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A well-represented board of directors can be invaluable to an organization. When properly selected, board members will bring a diversity of opinions, skills, and expertise that will help you avoid business pitfalls and push you towards even greater levels of success.
Selecting the right person is challenging, but at Gallagher, we’ve worked hard to create a board member search system that will not only help you find the right member but will also help them integrate and thrive with the rest of your board.
Board members hold a unique position within an organization and require a different skillset than typical leaders. Each member of our Board Member Search Practice has experience recruiting for boards, consulting to boards, and participating as board members.
We believe that their combination of skills, education, experience, and geographic scope gives our team a unique ability to help our clients with their board recruiting needs.
Diversity encourages better board governance and leads to better ideas around the table. Only when a team has considered an idea or challenge from every perspective are they equipped to move forward. The more diverse your board, the easier that is to do.
At Optimum Talent we’re also charter members of DiverseCity—an initiative that works to increase diverse representation on boards and in senior management roles. We are committed to diversity and work hard to present candidates who represent the breadth of our community.
Define: We work with internal and external client stakeholders to develop an accurate and shared understanding of the role, establish timelines, and develop a clear communication plan. Next, we create a formal search profile to attract the right candidates.
Attract: After creating a customized sourcing strategy, we perform extensive market research to identify networks and sources of promising candidates. From that process we gain and share market intel and perception of the role and organization.
Assess: Once a benchmark list is developed, we evaluate qualified candidates to ensure that they meet the requirements of the position. We then conduct interviews with high potential candidates with a focus on competencies and cultural fit — narrowing the pool and creating a shortlist for the client.
Select: It is time for the client to meet and choose the right candidate. We assist our clients in conducting thorough interviews, selecting the final candidate and presenting an offer. Client’s are provided with 360-degree reference interviews and background checks.
Integrate: After the search is complete, we provide continued support to both the client and candidate by conducting regular follow-ups and offering leadership, assessment and development support when applicable.
Working with boards—as recruiters and members—has given our team a deep respect and understanding of what an assembled governance team can accomplish.
We find that even the best boards benefit from a periodic review to reflect on their performance, identify areas of improvement, and plan for the future. Our experienced team can design and administer Chair, Committee, and Director assessments to ensure your board is functioning at peak performance.
Optimum Talent was listed as a Top 60 Canadian Recruiter in Hunt Scanlon’s latest Executive Search Review focused on the Canadian Executive Search Market. Read more here!