There’s a vast amount of information out there about prepping for an interview. Here are some of the tips and resources I’ve shared over the years on the Take on Board podcast and with the KickStarter and Accelerator crews, structured around my four steps to prep for a board interview.
It’s about knowing what to look out for
By module 8, everyone in the Take on Board KickStarter crew has identified their potential board strengths, developed their pitch and board resumé and have worked out where to find the kind of board roles that they’d want to apply for.
What comes next is the fun part – the practice interviews. In groups of three, everyone gets a turn at playing the interviewee, interviewer and observer. It is fun. They build confidence. It’s the best way to learn.
“The timing couldn’t have been better,” Caroline Pilot said of her Take on Board KickStarter experience in mid-2022.
“I discovered who I was and what I had to offer Mambourin’s board. By KickStarter’s third session, I had a phone call with Mambourin’s CEO and chair which led to being an active observer of one of their board meetings. Because of KickStarter’s trial board applications and interviews, I knew what to look out for and the right questions to ask.”
Like Caroline, many of KickStarter’s alumni go on to use the skills from these practice board interviews fairly quickly after graduating from the program.
By the time the KickStarter crew come together for the practice board interviews in module 8, they’ve already done a lot of the groundwork behind the four steps to prep for the board interview.
The four steps are:
- Show your passion: turn up to the interview researched and prepared
- ‘Why this board?’: your 60-second answer to the opening question
- ‘Tell us about a time when you…’: responding to the behavioural questions
- ‘Do you have any questions for us?’: prepare your list in advance
Tips and resources to help you prep for a board interview
1. Show your passion
I talk about the importance of turning up to the board interview researched and prepared in episode 16 (‘prepping for a board interview’, with Dr Dominique Hes, part 2) of the Take on Board podcast. I said:
“One of the key things people look for in an interview is passion in the organisation. And you can tell in an instant in an interview when somebody has done their research around the organisation and when they haven’t.”
This is why I focus so much on research as KickStarter reaches the end of module 7 and the talk shifts to how to prepare for module 8’s practice interviews.
Everyone in the KickStarter crew is expected to turn up to the practice interviews very prepared.
The five areas to look at (from episode 16):
- Business performance
- The organisation’s strategy (ask for these docs if they’re not publicly available)
- What other organisations they work with
- Who’s on the board and who’s on-staff (who can you talk to?)
- The industry or sector they operate in
Also:
- Shake down the contacts tree to see who you can talk to
- Explore what similar national and international organisations are doing
- Have a look around for industry publications
- Show up to the board interview prepared and you will be able to have insightful conversations about the organisation, not just about yourself.
What others have to say about researching for a board interview:
- Get on Board Australia: How to prepare for a board interview
- Board Appointments International: Board interview preparation
2. ‘Why this board?’
Or, the opening question might be ‘tell us about yourself?’ or ‘tell us how you can contribute to this board?’.
This is where a 60-second pitch comes in handy. It usually starts with ‘I’m a…’. It’ll be the first opportunity to show your passion.
I talk through this framework in episode 16:
I’m a <field> with strengths in <strength 1>, <strength 2> and <strength 3>. My most recent role is <role>. And some of my achievements in that role include <achievement 1>, <achievement 2> and <achievement 3>. My background is in <a sentence or two that sums up career to date>. I’m also <personal interests/activities>. To sum up, I’m looking forward to using my strengths of <strength 1>, <strength 2> and <strength 3> to make a contribution to the organisation.
The 60-second pitch should be tweaked for every different organisation and role.
The KickStarter crew writes and practices their pitch during module 5. We draw on the potential board skills identified in module 1 and values identified in module 2. Their homework is to refine and then call me to practice their pitch before the start of module 6. So, they’ve nailed it by the time we reach module 8.
What others have to say about answering the opening question:
- AICD: Acing the board interview
- Board Direction: The 6 types of board interview questions you should expect
3. ‘Tell us about a time when you…’
Generally, board interviews are a little more informal than job interviews. The interview panel will be more interested to see if you’ll be a good fit, so there’ll likely be more behavioural questions.
For answers to behavioural questions around the selection criteria, I use the Challenge-Action-Result (C-A-R) method. The KickStarter playbook says the three C-A-R steps are:
- First, describe the situation you faced at work (Challenge)
- Then what you did when faced with it (Action)
- Last but not least, the outcome (Result) that you achieved is the critical part
Create a C-A-R list of your achievements. Mine are in a table. Others use a spreadsheet. Cherry-pick the examples to use for the board interview.
What others have to say about responding to board interview questions:
- Board Direction: How to reply to board interview questions
4. Do you have any questions for us?’
Draft a list of questions. I place mine on the table in front of me. Many of your questions will be answered over the course of the interview. At the end, scan through your list and cross the answered questions off the list. Use the opportunity to delve further into the organisation’s strategic direction.
I also like to ask ‘before we get to my questions, is there anything you’ve asked that I need to go over more?’.
For other some examples, here are Get on a Board Australia’s five essential questions to ask in a board interview:
- What are the most significant strategic goals for the organisation over the next 1-3 years (and 3-5 years)?
- Are there any significant financial changes that are set to happen over the next 1-3 years?
- What are the most significant opportunities and challenges facing the industry over the next 1-3 years?
- How would you describe the culture of the board?
- How would you describe your leadership style as chair? (If not meeting with the chair, change this to ‘how would you describe the leadership style of the chair?’)
What others have to say about ask questions at the end:
- Get on a Board Australia: Questions to ask at a board interview
