Turnover on your homeowner association board is vital to your community. Each board member comes from a unique background where he/she has honed different talents and skills. Insights from new board members, combined with those of current members, are valuable as you plan for your community’s future. Try these tips to bring new people onboard.
It’s often challenging to find willing and capable Board members, especially for small to medium size associations. We see this issue a lot in the Knoxville. Try starting smaller. Engaging homeowners in committees can be the first step in achieving fresh perspectives. This also gives you a mentoring opportunity which can lead to interest in serving on the HOA Board.
Social gatherings provide an opportunity to find out more about homeowners, their interests and special skills. When a skill or interest matches a need within the association, ask for help. Perhaps your need is writing a newsletter, updating a website, assisting with budget development, planning a themed event, etc. According to these Jacksonville property managers taking advantage of the expertise in your community brings fresh ideas to move your community forward. Some homeowners may continue handling a specific task for the association while others may develop an interest in other community volunteer activities.
When everything is going great in a community, many Boards slack off on communication. This results in “out of sight; out of mind”, which doesn’t promote volunteer participation. Continue to communicate what you’re doing. Think about potential long-term needs so that you can start finding the right expertise now. Take advantage of this time by strategically recruiting future volunteers and Board members. You never know when your next crisis is just around the corner.
As you can see, there are many ways to bring new insights to your community. A word of caution about recruiting. Refrain from offering homeowners compensation or perks for service. This can affect the legal protection of your volunteers. It also hurts your long-term volunteer recruiting efforts because others want to be paid. Don’t do it.
Look for ways to engage more homeowners in the community for fresh insights and new perspectives. It builds a stronger future for your community.
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Wise Property Solutions is a property management company serving East Tennessee with offices in Knoxville, TN and the Tri-Cities, TN. Specializing in Condominium Association Management, Home Owners Association Management, HOA Management and Gated Community Association Management. The firm is East Tennessee’s only Accredited Association Management Company (AAMC®).