Whilst it is possible for companies to find a good non-executive director themselves, it represents a significant	Overview Why use a non-executive director? Finding the right non-executive director Making the appointment Company registration
risk to do so without a formal process to define the person specification, to produce a shortlist of good candidates, and conduct a series of interviews just as they would for a new executive director.

This risk can be reduced by using an established specialist firm such as The Independent Director Limited, who have a decade of experience in finding non-executive directors for companies, charities, public sector and other organisations.

Determine the job specification

Although many of the attributes for a Non-Executive Director will be common across many appointments you will wish to determine a precise and individual job specification tailored to the requirements of your own Board.

One of our consultants from The Independent Director Limited can help in a number of ways, including attending one of your board meetings, interviewing existing board members, and helping to design the specification with you.

Determine the person specification

Once the job specification has been determined, with "hard" requirements about experience and qualifications, it is advisable to consider the softer criteria to ensure a good cultural fit.

You will be seeking a combination of:

Independence of mind
Commitment of time and energy
Communication skills
Integrity
Impartiality

We can help to prepare a series of interview questions to ensure that you can elicit sufficient responses to enable you to make an informed choice from the candidates who apply.

Selection process

Covert or Advertised?

There are good reasons why some appointments are advertised and others are not. For public sector organisations, the Nolan Principles and Openness and Transparency on Government mean that the vast majority of new appointments will be publicly advertised.

Private companies are now advertising more than a few years ago, as we have been able to negotiate very keen rates for national advertising.