What are the best ways to increase board member diversity and inclusion?

Stop telling yourself there’s a lack of talent pipeline - refuse to fall for that myth. Instead, insist on widening your candidate base to capture every aspect of diversity (from age and title to gender and ethnicity) and commit to going outside of your existing network to recruit.

Skills and competency reviews should already be embedded in evaluation systems, so it is no longer acceptable to have gathering data/ surveys as a starting point. With over a decade of research and experience in hand that reflects the persistent ‘snow capped’ male dominated boards actual action is needed now. One or two diverse non exec directors into the board is not sustainable change. Further, absent a culture of psychological safety, the full value of diversity of thought is often not achieved. McKinsey shows the ‘broken rung’ hinders ambitious women & minority ethnic staff compared to the journey of their white male peers. Driving out bias in culture, systems & processes is a more impactful and a more impactful starting point

Diversity encompasses more than gender; therefore, it's crucial to distinguish and address various facets. The initial step in this process holds immense importance as it identifies gaps accurately. Implementing a model-based approach ensures a comprehensive understanding and effective resolution of these disparities.

Enhance board diversity: 1. Set clear goals and policies. 2. Ensure transparent recruitment. 3. Cultivate an inclusive culture. 4. Provide diversity training. 5. Engage with diverse networks. 6. Establish mentorship programs. 7. Regularly update board criteria. 8. Integrate diversity into succession planning. 9. Use diversity-focused search firms. 10. Monitor and report diversity progress. 11. Seek external accountability. 12. Support affinity groups. These strategies foster a diverse, inclusive board, improving decision-making and organizational success.

1. Set clear diversity goals. 2. Use diverse recruitment channels. 3. Foster an inclusive nomination process. 4. Provide diversity training. 5. Engage specialized search firms. 6. Implement mentorship programs. 7. Track diversity metrics. 8. Cultivate an inclusive culture. 9. Invest in pipeline development. 10. Regularly evaluate board composition.

The process of selecting board members involves defining criteria, establishing a committee, developing a transparent process, collecting nominations, evaluating candidates, considering diversity, conducting background checks, engaging stakeholders, presenting a shortlist, obtaining board approval, facilitating onboarding, and conducting periodic evaluations. This ensures that board members align with the organization's goals and contribute effectively to its development. The process also includes conducting background checks, verifying professional credentials, and engaging stakeholders. By following this systematic and transparent process, the chosen board members can contribute effectively to the organization's goals.

I like the idea of a 6 monthly rotation of one of the Directors coming to Board Meetings. Instruction that they will have no power but they do have a voice- see how they perform, see how fellow board directors interact with the employee board personnel. In order to have a strong board all members must be completely aware of biases, skills, experiences, longevity of service of personnel & responsibilities of each Board member to its investors. Too many businesses, overlook, pure genius because they are distant from the workforce. It’s imperative, there’s always eyes on the ground to make sure you’re delivering the best possible service. To enable growth, profitability just by listening to the employees to evaluate best practice.

Some ways to get started: - Look over your own network as a board member today. And start to discover new channels or networks where people adding to your wished diversity exists. - If you are not recruiting right now, start by adding a reference group or opening up for guest lecturers to add both more perspectives, knowledge, experiences as well as new networks. - Start with an easy way to add interest to your board, the CV and other more formal processes can be added in next step.

The key is get to know people around you at a personal level and give them the chance to bring out the best in them, you will did over that there is so much that you can have that you did not know about what people can contribute that your board members need, breaking the barriers of trust and uncertainty.

Nomination Committee: Establish a diverse and inclusive nomination committee responsible for identifying, evaluating, and recommending candidates. Transparency in Nomination Process: Clearly communicate the nomination process, criteria, and expectations to potential candidates and stakeholders. External Search Firms: Consider utilizing external search firms that specialize in diversity and inclusion to identify a broader pool of qualified candidates. Networking and Outreach: Actively engage in networking and outreach efforts to connect with a diverse range of potential candidates.

Using professional board recruitment services is likely more effective in ensuring a competent, well-functioning, and well-balanced board than using solely your personal network.

Ensure the process is dynamic and continuing effort to always have possible board members in your pipeline. You don’t want to be caught off guard and have a smaller board than you need.

Right now, so many board placements are still reliant on "the network," which is fine but unfortunately, without a strategy to build diversity, the network will screen out well-qualified potential directors.

One successfull way to get more women to boards is to specifically ask the external executive search firm for one candidate that are female, one that are male or of course open up for non-binary candidates as well.

I believe everyone has got something special in them but it is the way people in position/your board come across to board candidates - remember they are also looking for the right match to their values and culture.

In my experience, effective integration of members begins with a robust orientation and mentorship program. I advocate for inclusive decision-making and continuous education on diversity. We should also focus on recognizing each member's unique contributions and advancing their skills. Establishing subcommittees dedicated to inclusion can be instrumental in empowering every member in their roles.

