Board Recruitment Service

What it is?

The Board Recruitment Service is a new initiative to support sporting organisations in identifying talent for their board positions which is being run by the Federation of Irish Sport and supported by Sport Ireland. The service aims to assist both National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships in bringing expertise, independence and diversity to their boards. 

As the focus on good governance increases in the sporting sector there is an ever-growing need for such a service dedicated solely to sport and the many nuances sporting organisations face. The recruitment service will not only help to identify suitable talent for the organisations but also provide a one stop shop for opportunities for those wishing to get involved in a sporting organisation at board level. It will give individuals the opportunity to expand their involvement in sport or give back to the sector after a career or lifetime of experience within it. This service aims to be another positive support mechanism for organisation’s who are on the road to improving their governance.

How will it work?

The service will house a database of candidates who have expressed an interest in joining the board of a sporting organisation. All candidates will be held on file for a minimum of one year. Sporting organisations will submit requests to the service as and when their board positions arise and the Federation will match suitable candidates with each organisation’s needs. It is estimated that there will be between 40 and 60 board or committee positions needed each year. There is no guarantee that a particular candidate will be placed on a board throughout the first year but we endeavor to connect as many willing candidates with sporting bodies as possible.

All expressions of interest will be provisionally cross checked by the Federation of Irish Sport against references provided as well as with the Garda Vetting Bureau and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to ensure they are eligible for a board position. Any further engagement, screening or interviewing will be conducted by each individual organisation once matched with suitable candidate(s).

The Federation of Irish Sport will provide an entry level training seminar in collaboration with Sport Ireland for all candidates on the database. This training will cover basic areas of governance, compliance with the code and the roles and responsibilities of a director. Any further training or specific information sharing will be conducted by individual organisations once a candidate has been successfully placed. 

The database will be categorized by specific skill area (ie: legal/comms/marketing/strategy) and organisations are encouraged to give as much detail as possible in relation to the area of expertise they may need.

How can you get involved?

If you are a candidate:

If you are an organisation:

  • Confirm your organisation’s interest in using the service and the contact details of the main point of contact with michelle.mccarthy@irishsport.ie via email
  • As and when you need positions filled, complete the ‘Expression of Need form‘ and we will assist from there.

Declaration: 
Please note that by submitting an expression of interest or need form you are consenting to the Federation of Irish Sport holding your data as provided for the purpose of the provision of this board recruitment service for the period of one year. Furthermore you are agreeing to have your references checked by Federation staff as well as cross checking your name with both the Garda Vetting Bureau and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to ensure there is no reason for disqualification from this process. All candidates also acknowledge and understand that acceptance to the database does not guarantee placement on a board and any candidate will be selected for a position based on their suitability for a role as decided by individual organisations. For further information on any of the steps of the process please contact michelle.mccarthy@irishsport.ie