THE POWER OF RECRUITING A DIVERSE BOARD
Diversity in the boardroom is essential for a variety of reasons.
Why Diverse Boards Are Needed?
Diversity in the boardroom is essential for a variety of reasons. For an organisation to govern well you need not just a mix of skills, but also a mix of experiences that ensure different perspectives, which help shape the decisions you make. There is a double benefit to proactively recruiting ethnically diverse individuals to your board. You will not just benefit from their professional experiences, you will see their lived experiences influence the decisions you make. Ethnically diverse representation in your board will help ensure that cultural and societal blind spots are identified and addressed. This action will illustrate to your membership, your beneficiaries, and the general public that you are an inclusive organisation with a commitment to ethnic diversity. We will outline some of the key actions that will help you develop a more ethnically diverse board.
When You’re Recruiting; This is the most important part to get right. Here are our top tips that will help you achieve this:
Ensure the advert and the job specification/role profile are consistent with our terminology guide. This will ensure no-one feels excluded.
Specifically state in your advert and role description that you are seeking people with diverse backgrounds and identities to improve your governance and decision making. If you are specifically interested in hearing from people from a specific identity or background, then say so.
Ensure imagery in your advert and materials reflects who you are trying to attract.
Be explicit about the benefits to individuals joining your organisation. Make sure you have a diverse selection panel, with a good level of training in EDI and bias.
Promote roles with a diverse range of publications and networks, including ethnic media, potential community leaders, and role
Ensure you offer adaptations to cultural, language and communication needs. This may include translations of critical documents.
Keep language jargon-free and in plain English. Sports are often guilty of using language that it has developed within its own community. This can exclude those who are not already a part of your sport.
Offer the opportunity to talk before someone applies. Applying may be a big step for someone, and they may not be convinced it is really for them.
