Engagement phase
Once you have agreed your answers to the above and have a commonality of definition and approach, you will be ready to finalise the role description and person specification. It is essential for this document to be clear and compelling. It is tempting to re-use what you already have and tinker around the edges. Where possible, it is better to re-write for your up-to-date needs. Check that the language is inclusive and bias-free. If you are working with a partner, have them work on this alongside you, informed by the briefings you provide. Use this thinking to ensure your advertisements are authentically inclusive, using asset-based language – focus on what candidates bring, not what they lack. They key is to create a connection with your audience. Similarly, agree and encourage social media activity from your Comms team and via the personal accounts of your key stakeholders.
Make sure your values are front and centre. Too often one advert looks nearly identical to another, and you want to encourage applications which really respond to your identity. One way to do this is to use a values-based application process. For this you ask your candidates to respond to three or four questions linked to your values or strategy, for example, or have them articulate their motivation via a short video rather than a written document. This reduces the risk of ‘cut-and-paste’ applications, and creates more distinctiveness between applications.
If you are running the search yourselves, it is likely you will be relying on advertising, social media, networking, and word of mouth. If you are working with a partner, they will be carrying out active research and engaging with the market on your behalf. The inclination is to outsource everything to them. We advise working in closer partnership, with both you and the executive search firm amplifying one another’s social media activity, for example, and catching up weekly for a short progress report. For more challenging roles – organisations that are less visible, which operate with tough or unpopular remits, where there has been a troubled history, or with a large time commitment (with chair roles especially) – it is likely that only five percent of those with whom you (or your partner) speak will become candidates.
We strongly advise that you show the salary (for the chief executive role) and time commitment (for the chair and trustees positions) clearly on all material. Acevo supports the Show the Salary’ campaign, which creates greater transparency. The campaign also encourages signatories not to ask for qualifications, unless these are really necessary.
The following questions may be helpful:
- Have you been clear about your mission, vision, and purpose?
- Have you been clear about the mandate?
- Have you been honest about your challenges and what you are doing to tackle them?
- How will you assess how this person addresses and enhances your values?
- Are you prepared to listen to unpopular feedback?
- Have you given yourselves the licence and flexibility to adapt if there are things stopping candidates from applying?
- Are you listening and not just broadcasting?
- Are you being thoughtful about how you can support candidates in their development areas?
- Is your imagery, language, process and activity inclusive and accessible?
Do include in your candidate pack whether you’re open to flexible working and what this could look like – this is inviting, opens up the conversation at an early stage and will encourage a wider field. If it matters to you do includes in your person spec something about a track record in shifting the dial on diversity, so you can talk about this through your interview process.
