5 Ways Board Searches Have Changed

(Condensed from the article in the September Boardroom INSIDER)

The decade of the 2020s is maybe a third over, but we’ve already seen at least ten years worth of change in business, society, politics, work and all the other elements of our worlds and our lives.? One example -- in 2018, I published my latest book, the Board Seekers Guide.? But the processes, best practices (and worst practices) for gaining a board seat have shifted a lot over the past five years.? Here are some examples.

§ Board diversity has accelerated from being important to being a must, especially for larger, international companies.? Quotas for gender and ethnic diversity on boards have solidified in much of Europe and Asia.? This opens opportunities for fresh demographics, but also speeds up the pace of learning and career development you’ll need to be board ready.? Older, white males already had plenty of boardroom exposure by the time they made it, but if you’re a younger Ms. Exec, you’ll need to seek out this seasoning earlier.

§ The long Covid lockdowns, and continuing remote work have hit many of the networking opportunities board wannabes enjoyed a decade ago.? “Covid changed things,” says Rochelle Campbell, CEO of board recruiter Leadership Elevated.? “We may be back in person now, but good networking takes time, even years.”? Sabine Dembkowski, managing partner at the Better Boards advisory firm in the UK, notes “nothing beats connections, and if you didn’t keep your networks alive, that harms your chances of finding a board seat.”?

§ The rule that a great majority of board seats are filled via social networking is still true, but the percentage going through search firms continues to rise.? The number of boutique headhunters specializing in board work, and specialty board practices at the big search firms is also growing.? Female or minority board wannabes should assure their headhunter contacts are aware of their board interest and skill (and that you add the specialty board headhunters to your network).?

§ A few years ago, no one except celebs or CEOs would hire a digital branding consultant.? Now, anyone with a rising career (or who wants it to rise) is smart to tap some professional advice on assessing and improving your online footprint.? This can help fine-tune and boost the elements that buff your “strong board candidate” image.? “It’s not necessarily the number of ‘likes’ you have, but showing your successes and personal impact,” says Dembkowski. ALSO – the potential of your online trail to harm your board seeking efforts has amplified over the past few years.?

§ Rochelle Campbell shares an added LinkedIn tip for board wannabes – “never put that you are ‘Looking for a board role’ in your bio. It takes a board role to get a board role, and if you’re telling me you’re open, you’re saying that you don’t know the rules.”