Succession planning: We support chairs and their nomination committees in developing medium term succession plans that identify the balance of experience and skills that they will need to recruit, over the next two to three years, to maximise board effectiveness. This time frame allows a broader view by looking at the whole board, not individual hires; this facilitates increased flexibility in candidate specifications.
Goal alignment: When taking a specific assignment brief, we look at the overall composition of the board or executive team and, in the context of the client's diversity goals, explore whether diverse individuals are appropriately prioritised.
Inclusive briefs: We formulate non-discriminatory job profiles and work to ensure that assignment briefs are framed in an open and inclusive manner. One aspect of this is to emphasise a candidate’s intrinsic abilities, in terms of relevant skills, core competencies and personal capabilities, over their experience.
There is ample evidence to suggest that candidates from underrepresented groups often lack the requisite experience, not because of any innate skill deficiency, but because of historical and systemic barriers and unconscious biases preventing them from gaining that experience.
Broader candidate pools: We continuously seek to expand our networks of potential candidates and sources to encourage greater diversity, leveraging external lists from trusted organisations, and searching thoroughly across a range of networks, both formal and informal.
Longlists and shortlists: When developing longlists, we include a diversity of candidates identified through rigorous research. We then ensure that the shortlist preserves the integrity of the longlist.
