Charity Non-executive State of the Market update
Charity Non-executive – State of the Market update Charity Non-executive – State of the Market update_03 Charity Non-executive – State of the Market update_04 Charity Non-executive – State of the Market update_05
Starfish Search are really pleased to introduce a new series – Starfish Sessions
Starfish Sessions_02 Starfish Sessions_03 Starfish Sessions_04 Starfish Sessions_05 Starfish Sessions_06
Our commitment – 50NEDs Initiative
Starfish is committed to supporting organisations that want to improve their diversity. One of the most effective ways to deliver positive change is to address the diversity of non-executive Boards. Having inclusive board recruitment practices and being prepared to recognise and value the contributions offered by a broader range of backgrounds holds the key.
After many years of supporting candidates who have been through board recruitment processes, we thought it was time that we made better use of the insights we’ve gained. We decided to create the 50NEDs initiative that would encourage and support would-be non-executives from all walks of life who want to join boards, but simply don’t know how to access opportunities and get started. Our aim was to inspire and help prepare 50 ‘boardroom ready’ first time non-executives to organisations we work with within two years and we’re very proud to have reached this remarkable milestone.
We’ve placed brilliant people at an early stage of their leadership journey from many different backgrounds: from entrepreneurs, medical doctors and campaigners, to artists, surveyors and conservationists. And we’ve placed those who’ve had successful executive careers into organisations as diverse as Girlguiding, Wilf Ward Family Trust, the Solicitors’ Charity, the Co-op Foundation, Drinkaware, World Vision UK, Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, Cambridge House, Lampton 360 Group, St John’s Foundation, the Richmond Fellowship and the Young Foundation.
Having spoken with the group of non-executives we’ve placed over the last two years, some key themes and insights as well as some brilliant pieces of advice have emerged. Many had assumed at the start that board members are all either professionals at the end of their careers, or at top C suite level, but realised this wasn’t the case. Instead there is a shared set of skills and attributes that boards are looking for.
These include things like having the ability to think strategically and impartially, being a true team player, using emotional intelligence and having the capacity to be self-reflective, to keep learning and self-regulate. Non-executives also tend to offer a maturity of judgement, which means they can land their views with impact and credibility. This group brings a broader set of experiences with them into the board room and is willing to contribute beyond their professional area of expertise. None are attributes that are confined to one demographic within our society.
Motivations tended to fall into fairly broad themes – from the obvious but vital wanting to ‘give back’, be that helping and supporting others on their own leadership journey, or having a deep connection or alignment with the cause; to wanting to gain professional experience and networks, or having some level of lived experience that gives a board a deeper insight into the communities they serve. In return this group has been able to gain a huge amount in return, by working as part of highly diverse, motivated and interesting teams. This experience has helped them to enrich their own professional or personal lives. And they’ve also had a lot of fun.
And there are some top tips. At the head of the list, and perhaps no surprise to anyone who has held a board role before, is the amount of time you have to realistically commit, whilst understanding what a ‘time commitment’ means – from reading and reflecting on board papers and preparing for meetings (the complexity of good governance and the legal side of the role can be overwhelming at first); ad hoc meetings and events that happen in evenings or at weekends; perhaps learning about a completely new sector whilst still doing your day job, and getting to know your fellow board members and how they like to engage… The top piece of advice that everyone we spoke to shared was the importance of taking the time to get to know your fellow board members outside of the boardroom, and ideally before you even attend your first meeting, which makes the journey much easier.
Thank you to everyone who gave their time to help others think about what they wished they’d known before they started out. And, of course, our own journey hasn’t stopped just because 50NEDs has achieved its aim. If you’re interested in a board career, our newly launched specialist Board Practice will be a great place to start browsing opportunities https://starfishsearch.com/starfish-search-launches-its-new-dedicated-board-practice/
Watch this space for articles and insight pieces throughout 2024 and beyond. See you there.
Starfish Search launches it’s new dedicated Board Practice
Led by our CEO, Juliet Taylor, our new dedicated Board Practice at Starfish will ensure that the right technical capability and expertise is available to all clients for their non-executive recruitment and board development assignments. Over 35% of appointments we’re commissioned to handle now involve non-executive search. Our new practice will continue to evolve throughout 2024, matching expert consultant skill and experience to the level of complexity, nuance and partnership often required for a successful outcome. Despite challenging market conditions, particularly for pro bono Chair appointments, Starfish continues to hold a placement rate of 98% on over 250 Chair, NED, Trustee, Committee Chair and President appointments. We are proud to have built a compelling track record of projects where our work has facilitated a genuine shift in authentic board diversity, or board capability, reach and culture. Meeting the high expectations our clients necessarily bring to their Board requirements, given the pressures they themselves face, requires clear advice grounded in insight, a pragmatic and tenacious approach, and a team that can be trusted to deliver results. As we approach our fifth anniversary, we remain focused on listening to our markets and responding to what we hear through the active development of our services, and attention to customer care. We are now growing our team of knowledgeable, committed board enthusiasts to rise to new challenges as the world around us all continues to change.
