1. Slide A
Welcome participants to the session, explaining that this training is designed to give participants information and best practice ideas on how to make their recruitment and induction process more effective. Highlight that this session focuses primarily on the recruitment of Executive Committee members, but that the same ideas and guidance can be used when recruiting any adult volunteer. Highlight that adult recruitment is one of their key responsibilities as Executive Committee members.
Explain that it follows on from the learning that they have already done through the Core Executive Committee training session or builds on knowledge that they may already have.
If you have a number of very experienced trustees in the room it is useful to explain that Charity Law and POR are not static, and even recently both have undergone a number of changes. This may mean that the way an experienced trustee has ‘always done things’ is no longer the legal or recommended practice from the Charity Commission or POR.

2. What We’ll Cover Preparation and review Skills and qualities
Promoting the role
Welcome and induction
Diverse Executive Committees
Succession planning
Slide B
State that in this session you are going to cover the topics above.
You may also wish to provide participants with the session objectives:
Understand the role that Executive Committees play in adult recruitment
Explain the importance of preparing for recruitment to an Executive Committee
Outline the skills, qualities and experience that we should look for in potential Executive Committee members
Outline different recruitment methods and explain how these can be used to find new Executive Committee members
Explain the importance of a good welcome, induction and ongoing support for new Executive Committee members
Suggest a programme of activities that would effectively induct a new Executive Committee member.
Explain the benefits of having a diverse range of Executive Committee members, reflecting the make-up of the local community
Explain the importance of succession planning and having a continuous recruitment strategy in place

3. Module Objectives
By the end of this training participants will be able to:
Explain the importance of preparing for recruitment
Outline the skills, qualities and experience that should be looked for in potential Executive Committee members
Outline different recruitment methods and explain how these can be used to find new Executive Committee members
Explain the importance of a good welcome, induction and ongoing support for new Executive Committee members
Suggest a programme of activities that would effectively induct a new Executive Committee member.
Explain the benefits of having a diverse range of Executive Committee members, reflecting the make-up of the local community
Explain the importance of succession planning and having a continuous recruitment strategy in place

4. Executive Committee Members
How many members?
Slide C
Ask participants how many members they already have on their Executive Committee. Do they think it is enough? Do they need any more members? Explain that there is no set number of people who should sit on an Executive Committee; however members need to ensure that their committee is of a manageable size. Highlight that a committee should be small enough to ensure that members can work together as a team with each fully participating in decision-making, but that it should be large enough to ensure that there are enough people with the range of skills needed to carry out the committee’s work.
If queries arise at any point during the training about the different types of members who sit on Executive Committees and how they are appointed and approved, highlight that this is covered in the Core session. The handouts Exec Composition A, B and C can be used to summarise the composition of an Executive Committee if required. However, it is essential not to get bogged down in the detail of this during the Recruitment and Induction training session.

5. Preparation – are we ready for recruitment?
Are we ready and willing to involve new people?
Do we work well together?
Issues or tensions that need to be resolved?
Would we be willing to change where and when we normally meet if required?
Are we open to different ideas and fresh perspectives?
Slide D
Highlight the questions above that current members of an Executive Committee should ask themselves before starting the recruitment process.
It important that an Executive Committee answers these questions honestly, and does not see any areas for improvement as failure. Taking time to resolve conflicts and prepare for the involvement of a new member can make the process of recruitment more effective in the long term.

6. Review – what do we currently do?
Workload of current members reasonable?
Does it need to be shared with others?
Do current members want to take on extra responsibilities?
What’s the aim of our recruitment process?
How can we identify the skills, experiences and qualities we need in a new member?
Slide E
Highlight that it can also be a worthwhile exercise to review the roles of the current Executive members, especially if one person is taking on a lot of the work. Highlight the following questions that current members of an Executive Committee should ask themselves before starting the recruitment process.
Highlight that completing a job description for the role that needs filling, a development plan for the Executive Committee or a skills and qualities audit of existing members be particularly helpful to identify any gaps in the current skill set.

