University of Manchester

Finding new members for the Board of Governors

University of ManchesterFinding new members for the Board of Governors

Objective

The University of Manchester is one of the most prestigious universities in the UK, and is ranked 8th in the UK and 30th in the

world, according to the QS World University Rankings 2014/15.

The Board of Governors is The University of Manchester’s governing body. It carries the ultimate responsibility for overall

strategic direction and for the management of finances, property and affairs generally, including the employment arrangements

for all staff.

The Board comprises 25 individuals, and TMP was asked to identify and approach potential new members to replace those

standing down or leaving over the next several years. One of the challenges for TMP was communicating that members are

unpaid, and would be offering their experience and expertise on a pro bono basis.

Idea

The University traditionally advertises these positions in online version of the traditional press, such as the Sunday Times

and the Government’s public appointments website. This strategy has been successful in the past, but tends to attract

applicants from a fairly narrow range of ages and backgrounds. In the light of this, the University decided that targeted

sourcing might offer a way to proactively find suitable people from more diverse backgrounds. TMP therefore took into

account not only the University’s person specification, but also that people of widely differing ages, from various industries

and sectors were approached.

Once TMP had identified and approached the candidates, those who expressed an interest were directed to the University’s web

page to apply or ask for more information. Potential applicants were told that they could have an informal conversation about

the role with Martin Conway, Deputy Secretary.

TMP Worldwide, 265 Tottenham Court Road,

London W1T 7RQ | www.tmpw.co.uk

Impact

200 potential applicants were identified and approached. 97 responded, of which 65 expressed interest and were directed to

the University’s website. Martin Conway, Deputy Secretary of the University reported that he had many telephone conversations

with interested potential applicants, and there was a good number of candidates he would be encouraging to apply.

Further, a number of candidates who were not quite the right fit for the Board of Governors would be considered for the

General Assembly.

Mr Conway considers that he has enough applicants to cover the requirements for the next several years.

Compared with using traditional advertising, TMP’s approach has proved very effective, both in terms of the number of

interested candidates attracted, and the cost of the campaign.

“The University of Manchester engaged TMP in July 2014 to use social media and professional

networking sites to identify suitable candidates for membership of its governing body, the Board

of Governors, and its primary stakeholder group, the General Assembly. This provided access to

a more diverse range of candidates than the University would normally have found through

routine advertising or nomination, and also allowed for TMP to target individuals with specific

skill sets and experience in key areas, following the brief provided by the University. The support

and guidance provided by TMP throughout the project was excellent, and while we are still

working through the appointment process, I am confident that it will lead to some high quality

appointments that would not otherwise have come forward from traditional recruitment routes.”

Martin Conway, Deputy Secretary, University of Manchester