee (written necessary?) along with copy of CV |
Preliminary decision by Governance Committee |
Governance Committee |
Discussion and decision by Cttee to conduct reference checks |
Reference check |
Chair/CEO |
Contact candidate for at least two reference checks. See attached Schedule ?B? for sample questions |
Final decision by Governance Committee |
Governance Committee |
Final decision based on reference checks |
Communicate to recruit |
Chair |
Phone call |
Recommendation to Board of Directors |
Governance Committee |
At next regularly scheduled board meeting or AGM |
Official notification to recruit |
Governance Committee |
Letter from Chair confirming board approval and next steps |
Mentor selection & orientation |
Governance Committee Chair/CEO/mentor |
Ensure fit with mentor, orientation mandatory, preferably with mentor in attendance |
Schedule ?A?
Sample Questions
- What is the candidate hoping to get out of the role? (Note: should strive for a win-win arrangement)
- Discuss candidate's background, highlights of career to date
- What aspect of candidate's career do they think will add value to the hospital?
- Does the candidate travel extensively?
- Try to get a sense of operational versus oversight in the candidate's background
- Any other not-for-profit experience?
- Any other board experience?
- Time constraints?
- Assess whether the candidate has reviewed the material, understands it and asks questions. The caliber of questions asked by the candidate is a key indicator as to their interest, energy, and potential level of engagedness.
- Determine if there is an understanding and appreciation of philanthropy
- Try to get a sense of the personal qualities to ensure fit with the board: (these attributes can be verified by reference checks)
- Understanding concept of the mission, vision and values, strategic planning
- Honesty and integrity
- A general understanding of governance
- A general understanding of a directors role, and fiduciary duties
- An ability to think strategically
- An ability to communicate effectively and as a team player
- A degree of financial literacy
- A willingness to serve and set aside the appropriate time to devote to the role
- An ability to recognize potential conflicts of interest
- Fearless
- Energetic
- Sense of humour