7. Existing skills and qualities
Slide F
The skills and qualities questionnaire, contained in appendix A, can be used as a handout for participants. It can be used as a template to create a skills and qualities questionnaire tailored to individual Executive Committees. Participants do not need to fill it in now, but can take it away and work through it with their own Executive Committees at the beginning of their recruitment process.
Highlight that:
The form should be filled in individually by all existing members of the Executive Committee and then shared as a whole group.
The form contains a series of skills and qualities that Executive members may possess. Existing members should mark in the box which of these they feel they possess as an individual.
Once the whole Executive Committee has shared their completed forms with each other, they will, as a group, be able to work out where the gaps are and can create a list of the skills, qualities and experience that they should be looking for in new recruits
The questionnaire contains additional boxes at the end for Executive Committees to add in additional skills and qualities if required.
Do not forget to consider what is happening with existing members of the Executive Committee. Highlight that participants should not assume that someone will carry on in their current role indefinitely. It is always best to check that existing members are happy to remain in their roles.

8. An awareness of the exact aim of the recruitment process and thinking about what attributes and knowledge are needed, results in a more effective and efficient method of developing the Committee.
Slide G
Key Message
Ask participants to reflect on this statement

9. A good mix of skills, knowledge and experience is important and will result in a well rounded Executive Committee.
Slide H
Key message
Skills and qualities
Highlight that now you have thought about the skills, qualities and experience of existing members of the Executive Committee, you are going to look at what skills new members can bring to the Committee.

10. Who do you want to recruit to your Executive Committee?
Slide I
Highlight that now you have thought about the skills, qualities and experience of existing members of the Executive Committee, you are going to look at what skills new members can bring to the Committee.
Click through the pictures and ask participants if these are the kind of people that they would like to recruit to their Executive Committee?
Task
Split participants into small groups. Give each group a piece of flip chart paper with a picture or outline of a face in a picture frame. Advise that this face is a blank canvas and that they are going to create a portrait of someone that they would like to recruit to be a member of their Executive Committee. Highlight the questions on slide J and ask participants to think about them in relation to their new Executive Committee member.

11. Where does your new member live?
What could your new Executive Committee member contribute to your team?
Skills
Knowledge
Experience
Where does your new member live?
What kind of work does your new member do?
What does your new member do for fun?
What sort of contacts does your new members have?
Slide J
Ask participants to record their answers on sticky notes and place them around the picture frame.
Ask each small group to feedback on the portrait that they have created of their ideal Executive Committee member. The points in the trainers notes can be used to help facilitate feedback.

12. Whoever you chose to recruit, you will need to ensure that they have a commitment to the aims, values and principles of the Scout Association and that they can fulfil their duty as a charity trustee in full.
Slide K
Key message

13. Promoting the Role Slide L
Highlight to participants that now they have created a portrait of someone that they would like to recruit to their Executive Committee, they are going to think about methods that they can use to find this person or similar people.
Highlight that all their hard work so far will be wasted if nobody knows that they are looking for a new member to join their Executive Committee. There are a variety of different methods that Executive Committees can use to recruit new members.
Task
Give participants another set of sticky notes, in a different colour or shape if possible, and ask them to record different methods that they think they could use to find their new Executive Committee member. Ask them to stick the recruitment methods around the portrait of their new Executive Committee member. When completing the task, ask participants to draw on their own personal experiences of recruiting new volunteers and think about what has worked effectively for them.
Ask each small group to feedback on one or two of the recruitment methods that they have chosen and explain why they have chosen them. The points included in the trainers notes can be used to help facilitate feedback.
The NCVO ‘How to write a killer advert’ handout can be given to participants if required.

14. When promoting your vacancy, what would make someone want to join your specific Executive Committee?
Slide M
Remind participants to also always think about the recruitment process from the perspective of a potential Executive Committee member. When promoting their vacancy, what would make someone want to join their specific Executive Committee?
Highlight that once participants have started spreading the word about their vacancy, hopefully they will hear from people who are interested. It is a good idea to put together a pack of useful information, including general information on Scouting, information on the Group, District or County and information on the role in general that can be given to potential new members. They could also consider holding an open information session at a specific time when people can come and find out more. Remind participants to allocate people to deal with highlighting vacancies by whichever methods they chose and then managing the interest that has been generated.

