After the interview process, your team should meet to decide on the best YAB candidates. Keep in mind that not all candidates may be a good fit for the board. When looking through candidates, look for similarities between candidates as well as differences. It is also important to think about the dynamics of the board. You want to ensure that:

• All board members feel comfortable with each other (e.g., Respecting each other's pronouns)
• The applicant’s interest in the board meets the goals of the board
• You have members with different backgrounds and experiences (sometimes you get too many similar applicants and must make hard decisions and pick just one)
• Members respect others' turn to speak
• You choose members who will be able to speak to why your organization created such a board
• Members are not only interested in advocacy (unless that is why your organization created the board)

How to evaluate candidates - Check candidates’ credentials such as work, school, and volunteer experience. You may find that young adults with mental health conditions may not have any of the experience, and this could be their first position to gain experience. Not having experience should not disqualify them from becoming a YAB member because having a serious mental health condition can make it difficult for a person to apply for employment. Instead, we find it useful to hire members from an array of backgrounds with some having work experience, and others having none. 

If you choose to ask candidates for references, consider the different types of references they may have. Not all candidates will have work experience or professional references, but this does not need to disqualify them. Different types could potentially include teachers, coaches, peers, family members, or other character references. Take into consideration when to ask candidates for their references, for example, during the application process or after an interview. 

When making decisions on new members think about how (during the interview) the candidates interacted, how they answered the questions, and their interpersonal skills. If recruiting to an existing board, think about how the candidate would fit in and if they fill a gap that your organization really needs to hear from.

How to reject candidates - Not everyone who applies, and interviews will be the right fit for your advisory board at this time. Some candidates might have excellent experience, but not bring unique perspectives to the current board. Rejection isn’t fun for anyone involved, but best practices are:

• Don’t ghost candidates – communicate with them via email that they have not been selected
• Thank them for their interest in being on the YAB and their time applying and interviewing
• Share other potential opportunities if available (i.e., other advisory boards, focus groups, research activities with similar focus)
• Ask if you can reach out to them again in the future

Example Rejection email

Candidates that you wish to offer a position to should receive an offer letter, scope of work, and a W-9 or contract (these may differ depending on your organization’s process and procedures).