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5 reasons why using a governance recruitment service could save time and money for your school or trust
5 reasons why using a governance recruitment service could save time and money for your school or trust
School and trust budgets must be used wisely, with careful attention paid to every line of spending. For many leaders, that makes investing in governor or trustee recruitment difficult to justify. Why allocate funds to something you could, in theory, just do yourself?
The reality is, though, that recruiting governance volunteers internally is far from “free.” It costs time and, even with this investment, boards miss out on new (often transformative) talent. In this guest blog, Rebecca Fludder – Senior Recruitment Manager at GfS – explains why working with an expert recruiter can both ease the burden and save money in the long run.
1) The hidden cost of staff time
Recruiting governors in-house means staff – from governance professionals to senior leaders – put time into advertising vacancies, reviewing applications, arranging interviews, and managing onboarding. It means time taken away from core responsibilities – and when you calculate the cost of each person’s hourly rate, it quickly adds up.
That’s exactly why investing in governor recruitment services makes sense: rather than stretching already-limited resources on time consuming searches, schools can secure the right expertise quickly and with confidence, freeing leaders to focus on what matters most.
With GfS, the process is streamlined and effective, removing the burden from staff and delivering the right people faster. At one primary school in London, we were delighted to source the right chair candidate in just a couple of weeks after the outgoing chair had been searching (unsuccessfully) for four months.
2) Quality over quantity – appointing the right people
In governance, enthusiasm and commitment are worth their weight in gold. And yet, not every willing volunteer is the right fit. To drive school improvement, boards need governors and trustees who bring the right mix of skills, perspectives, and challenge. If you’re carrying a gap in HR, finance, local community links, or safeguarding, or relying on the same networks to recruit, you could be missing out on some important fresh thinking.
That’s where specialist recruiters make the difference. By matching candidates’ skills to your board’s priorities, we help secure governors who are capable and committed in equal measure. The result is stronger retention, balance, and less time firefighting. As the Headteacher at South Gosforth First School told us:
“Sometimes finding good people to join your governing body can be a real challenge... but Governors for Schools made this as straight forward as possible and found us someone who I know is really going to strengthen and enhance our current team.”
3) Succession planning for the future
Let’s face it: governor turnover happens – people move on, change roles, or take a step back. The key is being prepared. We strive to give boards access to a ready pipeline of skilled candidates and encourage a strategic approach to recruitment. Rather than reacting to vacancies, you can take control, plan ahead, and ensure continuity.
4) Talent you wouldn’t otherwise reach
Most schools and trusts rely on personal networks, word of mouth, or local advertising when recruiting governors and trustees. While this can be effective, it also limits your outreach. Many prospective volunteers, who have the expertise boards need, may not even know that school governance is an option for them.
At GfS, we draw volunteers from our corporate partner and university networks, headhunting, and targeted campaigns, to grow our established database of well-prepared volunteers. This wider reach not only helps fill vacancies in a shorter time period, it also increases the likelihood of finding candidates that meet a board’s unique needs. In short, it opens doors to the kind of talent your board might not otherwise have access to.
5) Minimising risks
“The need was urgent – bearing in mind how long it can take to find quality, committed new governors and particularly chairs who can hit the ground running. I used the Governors for Schools service and within 5 months had been able to recruit a full, balanced governing board of quality, committed people bringing the necessary range and depth of experience to support and add value to the school.”
With the right support, schools and trusts can turn recruitment challenges into opportunities. For this re-brokered secondary school, that meant seeking out our help to build a new board from scratch (in a surprisingly short amount of time).
Instead of relying on your usual networks, accessing external support also means getting an “outside eye”. It makes the recruitment process objective and impartial – both key qualities you want in a governor.
An investment, not an expense
Change is on the horizon in the education sector, and governance needs to be at the forefront – ready to adapt, grow, and lead. With the right support, your school or trust can reap the benefits of proactive recruitment. That’s why we’re partnering with as many boards as possible nationwide to support them on that journey.
If you’d like to find out more about the support on offer, please request a follow-up on our website. A member of the team will reach out to you to discuss your board recruitment needs.
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