For more information about the Board Practice and our services, please contact juliet.taylor@starfishsearch.com
Disability Confident Committed
At Starfish we are committed to diversity and inclusion and we are pleased to announce that we are now certified as Disability Confident Committed.
By signing up to be Disability Confident Committed we will continue to enhance our knowledge, skills and confidence required to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled colleagues in our workplace.
Every colleague here at Starfish has gone through training on what it means to be Disability Confident, with each of us making an individual pledge as to what steps we can take as individuals to improve our understanding of disabilities and be supportive of colleagues who may have disabilities.
We are looking forward to offering work shadowing opportunities for those with disabilities in the Spring of 2024.
We want to ensure that disabled colleagues have opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.
Attracting the next generation of local government stars
MJ2501_p39 v42024: the year of hope and optimism?
2024- the year of hope and optimism?What3Words Leadership Locations Report
Our purpose at Starfish is to travel the journey with the busy leaders we work with, day in day out. Whatever the background. Whatever the sector. Whatever the experience. The highly experienced professionals in our team have, in many ways, grown with this group of leaders, helping them to navigate an increasingly complicated and demanding world. In many respects, we have had to navigate it ourselves to understand what is expected of us in supporting you as clients and candidates.
What it means to be an effective leader in 2023 is starkly different to 2013; yet a sign of the times we’re all living in is that expectations and pressures are also very different today compared with five and possibly even three years ago.
What is certain is that the nature of leadership – how it manifests, how we describe it, what matters – is changing.
Starfish Presents – Generations Unite
Hilary Clifford, Partner at Starfish Search, brought together leaders and experts for a webinar on Intergenerational Diversity.
Speakers included:
Rebecca Robins – a leading speaker on generational diversity
Lis Skeet – Director of Operations at Samaritans
Martin Rix (MRICS) – Chief Executive at Belong
Victoria McLean – CEO of City CV | International Career Consultancy | Hanover Group.
Starfish was created to change the world through human talent and as a company we bring dedication and commitment to authentic diversity as we search for tomorrow’s leaders. Diversity is more than representation and in the dynamic world of work today, intergenerational diversity is a significant factor in shaping the cohesion and performance of teams. Perhaps for the first time ever, we have five generations in the workforce and as we identify every generation, whether it is Silent, Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial or Gen Z, each brings its own perspective, strengths, and weaknesses.
Taking time to really understand the differences and identify the commonalities can be highly beneficial. Focusing on what we share as people in work and why we want to work in the jobs we have. Although we are all shaped by our experiences growing up, in education and employment, every generation also shares the same experience in getting a sense of purpose from work, valuing recognition and building relationships, connectivity and a sense of community with colleagues. As the world in which we live and work changes at a rapid pace, we need to harness the strengths and experiences of each generation to build an agile and resilient workforce.
At Starfish Search we are future focused, developing leaders of tomorrow and working with many of our clients to consider the positive power of generational diversity. This may include sourcing from alternative talent pools and providing different career pathways to identifying the real benefits of each generation and celebrating this to promote understanding and reduce bias. All of this is vital in considering your staff teams, working with volunteers, remaining relevant to current and future audiences and matching demand for your services.
Managing intergenerational differences effectively in the workplace is vital to create advantage and overlooking this can lead to communication barriers, bias and cultural fragmentation. When employers put time and effort into understanding different needs then there are many benefits to be had. At Samaritans, an organisation with over 20,000 volunteers and 300 staff, there is significant age diversity across the groups. Investing in intergenerational training, teams and structures creates higher levels of energy and understanding in a non-hierarchical structure with a common purpose, delivering support to people and preventing deaths from suicide.
At Belong, a leading provider of specialist care for older people, they value generational diversity, for their teams and their residents, seeing the value of reverse mentoring, innovation and implementation and providing reassurance and experience across the age ranges.
Many companies and charities are establishing Next Gen boards or Youth Advisory boards to inform future strategy, build market insight and test value propositions.
Organisations which value diversity and embed it across their structures, systems and processes, have a much greater chance of creating authentically inclusive cultures and in turn will attract people who want to join them and who have the curiosity, agility and appetite for learning which adds collaborative muscle to any employer.
Life is changing at speed and at Starfish we are here to navigate this unpredictability. Whether it is senior leadership talent, non-executive directors, or interim managers that you need, Starfish will help you find the right leaders to carry you upwards through change and beyond.
Contact Hilary.Clifford@starfishsearch.com for a further conversation
Menopause in the workplace
Starfish Search’s Lorraine Payne and Sunita Patel look at the importance of breaking down the stigma around menopause for a more inclusive and empathetic workplace.
To view the article please click the image below
