Suki Sandhu, founder and CEO of executive search firm Audeliss,  shared his advice on getting it right at each stage of non-executive recruitment at our FTSE NED Morning Discussion in March 2019.

All boards recruit differently but there are some common stages in any search for a non-executive role – and some common mistake many candidates make. It’s vital you approach each step with the right attitude and avoid those frequent pitfalls, which recruiters see all too often.

Get your CV right.

Make it look good but you don’t need to go too “jazzy”! Audeliss is starting to receive CVs that look more like Gantt charts. A normal word document is fine. Always remember your audience and make it relevant to them.

Women on Boards offers lots of CV support: our Board CV Masterclass helps you articulate your offer in the language of the boardroom; our 1-on-1 board CV review for subscribers; our Resource Centre contains advice on your Board CV and template CVs in our Subscriber Area .

Do your own targeted outreach activity.

Don’t just sit back and wait to see a position advertised or be approached by a headhunter. Get out there and network. Connect with people. Think about the types of companies you would be interested in getting involved with, do you know someone there?

Do you know the Chair? If so, consider sending a handwritten letter to the him/ her to introduce yourself and outline your interest in the company. Follow up with a phone call the following week. Don’t hassle or stalk though! You need to be elegant and strategic in your approach.

Build your own community and help each other.

As Suki puts it, “straight white men have been supporting their own ‘club’ for centuries, it is time you started and developed yours now”. As we put it, “please join and be active in the Women on Boards community!”

Don’t let new connections go ‘cold’. Connect on LinkedIn with people you meet at Women on Boards events or other events you go to, but remember to include a personal note so people understand the context and why you are wanting to connect.

Ensure you are able to take up specific roles

If you are still in an executive role, please ensure you have permission from your company to take on a non-executive position. If there are any restrictions or no-go organisations (e.g. competitors), please be aware of them before you start to talk to a headhunter or a company direct about a position. It is deeply frustrating for the person who is looking for the board member to be told far into the process that you are not able to put your hat in the ring after all.

Instead of thinking of your non-executive search as a separate activity to your day job, think of it more as a discussion in partnership with the company you work for.

Interview preparation is key

Research the company. Have you read the annual report? The company news stories? Make sure you have some thoughtful questions at the end of your meeting.

Many of us are usually not great at interviewing so if you feel you have not managed to get across why you are the person for the board in question, do give a summary before you leave – “this is me and this is why I am the best candidate for your board”.