Seven Attributes For Hiring the (almost) Perfect Board Member
As you know there are no “perfect” people in the world so we focus on “almost perfect”. When you hire a new board member, knowing what to look for is critical to getting the highest value from this individual. The value is derived from previous experience, the effort the individual puts in and the person’s overall attitude.
These attributes are universal and it does not matter if you are doing a local or an international search, seeking a diversity candidate, looking to replace a current director or adding a seat to your board, etc.
Attributes to look for in a candidate include someone:
- Who takes the role seriously but does not take themselves so seriously that their opinion must win every time.
- That has multiple skills that they can offer to the board. Three is ideal, more is even better. If you are looking for a person with strong International experience but also brings M&A and Audit committee experience, that would be an enhancement to the board as well.
- Who has successfully served on a previous board(s) and has very strong references on how they were able to add value.
- Currently engaged in the company’s marketplace. Ideally a person who is working in a similar or complimentary organization is on top of the current business trends and challenges.
- Who has enough time to be effective. This is critical for both scheduled board meetings and ad-hoc work that comes up.
- Who has a strong and pleasant personality. The need to get along with other board members and senior management is important. Also is a strong voice of reason and experience that will work through tough issues the company faces.
- Who will represent the company positively in the community. The company should be proud when a customer or supplier acknowledges they met your board member and is impressed. This makes your company’s image grow.
For more information regarding your next hire please call 952-314-4636 or click here.