Please make sure that it is not only the new ones that needs training and mentorship. People with experience needs to develop and grow to be able to make the new ones feel as welcome as possible. Also add a perspective that improving the social norms or culture of the board is often a better way to support the integration and development instead of focusing on the individuals. It can be as simple as changing the agenda, time or place for next board meeting, changing the status quo and adding fresh and new perspectives.

rofessional Development Opportunities: Offer professional development opportunities, such as workshops, seminars, and conferences, to enhance board members' skills and knowledge. Tailor programs to address specific development needs identified through individual assessments. Leadership Training: Provide leadership training programs that focus on developing the skills necessary for effective governance and strategic decision-making. Include sessions on inclusive leadership and collaboration. Committee Involvement: Actively involve board members in committees aligned with their expertise and interests. Provide opportunities for them to take on leadership roles within committees.

It would be helpful to have in consideration that the training and mentoring should be personalized to the person background and culture . It’s important to consider as well that the way of learning is different for everyone and having different materials and resources to teach the same topic would be helpful.

Right helping the new board members fit in and get better at their roles can make the member feel comfortable and become even better at his/her job. This is needed so because if the person is supported at starting itself on how to start the work process, then will have a positive impact from start itself so the end result might come out very effective and great.

In addition to women, people of different races, ethnicities, ages, and sexual orientations, boards need more people with disabilities. The sooner we can ensure representation of a range of lived experiences, the better off the world will be. Many levers to drive diversity are in place, but diversity needs a broader definition. I believe in transparency on progress, even if a board is not where it needs or wants to be, as long as effort is in play.

We have to face up to pragmatism. On the Boards of small plc’s, and even medium sized ones, the size of the Board is small - maybe only three NED’s including the Chair. Cognitive diversity has proven benefits but it’s important at all levels not just Board. So maybe best to say that every Board needs to have a champion for Diversity across the whole organisation. Of course when possible we should get diversity of Board Directors but with several dimensions: Gender, Ethnicity, Social class, neuro-minorities, age…….

Board Composition: Indicator: Percentage of diversity dimensions (e.g., gender, ethnicity, age) on the board. Metric: Track changes in the representation of diverse groups over time. Recruitment and Appointments: Indicator: Percentage of new board members from underrepresented backgrounds. Metric: Monitor the diversity of candidates considered and appointed during recruitment cycles. Retention Rates: Indicator: Retention rates of board members from diverse backgrounds compared to the overall retention rates. Metric: Measure the duration of board service and identify factors influencing retention.

Actively engage with stakeholders, including employees, customers, and partners, to gain a well-rounded understanding of the organization's impact. Assess feedback and testimonials to gauge the organization's reputation and influence.

Monitoring and reporting progress in board diversity means keeping track of numbers like gender and ethnicity while also assessing how well diverse perspectives are included in decision-making. It's important to share this information transparently in reports, emphasizing both successes and challenges. Regularly engaging with stakeholders helps align efforts with their expectations, promoting accountability and a commitment to inclusivity.

When reviewing focus on the level of psychological safety and reducing minority stress - by adding knowledge about this and making sure that people are feeling safe to share their ideas and perspectives.

Always check if the things can be done better and fix what's not working this can ensure that we want to keep things getting better all the time.

Hire well qualified, diverse board members. Have a strong board culture that supports inclusion. It’s honestly not hard, there are loads of great candidates!

As a student having less experience I feel what I type in is my opinion and open to criticism. I believe that, although young employees have less experience there should be an employee representative having significant age gap in the board who can express the changing employee demands, changing traendst easily to the board.

According to my opinion, CEO must select highly experienced and highly qualified board members on merit.give them highly level of confidence in flexible environment. Tell them clearly about 0bjectives and goals of organization. Give them comprehensive training programmes for increasing performance. Close monitoring is a key factor for success.

Learn to be smarter with choices as to who gets the board positions. Don’t be influenced by Longevity as that is not a criteria, yes experience is a must - but not if what you need is new younger blood with the latest technologies the business needs. Sounds harsh but if the company needs to move forward sometimes the reluctance to change is a major factor in businesses failing. Learning to be flexible and able to pivot is paramount to a successful business.

How to build great teams Hire right: Hiring is more about taking bold calls, but I learned this important framework from bhavintu founder of Zeta - he said something interesting Always prioritize to hire someone who has more efficiency rate than the company I.e Rate all your team member’s efficiency rates out of 10 and make an average of it, the next hire that you are going to make should be above that average - this will ideally lift the efficiency rate of the company start looking at things from their perspective Value people more than the end goal Remember that one compliment, that one note of appreciation, that one incident of you going an extra mile, that one moment of you checking on them about their life - will go a long way.