Tips for Modernizing Your Nominations Process
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Summary
It’s nominations time again. Your organization is wrapping up its annual meeting, and the last item on the agenda is to take nominations for open positions. For many organizations, this process is wrapped up pretty quickly as everyone is ready to call it a day and get home. Sometimes it’s merely a formality as the same members run for the same positions year after year.
This is a problem
Treating the nominations process as perfunctory not only does a disservice to all your members and constituents, but it can also actively harm your organization. How?
- Members who aren’t able to attend the annual meeting in person (due to distance, disability, scheduling conflicts, etc.) but who may be interested in becoming candidates are left out of the process entirely.
- Making the nominations process an afterthought and difficult to navigate demonstrates the organization is not interested in having new candidates run for open positions.
- Simply accepting the same incumbent candidates over and over leads to organizational stagnation.
What if your nominations or applications process could be a lot easier?
In this digital age, one organizational process that hasn’t yet migrated to the virtual arena is the application and nominations process. Why do so many organizations stick with a process that throws up barriers to entry and reduces the number of applicants?
Imagine: It takes potential candidates less time and effort to complete the application process. Your number of applications received greatly increases. And your members are actually inspired by the potential to be involved with your organization. It’s not too good to be true, it’s possible with our online nominations software.
When Survey and Ballot Systems (SBS) created the software, it was designed specifically to enhance the nominations and elections process for member organizations like credit unions and cooperatives. And it is still the premier tool for that purpose!
However, over the past few years, we’ve seen many organizations utilizing the Nominations software system creatively – scholarship and internship applications, awards submissions and more.
Here’s why.
Finding new candidates
Member elections, internships, scholarships, awards – in order for them to run the way they’re supposed to, your organization needs candidates and applicants. If you’ve done your job and communicated widely about your opportunity, you’ll have people intrigued and wanting to learn more. If they learn the applications or nominations process is required to take place entirely in person or on paper – you’ll lose many of those people before you even learn their names. Cast a wide net, mention that your organization makes it easy to apply and you’ll have more candidates and applicants in the pipeline.
Simplify the process
Every hoop a candidate or applicant has to jump through decreases the likelihood of you receiving their application. It’s imperative you make the process easier for candidates. And the most effective way to do that is to have an efficient online platform. This allows people to fill out and submit their information anywhere at any time and know that data is stored securely.
With a service like DirectNominations, the process is significantly less intimidating and more appealing. The technology is available, your organization can and should be using it to your full advantage.
Save time
Not only does utilizing an online platform such as DirectNominations make the nominations or application process easier for potential candidates, it can also reduce the workload for administrators. Add up how much time your administrators spend shuffling and organizing papers, or manually assisting potential nominees or applicants through the process and you’ll see how much time you can save by automating those processes.
Say YES to:
- Encouraging engagement and allowing more people to participate in your nominations or application process.
- Being open and transparent throughout the process.
- Providing a convenient, environmentally friendly and efficient way for people to apply and be further involved with your organization.
Say NO to:
- Deadlines made unrealistic due to mailing delays and having to return items in person.
- In-person only nominations (those made from the floor of a meeting, for example) – last second changes can lead to an increase in costs and mistakes.
- Increasing barriers to entry – the goal should be to make your nominations and applications processes more accessible to all.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see an increase in the number of applicants for your internship and scholarship programs? Don’t you want a greater number of brilliant submissions for your awards? Wouldn’t your organization benefit from having more candidates vie for board and committee positions?
You can say YES with the help of SBS. Schedule a free demo or contact us any time with questions or for more information, we’re here to help.
Since joining SBS in 2011, Tony has led company communications, branding, and product launches, maintaining SBS as the go-to for governance solutions. He regularly hosts educational webinars and speaks at national trade association events across the United States. Tony’s expertise has earned him media recognition, with features in outlets like Rural Electric Magazine, The Association Adviser podcast, Associations Now, and NBC’s King 5 Mornings in Seattle.