Using Your Board for Talent: A Founder's Guide

# Using Your Board for Talent: A Founder's Guide

Your board of directors can be one of your most valuable recruiting assets—if you know how to use them. Here's how to leverage board relationships for talent.

What Your Board Can Do

### Make Introductions

Board members often know: - Executives who might join your company - People who know people you should talk to - Candidates they've worked with before - Other founders who've made similar hires

### Provide Credibility

Having a board member involved can: - Signal seriousness to senior candidates - Validate your company to skeptical candidates - Close candidates who need validation - Provide third-party perspective on opportunity

### Share Expertise

Board members can help with: - Compensation benchmarking - Role definition and leveling - Interview process design - Reference checking

### Close Candidates

For important hires, board members can: - Take candidates to dinner - Share their perspective on the company - Answer questions about governance and trajectory - Provide investor perspective on opportunity

How to Ask for Help

### Be Specific

Instead of: "Can you help me find a VP Sales?" Try: "I'm looking for a VP Sales with enterprise SaaS experience, ideally from a company that scaled from $5M to $50M ARR. Do you know anyone who fits that profile?"

### Come Prepared

Before asking board members for help: - Have a clear job description - Know your compensation range - Understand your timeline - Be ready to act on referrals

### Follow Up Appropriately

When you get a referral: - Follow up quickly (within 24 hours) - Keep the board member updated - Provide feedback on candidates - Thank them whether it works out or not

What Board Members Expect

### Respect Their Time

Board members are busy. Be efficient: - Only ask for help on important hires - Be clear about what you need - Don't expect them to run searches for you

### Act Professionally

Their reputation is at stake: - Treat referred candidates well - Follow up on introductions - Close the loop on outcomes

### Drive the Process

This is your hire, not theirs: - You make the final decision - You run the process - You take responsibility for outcomes

When to Involve Board Members

### Appropriate

- Executive hires - Key leadership roles - Specialized roles where they have networks - Final-stage closing conversations

### Not Appropriate

- Every hire - Early screening - Roles below senior management - Candidates you're not serious about

The Bottom Line

Your board can be a recruiting superpower if used appropriately. Be specific in your asks, follow up diligently, and reserve board involvement for hires that warrant senior attention.