3 Roles Executive Search Firms Should Take to Increase Women on Boards

NEWS AND INSIGHTS UPDATE:

A new research report by executive search firm Egon Zehnder International reveals that while some companies are starting to make an effort to increase the number of women on their corporate boards, the necessary work to prepare women for these roles isn’t being done.

Melissa J. Anderson of The Glass Hammer shared three ways executive search firms can help to increase the number of women on boards as explained by study co-author Claudia Pici-Morris, U.S. Head of Research for Egon Zehnder:

1. Identifying corporate client needs through discussions and conducting extensive research to find the right board candidates: “Our role as a search firm is to have a deeper discussion with our clients to really uncover their true needs. Often, these discussions lead to a broader acceptance of alternative candidate profiles that align to the needs of the company,” said Pici-Morris.

2. Succession planning: “It means identifying the company’s long-range needs and joining them with appropriate strategic and functional roles that typically have a larger percentage of senior executive women. This will broaden the pool of board-ready female candidates,” explained Pici-Morris.

3. Advising women: “We can help advise young executives early in their careers on the various roles and/or career opportunities to consider that will advance them into the boardroom,” Pici-Morris suggested.

And don’t forget the importance of networking. Pici-Morris explains. “With corporate boards, there’s always an interest as to who knows the individual before even pursuing them. If women are good at networking and leverage that network, it can help connect them to a board when needs arise.”

Get the details: Three Ways Executive Search Firms Can Boost Women on Boards – via TheGlassHammer.com

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Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

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