15. Welcome and Induction Slide N
Ask participants that now they have recruited their new Executive Committee member, what are they going to do with them next? What kind of welcome and induction will they receive?
Essentially induction is about developing a culture of good support, so that an adult new to Scouting, or new to their role, is not left feeling that they have been thrown in at the deep end. New Executive Committee members need to feel welcomed and informed about the role and the responsibilities that they have taken on. It is important that everyone is friendly and welcoming and that new members feel they are able to ask questions if they do not understand something.
Whilst inductions are a key part of a line manager’s responsibilities, it is best practice for all members of the Executive Committee to work together to ensure that inductions are effective and that new recruits are made to feel welcome and accepted from the start. Line managers may delegate the responsibility for some aspects of the induction to others. Ultimately everyone around the new member will have to play a part in making them feel welcomed, part of a team and supported.
It is also a way of identifying the needs of new members and finding ways to support them as they progress in their new role. A good induction is often reported as one of the main reasons why charity trustees become engaged with an organization and stay on as a trustee. Poor inductions and limited time given to helping new members learn and build their skills are one of the most cited reasons for individuals leaving organizations prematurely.
A good way to make new members feel welcome is to ensure that the first Executive meeting held after the AGM, where new Executive Committee members will have been appointed, is an induction and review meeting, Old and new members will have the opportunity to meet each other, discuss their roles, how the Committee can work together as a whole and agree the direction that they want the Group, District or County to take in the coming year. Induction is a good opportunity for everyone to be involved, get to know the new member and to demonstrate their own enthusiasm and passion for Scouting.

16. Induction Methods Slide O
There are different ways that inductions can be carried out and participants are now going to look at different methods that can be used.
Task
Depending on how well the groups are working together, either ask each group to take a different group’s new Executive Committee member portrait or mix the groups up and assign an Executive Committee member portrait to each group. Ask them to think about what they are going to do with their new member to welcome them and ensure that they have an effective induction and stay on as trustee for their Executive Committee. Ask them to record their ideas for an induction programme on sticky notes, in a different colour or shape, and stick them around the face. Encourage participants to put themselves in the shoes of a new recruit and to draw on their own experiences.
Ask each small group to feedback on one or two of the induction methods that they have chosen and explain why they have chosen them. The points included in the trainers notes can be used to help facilitate feedback.

17. Planning is key when preparing inductions for new members. www. scouts
Planning is key when preparing inductions for new members.
Slide P
Once feedback has been completed, highlight that planning is key when preparing inductions for new members. Induction planning tools are available at and can be used as templates to help plan the induction activities that need to take place and schedule when they are going to happen.
There is no definitive answer on how to carry out an effective induction and no time limit on how long it should take. They will need to ensure that whatever induction programme they put together, it fully prepares the new Executive Committee member for the role and the responsibilities that they are taking on and familiarizes them with the workings of the organization. Every induction will be unique and will need to be tailored to the individual and to the role and tasks that they are taking on.

18. Diverse Executive Committees
What is the average age of a Group Chair? 53
What percentage of Group Secretaries are under 30? 1%
What percentage of District and County Chairs are female?
Slide Q
Highlight that successfully achieving diversity on an Executive Committee can be a challenge for committees and boards both within Scouting and in other organisations. For example, research from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations has shown that only 0.5% of committee members are under 24 and that black and minority ethnic groups are under-represented on trustee boards as a whole. Advise that demographics research carried out by The Scout Association in 2011 paints a similar picture. As a whole group, ask participants to respond to the following questions:
What is the average age of a Group Chair? (53)
What percentage of Group Secretaries are under 30? (1%)
What percentage of District and County Chairs are female (11%)
Ask participants to feedback on how many of them have young people on their Executive Committee. Highlight that it is especially important for organisations such as Scouting who exist for the benefit of young people, have them involved in their decision-making process. Highlight the resource ‘A Guide to Supporting Young People on Committees’, which can help be used as a guide to help engage with and recruit young people to Executive Committees.
Highlight to participants the following ways that could be used to increase the diversity of an Executive Committee:
Organise meetings at the most convenient times so that people who cannot attend at a particular time are not excluded.
Hold Executive Committee meetings in a venue which is easily accessible for everyone, including those with disabilities.
Consider the needs of the members of the Executive Committee. For example, ensure that documents used are available in large print, etc.
In Wales, ensure that everyone is able to use either English or Welsh as their language of choice, including written communications in that language.
11%

