So you (still) want to be a NED - (even after your summer at the beach )

Where did September go ? Hope you had a great Summer , and are enjoying the back to work frenzy .. As promised, a bit more of a deep dive below into some of the ways and places to seek out those illusive NED roles . But do keep in mind , your network remains the most likely way to find these jobs - so get out in to the world and don’t vanish in to your computer . But do take a look by all means and cast your net .

Starting out

If you’re just setting out on the NED route, I would always recommend looking at charity and public sector roles. There are lots of worthwhile and fascinating organisations that can use your skills and you can make a difference very quickly. For those currently in an exec role and wondering if a NED career might be for you, a stint on a charity or NHS board is a great way to pop a toe in the water , and get a sense of whether this might be something you enjoy. Personally I did several trustee roles when I started out. Not only were the learnings invaluable , but it was excellent experience when I came to talking to headhunters.

Here are some thoughts on where to start.

Public sector

The UK Government’s Public Appointments website advertises roles in government organisations, from board members to chair positions. You can search for what’s available, by location and by type of organisation if you want to, and the postings are very clear on expected time commitment and remuneration? https://www.gov.uk/public-appointments

Higher education and colleges need good people to help steer them and the University Chairs Board Vacancies Portal brings together different organisations to provide a central portal for great roles? https://vacancies.universitychairs.ac.uk

You may be interested in roles as a trustee or board member in charities, arts and other non-commercial organisations. Trustees Unlimited has useful resources and advertises a lot of roles https://trustees-unlimited.co.uk

As well as these specialist sites, you can also search on newspaper job boards like The Guardian and The Times . These are good for public sector and commercial roles, so you can search as widely as you like.

Broadening your search

When you’re ready to broaden your search to include commercial organisations, there are plenty of good options available.

It sounds obvious, but a simple Google search will pull in lots of different roles. You can play around with the search terms to narrow things down and you’ll also see which recruiters are busy in the NED space.

You may normally turn your nose up at the big job sites like Indeed and Total Jobs , assuming they’re for more junior roles, but they actually have an extensive list of current NED opportunities and are worth a look.

As you’d expect, LinkedIn is a great resource for jobs of all kind. For NED and trustee roles, the more specific you can be about the sector and company, the better. Of course, LinkedIn is also great for networking and for snooping at the current NEDs and hiring managers at companies you might be interested in.

The big headhunters

The big executive search firms are often recruiting for good NED roles so it’s worth a visit to their websites to see what they currently have. Some of them require you to fill in some information or submit your CV to get to the info, so you’ll want to make sure you’ve got something worth sharing. If you already have a relationship with other search firms then it’s worth approaching them to see whether they can help. I mentioned my Leathwaite friends in my previous post , but some of the main corporate headhunters are ;

Egon Zehnder https://www.egonzehnder.com/

Korn Ferry https://www.kornferry.com/

Odgers Berndtson https://www.odgersberndtson.com/

Russell Reynolds https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/

While not a headhunter, KPMG also offers resources and a job search facility on its site https://connectonboard.uk.kpmg.com/candidates/

Diversity and inclusion

The leadership of organisations, both commercial and not-for-profit, are keen to do a better job of representing the wider community. Here are some organisations that are focused on helping them do that and which could help you in training, networking and job searching.

Inclusive boards are executive search consultants specialising in diversity and inclusion and you can browse their roles and submit your details https://www.inclusiveboards.co.uk/

Women on boards is, as you’d expect, focused on helping women find the right board opportunities. Once you sign up, they offer networking events, support and access to job opportunities https://wbdirectors.co.uk/

There are also a number of headhunters who focus very much on this space . A quick Google will guide you to the right places,

For the more experienced

If you’ve already got experience as a NED, or you’re a senior executive in a big organisation, then you can gain access to a few more exclusive networks. Some of them are free to access and others have a monthly or annual membership.

Dynamic Boards has a wide range of positions, which are free to browse. There’s also a great blog with articles on life as a NED ranging from how to be a young non-exec to dealing with difficult board members https://dynamicboards.co.uk/candidate-introduction/?redirected=true

Nurole also has a wide range of roles. There’s a free option or you can pay a monthly fee to get access to support and networking events https://www.nurole.com/?noredirect=true

Board Appointments is another specialist site but you’ll have to spend some money to take a look at their vacancies. If you’re not yet ready to take the plunge, they have a regularly updated page with well-written articles about life as a NED which is free to access https://boardappointments.co.uk/board-appointment-advice/

The 350 Club is a community for FTSE 350 board members and FTSE 100 senior leaders, providing a networking space as well as access to equity research and commercial NED vacancies from some of the big headhunting firms https://the350.club/info/about?platform=350%20Club%20-%20UK

The Boardhouse is affiliated to the 350 Club and is for those a rung down, such as direct reports to FTSE 100 executive committee members. It’s a networking site that also offers access to commercial NED vacancies from some of the big headhunters https://the350.club/info/about?platform=Boardhouse%20-%20UK

NEDonboard is an organisation for experienced and aspiring NEDs and board members. They have lots of training and events and also a jobs board. You’ll need to sign up to become a member to see the jobs board and attend many of the events so this is an investment for when you’re getting serious https://www.nedonboard.com/

And finally - to pay or not to pay for NED notice boards and career groups ? Personally I havent seen great value from these kinds of offerings so I recommend caution . But I’m also aware that these things can be incredibly personal , so back to you on that one.

Hope this has been a tiny bit helpful . And best of luck on your NED journey