The Secret to Getting Shortlisted for Board Roles: Tailoring Your Application

Competing for a board position can be difficult and requires careful planning when preparing applications to be selected for interviews. Most applicants are professionals who have extensive experience. Many times, applicants do not get responses after applying to several companies. If you feel this way about your experience, then you are not alone. It is not as easy as sending multiple applications that will lead to being shortlisted to be interviewed for consideration. Your application has to be creatively written so the hiring authority considers you for an interview. 

One of the most important things to consider when trying to have your application reviewed and not lost in the hundreds of others submitted is to understand the overall process that happens during that review. Board applications go through a process that assesses candidates based upon the eligibility criteria from both traditional sources and those utilizing AI-based systems. Therefore, if you want to have an increased chance of being selected for an interview for a board appointment, then you must create a tailored application that demonstrates your greatest qualifications and experience relevant to the specific position you are applying.

Want to get shortlisted? Tailor your board application to match the role—not just your experience. 🎯

The Function of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

With the current state of employment, most recruiting is done electronically using an ATS, which efficiently filters through thousands of job applications. The ATS analyzes resume keywords and the qualifications, skills, and experience listed in your application to filter out potential job candidates. This implies that if you do not have the exact matching keywords or the proper formatting on your job application, you will not be seen by a human hiring personnel.

Most ATS are programmed to seek specific keywords and certifications/qualifications that correspond to those stated in the job description. Generally, these keywords will include skills, technical jargon specific to that industry, and sometimes even the actual job title will all be included when the applicant tracking system searches for matching criteria. If your resume does not contain these keywords, the applicant tracking systems will delete it regardless of how qualified you are for the position. Therefore, it is very important to optimize your resume/curriculum vitæ prior to submitting it so that your application will be given full consideration and eventually result in an interview for you.

Shortlisting of Applicants: How to Get to the Interview Stage

When your application passes through the initial ATS screenings, it goes into a shortlisting process where it will be assessed, graded and looked at by recruitment teams which can include a nominations committee, the Chair of the Board or an executive recruitment consultant. Generally, each application will be assessed in accordance with the selection criteria established by the organisation. 

Therefore, the purpose of shortlisting is to reduce the number of candidates being considered to identify the candidates who best meet the criteria of the position description and are most likely to succeed in the position. All Board applications are graded using a letter system (ie A = good; B = average; C = poor) with the majority of C grade applicants being those that do not match the selection criteria. B-grade applicants are those that meet most of the selection criteria, while A-grade applicants are the top 10% of all applicants who best match the position description and have provided convincing evidence of their suitability for the position.

Grading Board Applications: A Closer Look at A, B and C Grades.

Each board application has its own grading system to identify how closely the applicant matches the requirements of the position applied for. The grading will depend on the contents of all documents the applicant has submitted. Specifically, the submission consists of a Cover Letter, Board Resume and Supplementary Documents. The grading of the applicant can be divided into three general classes.

C Grade Applications

Generally speaking, a C-grade application would demonstrate an inadequate ability to respond to the criteria outlined in the key selection criteria section of the recruitment advertisement. In a C-grade application, it may be evident that the applicant has a moderate level of understanding of the requirement but will not provide enough information about their achievement history to enable a full assessment of the applicant's relative capabilities compared to other applicants. A C-grade application would typically demonstrate little or no detail with respect to how the applicant's skills match the requirements of the position. Typically, a C-grade applicant did not have a good understanding of the selection criteria and/or did not properly respond to the application instructions.

B Grade Applications

Most applicants (80%) received a B grade for the job. The reasons they received the B grade include not being entirely qualified for the job, providing limited evidence of key requirements in their application, and not presenting themselves to their highest potential, so their applications will be rated against other applicants who received higher marks (B/A grade) before being considered for the role. Thus, they will not necessarily be rated the highest when compared against others´ applications by the selection committee or the employing board. 