19. Diverse Executive Committees
Slide R
Highlight that having an Executive Committee with diverse perspectives is important. Each member will bring their own personal experiences and contacts with them to the Executive Committee. With a diversity of experience, expertise and perspectives, an Executive Committee is in a stronger position to face opportunities and challenges. When preparing to recruit new members, an Executive Committee should, in general, seek to increase or at least maintain its diversity. Having a diverse Executive Committee also helps to ensure that the Group, District or County is fair and open in all its dealings.
Video
Play the Inclusion  Matters video to participants. Before playing it, explain that the video helps to illustrate what diversity is and how it effects what we do as Scout Association volunteers. The video runs for 3.11 minutes.

20. Succession Planning Reliance on existing members A continuous process
Engage with others
Use review meetings
Spread the word!
Slide S
Succession planning is essentially about having a continuous strategy in place, to try and avoid the crisis of someone leaving without a replacement. As mentioned at the beginning of this session, it is important to consider what is happening with existing Executive Committee members at the start of the recruitment process. Do not assume that someone will carry on in their current role forever. It is good practice to check before an AGM that existing members are happy to remain in their current roles.
Trainer’s note
If questions arise, highlight that there is no set number of times that any one person can be re-elected, nominated or co-opted. Although some Executive Committees do put in place a 3 – 5 year maximum term for their members. Succession planning is particularly important in this instance.
Highlight that succession planning can be difficult, especially if members have no immediate plans to leave. However, it is important to try and avoid crisis points, such as when someone resigns and there is no one to fill their place. Highlight the following succession planning best practice and guidance:
Are the skills and experience of each member being used effectively? Is there a lot of reliance on one person for their knowledge and skills? If so, are more people needed to share these skills and knowledge or fill the gaps? The skills and qualities questionnaire, contained in appendix A, can be used to help determine this.
Succession planning should be a continuous process. It cannot be done at the last minute because by then it is too late. A successful succession strategy takes time to evolve, for example it may be that there is a potential new Secretary within the existing Executive Committee or potential new Committee members within the parent base but it will take time and effort to support them so that they feel they could take on the role when the positions become available.
It is a good idea for an Executive Committee to engage with the leadership team and other supporters in succession planning. They will be the ones who will have contact with parents and others connected to local Scouting and could help with identifying individuals who may be the next Chair, Secretary, Treasurer or Executive Committee member.
At review meetings, line managers should discuss with the adult being reviewed the future of their role and the time it is likely to continue for.
Executive Committee members should ensure that they are not afraid to talk to others about what they do in their role and highlight the contribution that the role plays to Scouting.

21. Support Other Executive Committee Members The Scout Information Centre
Factsheets and Supporter Guides form the Scout Association
The Charity Commission (England and Wales)
Slide T
 Finish by highlighting that the Charity Commission (in England and Wales) provide a range of useful resources to support them in their role. Explain that these bodies:
are the independent charity regulator for the national government framework
work with charities to ensure that they are accountable, well run and meet their legal obligations
offer information and advice to charities on legal requirements and best practice to help them operate as effectively as possible and to prevent problems occurring
Also highlight that The Scout Association:
provides written resources and guidance for Executive Committees
provides help and support for Executive Committee related queries
provides a dedicated induction webpage, to provide useful information and guidance on the induction process. An induction booklet is available to download or purchase from this site.

22. Executive Committee Training Sessions
Introductory Session
Effective Executive
Committees
Finance for all Executive Committee members
Officer Roles of the Executive Committee
Remind participants of the other available training sessions for Executive Committee members. If the session is being run in isolation make sure participants know who to direct any remaining questions to and where they can find support.
Make sure participants have access to, or know where to find associated reading for this session. Ensure that they are reminded that guidance on Trusteeship and Financing for Charities is subject to change and that they must make sure they keep up-to-date with developments in this area during their time as an Executive Committee member.
The Recruitment and Induction of Executive Committee members