Teeing yourself up for a board seat: the scoop from Korn/Ferry vice chairman Jane Stevenson.

• Author: Stevenson, Jane
• Position: BOARD READINESS - Interview

I have been told that recruiters are not really that interested in someone unless they are already serving on a corporate board? True or false?

While it is not true that we are only interested in candidates who already serve on a corporate board, board governance experience is highly desirable. The question is actually less about whether we as recruiters are interested in someone without board experience than it is about whether our clients are. Some boards are in a better position to assimilate a new director who brings a particularly attractive expertise but does not have governance depth, but the majority of the time we are charged with attracting outside directors who have a proven track record.

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How many first-time directors did you place in the past year--i.e., executives going on their first corporate board?

Roughly speaking, I would say that about 20-25% of the time we ultimately place a first-time director in the position. Because we are most often hired to bring in directors with proven experience, the majority of our placements have been directors previously. That said, there are always key roles where a board is looking to insert some particular expertise (often functional in nature) where outstanding talent with-out previous experience as an outside director is stronger than the talent pool of people who have already served as a director. This happens particularly when boards are targeting specialized expertise in the areas of finance, innovation, marketing, or technical areas like product development.

What do your recruiters do with unsolicited resumes from those looking to be considered for a board position?

We have a dedicated database for information on potential board candidates. The database includes information on individuals who are already active board members as well as individuals who have viable credentials and a proactive interest in joining an outside board. Given this database is used for all board work, if a resume is on file there, any consultant doing board work will be aware of it.

Is it worth sending a resume to a recruiter? If so, what's the best approach?

It is absolutely worth sending a resume to a recruiter, but also remember that sending your resume doesn't mean that a search firm is taking on the responsibility to market your background to potential boards. Only you can do that. Also make sure that the recruiter you are sending it to actually focuses on doing board work. The...