Applications Given an ‘A’ Grade

The A grade category is made up of the top 10% of applicants (those who submitted compelling applications and tailored the application to the selection criteria). These A grade applicants have clearly demonstrated their ability to deliver value to the board and to assist the employing organisation in achieving its objectives through their previous achievements by providing evidence to each of the selection criteria in their application.

How Are Candidates Selected For An Interview: The Road To Getting Selected For An Interview

When the grading process has ended, the shortlist will be created for board interviews. An A-grade means you have increased your chance at an interview, however it does not guarantee an A-grade candidate will receive an interview by itself. Based on how many interview slots were available and the qualifications of all A-grades plus what the board requires, will determine their final selection. In some instances, the recruitment team may go through a second round of grading to further limit the number of A-grades if there is a larger number of A-grades than there are interviews.

The interview process is the last part of recruiting to become a board member, but just because you earned an A-grade does not mean you automatically get an interview. If there are not enough A-grades, you may still be called for an interview if you T-grade with potential.

How To Tailor Your Board Roles Application

After going over how to get your application selected as an A-grade in board roles, we will discuss how to get your application tailored in order to make it past the ATS, impress the recruiters, and have the chance of being selected as one of the candidates for an interview.

Do Extensive Research

It is important to do extensive research about the organisation, its industry and the specific board position before submitting an application. This will not only assist you in determining if that position is a suitable fit for your skills and experience; however it will give you valuable insights to assist you in appropriately tailoring your application materials.

Understanding the organization’s challenges, competitors and strategic direction will provide you with an opportunity to address the selection criteria in your board cover letter and board resume more effectively. By demonstrating that you’ve taken the time and effort to research the organization, demonstrates both your commitment and understanding of the requirements of the role.

Tailor Your Board Resume to Suit Your Needs.

A board resume differs from a standard executive resume as an executive resumes focuses primarily on highlighting your accomplishments from a career standpoint and highlighting your managerial experience whereas a board resume focuses primarily on your governance experience and how you will add value during high-level strategic level decisions. It is vital that your board resume be tailored specifically to each application based upon the specific needs of that position.

Create an Outstanding Cover Letter

Although a cover letter isn't required, you should submit a board cover letter in every situation where you are submitting an application for a position. This is your chance to present how your experience relates directly to the position. A cover letter provides the chance to clarify and further elaborate on your past success and what value that brings to the board.

A well-prepared cover letter shows that you did your homework, but also illustrates that you have the ability to communicate your ideas clearly. This is an important skill for board members to possess.

Make Sure Your LinkedIn Profile is Consistent with Your Board Resume

Your LinkedIn Profile should reflect and be consistent with your Board Resume. Many agencies and board members will search your LinkedIn profile prior to contacting you to gather additional information. If there are inconsistencies in your resume and LinkedIn profile, your credibility and commitment may be called into question.

Make certain that your LinkedIn profile contains your governance experience, relevant accomplishments, and endorsements or recommendation letters from previous supervisors or members of a board. If your LinkedIn profile and application documents are in agreement, you will stand out as a serious and committed candidate.

Be Persistent and Follow-Up

The hiring process for board positions takes time. After you've applied, it may take weeks before they finish their short-listing. While waiting for a decision can feel like torture, it's imperative to be patient; however, do not shy away from following up after an appropriate amount of time and asking them how your application is progressing. When you follow up, be polite and professional, and remain open to feedback if you are declined.

Closing

Getting a board seat involves more than just submitting your application; it requires that you put together a very specific and well-researched application, which contains addressing all the Selection Criteria, in a way that makes your application distinguish you from the many others; thus, it is critical that you understand the Application process for board roles so that you can optimize your Application to go through the ATS, and if you uses, by doing extensive research on the with the Organization, customizing your Resume for each board role applied for, and presenting a strong Cover Letter to accompany your Appliction, as a result, you will have a far greater chance of being short-listed for an Interview for a board role.

The last comment I would like to emphasize, for anyone to have any real chance of being successful in this extremely competitive job market, is to pay utmost attention to detail and ensure the alignment of your Application with the needs of the Organization and demonstrate how you can add value to the Organization.