Board recruitment toolkit

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you ensure inclusive language in candidate documents?

Consider using a healthy mix between male and female pronouns in your job descriptions and using resources like Gender Decoder http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/ to ensure a neutral and accessible tone

Should remuneration be considered for this position?

Board roles are not typically renumerated but candidates should be informed that reasonable travel expenses will be covered. This is an important element of inclusive recruitment to remove any potential barriers to attending Board meetings

How long should the role be advertised?

Having the position open for applications for 28 days (4 weeks) is best practice to allow people enough time to see the opportunity and apply to ensure a wide reach

Where should the role be advertised?

Consider different platforms for inclusive recruitment and ensure enough time for candidates to see your opportunity and apply. In addition to your website, LinkedIn and social media, you could consider a range of free or paid advertising platforms, we list a number in the Promoting the Role section https://prttsprt2103.thirtythreelive.co.uk/toolkit/promoting-role

How do we choose between two good candidates with different skillsets and backgrounds?

Use agreed and consistent criteria for selection, that links to the job profile. Motivation and capacity can also be considered when deciding between two suitable candidates. For further resources, visit the Deciding on a Shortlist page https://prttsprt2103.thirtythreelive.co.uk/toolkit/deciding-shortlist

Why should we advertise the role?

It is important to advertise your role openly and transparently to ensure that your opportunity is seen by a wide range of people, via a number of platforms and networks. This will result in a more diverse field than your existing networks might offer, and will provide an equal opportunity to apply for the role.

How much should we prioritise someone's prior experience in sport?

A skills audit will help you identify exactly what you need and determine whether prior sporting experience is relevant or desirable. You can read about how to conduct a skills audit and the questions to ask on the identyfying your needs page https://prttsprt2103.thirtythreelive.co.uk/toolkit/identify-your-needs

How do we decide the time commitment for the role? What's an average trustee/Chair commitment?

Time commitment for trustees can vary depending on the size of the existing board, the needs of the specific functional or thematic area that trustee might be responsible for, and what the organisational governance needs are. Reviewing how much time current trustees and the Chair are devoting to board duties will provide a steer on what the actual requirement is. It is important to be transparent about the requirements at the advertising stage. A trustee might expect to spend between 1-5 hours a week.

Is previous board experience essential?

No. It is important to consider a range of relevant and transferable experience beyond previous board experience to ensure a diverse field of candidates, and different perspectives.

Why have we not been able to attract a diverse field of candidates in the past?

If you find your candidate pool tends to be filled with people with similar educations, ethnicities, backgrounds and experience levels, you may need to widen your search avenues. A great way to do this is to post your openings on more diverse job boards and social media pages. Look for more diverse places to advertise and extend your reach, see our list on promoting the role: https://prttsprt2103.thirtythreelive.co.uk/toolkit/promoting-role

I have more questions, where can I go for help?

We would be happy to help answer any further queries you have, please contact the team via our team email: toolkit@perrettlaver.com or on the phone - 0207 340 6200

The team members are:

Imogen Baird

Sophie Williams

Lina Franzen

Ikem Nwankwo

Joe Blanch

Michelle Scanlon

Shivani Smith

Lucy Simpson

Lonyae Thomas

Roberta Cooke