Recruiting high level talent for board and executive positions presents a challenge for many employers. With board member turnover at about 30% per year, it’s important to avoid the common mistakes all too many organizations make in board member recruitment. Besides making the wise decision to contact recruiting agency professionals, consider these methods for improving your chances of finding high quality candidates for your board.
- Be serious about high quality hires. You wouldn’t try to skimp on product development or sales training, and it’s just as unwise to skimp on senior recruitment. High quality board recruitment agencies are important for business success, especially given the staggering statistic that a “failed hire” costs about three times the salary paid to that person.
- Don’t expect above-average responses to below-average ads. Board recruiting is simply not a project well suited to your local paper or Craigslist. Use a focused advertising campaign and head hunt talent specifically if you really want to attract qualified candidates. When you contact recruiting agency professionals, they help you make sure you aren’t wasting your time on under-qualified prospects.
- Know that you’ll get what you pay for. When you hire a board of directors recruitment agency, opt for results rather than savings. Cheap recruiters often have little appreciation for what senior level positions require. All too many employers have been disappointed by cheap agencies who provide irrelevant and unqualified candidates their ways. You wouldn’t hire an accountant or lawyer without expertise or credibility, so don’t hire recruitment agency consultants with the same problems.
- Plan to vary your interview process. After 15 or 20 one-on-one interviews, you’ll understand why. It’s more important to utilize psychometrics and selective recruitment to uncover important aspects of character and capability. Panel interviews can be very helpful, especially in later interviews, often providing employers with alternatives to the “gut feeling” test.
- Focus on your follow-through. Even if you do contact recruiting agency professionals for help, don’t plan on using their help to find qualified candidates and then move along like nothing’s changed. Many offer programs to help new board members integrate into your business culture effectively. Productivity won’t come until your team feels comfortable and settled.
Hiring a team of effective, productive board members starts with a carefully constructed recruitment process. Finding candidates for senior level positions is an important undertaking, so don’t leave it to chance. The right recruitment agency can make a big difference.