How to Interview a Potential Director of the Board of Directors
Interviewing for any position can be challenging. Luckily the position of director is easier than most. Unlike positions on the board like treasurer that require a specific list of skills a director can have a wide range of skills. To be the director of a board despite their work experience which is general irrelevant you need to be looking for certain character traits.
With work experience being generally irrelevant it is a good place to start. Whatever the board is overseeing it would be good for the director to have at least some knowledge in the field. Please note however that this is not make or break. The position of director is not one that overly requires them to understand all the ins and outs of the industry.
The first trait you are looking for is someone who can work a crowd. Staging an interview process where you put all the applicants together in a room is the best way to identify this. Look for the applicant who is not happy sitting there minding their own business. The director of a board will need to be someone who is comfortable reaching out and communicating with perfect strangers on a regular basis. If someone has a lifetime of experience in the field and can not communicate with a stranger they are not meant to be a director.
Next you need to find the leader. This is as simple as taking the few candidates who passed the first stage of the interview and giving them all a group task. Sit back and watch who takes control. Also keep track of how different people take leadership when it comes to different aspects of the task. Putting somebody in the role of director who is unable to take charge and lead will be a huge detriment to the functionality of the group.
Take the few leaders you have and now challenge them with multiple decisions. They need not be anything to extreme just simple decisions sometimes can illustrate the decisiveness of a person. Start simple with asking if they would like a coffee or water and work your way up to relevant decisions in the area the board will oversee. A director needs to be able to make quick and focused decisions. To appoint a director that has a hard time decision making will leave the board with a lot of ideas and thoughts but little action.
Finally, if you have anyone left ask them to run a meeting as the final interview. All of the traits that you thought to be evident should come out in the meeting. Hand them bullet points on topics you need covered and allow them the opportunity to chair the meeting. A director should welcome the opportunity to create, innovate and lead.
Often times this interview process will eliminate all candidates in which case the decision ultimately falls to the board to consider whether they appoint a second class director or continue to interview until someone worthy of the position comes forward. Rest assured that if you follow these steps the director you choose will be more than capable to manage and guide a board of directors.
