Common Purpose’s About Time campaign to get more and more people involved in public appointments, from across a diverse range of backgrounds, walks of life, experiences and opinions has a celebrity champion! Bonnie Greer is one of the Government Equalities Office’s Diversity Ambassadors, and is doing a fantastic job at raising issues of board diversity in the national media.

In addition to the video above, Bonnie is interviewed in The Guardian’s Society section this week, talking about why it is so important for people who aren’t the ‘usual suspects’ to think about contributing to public boards, and sharing her experiences of board life. Read the article here

Bonnie suggests diversifying boards defeats complacency. It is not she says, about defeating inequality, but about keeping boards fluid. This has been at the heart of About Time since it began, boards need the breadth diversity brings to help them spot opportunities and trends. It’s not about ticking boxes, but about ensuring that the most talented individuals are appointed to board positions, to challenge the board, and stop them getting complacent.

I recently spoke with an experienced non-exec who said if she could bust one myth about the public appointments process, it was that you didn’t have to apply, but were appointed by a ‘tap on the shoulder’. Whilst some might think that applications to public appointments are through an old boys network, the fact is that all public appointments are advertised publically, and anyone can apply for them.

Whilst this myth seems relatively easy to bust, the actual appointments process is one that remains highly confusing for many people. The Common Purpose survey, Diversity of Representation in Public Appointments, conducted earlier this year, found many issues surrounding the application procedure for many respondents. Many found the forms daunting, and a real barrier to application, and several of those who had never applied for the process would welcome some clear guidance on how the application process works.

The Appointments Commission website contains some information about the different stages of the process, and directgov also has some useful advice. We’ve also detailed in a previous blog some tips for application success.

What advice would you give to someone puzzled by the application process? About Time aims to help overcome the barriers that get in the way of participation in public life, and your tips and advice could help someone make their first foray into a public appointment.

During a recent conversation with a highly experienced non-exec, with a varied portfolio of appointments and experiences across the sectors, she told me she had recently applied for a position that she had been surprised to not even be shortlisted for. Feedback suggested that her skill set did not match the skills required for the post. A closer examination of her application form revealed that whilst eminently well qualified for the post, the application form she had submitted had not highlighted her skills in a way that matched the person specification for the role.

So how do you start to assess your basic skills? Do you have a mental checklist of things you’re good at, and how these translate as transferable skills? How do you translate skills acquired through non-traditional roots into skills that are easily recognisable?

The About Time programme will help participants assess their own strengths and skills by using coaching interventions to help people analyse their experiences and areas of expertise. Other organisations rely on 360 feedback and psychometric assessment to help uncover personal and professional strengths and weaknesses. A quick browse of the web throws up countless websites to help you with your self-analysis.

What would your top tip be? If you’ve got any ideas on how someone could start to assess their skills, why not share them through the comments box below.

People have a whole host of motivations for taking on non-exec roles. For the curious a non-exec role can provide a great opportunity to see how different spheres and sectors operate, and to move in circles different to their full-time employment.

Others are passionately committed to their communities, and see a board appointment as a way of contributing and giving something back. Some feel things should be done differently, and take on a non-exec role to have a say in the decision making process. Some see it as a great outlet for the skills and expertise they’ve acquired in other areas, and others as a fantastic way to acquire some new skills and hone new ways of working.

Some non-exec roles come with levels of remuneration which is certainly a motivation for some, but a huge number, especially of local roles, are done on a wholly voluntary basis.

The Common Purpose survey asked what are the motivations behind your involvement in public life, 43% of respondents saw benefitting their community as the main benefit of holding a public appointment, and a further 37% felt that involvement would benefit society. This compared with 10% replying ‘developing my skills’, and 7% ‘enhancing my career’. These statistics suggests a engagement driven more by societal than individual outcomes.

What do you think? What were your main motivations in applying for and holding non-exec roles?

There are over 18,500 public appointments in the UK. A large number of these are often vacant, and because of this, their important functions of regulation and governance don’t always work as well as they could. A full board, with the full quota of voices speaking and being heard will be better equipped to cope with the challenges they are facing than a half full one.

Did you know, for example, that out of 300,000 school governor posts, there are currently 40,000 empty chairs at governors meetings?

A recent survey by Common Purpose, an international leadership development organisation, indicated that whilst only one third of those surveyed were aware of any public appointment opportunities, a huge 92% said they would be interested in holding a public appointment in the future. You can read the report here.

So there is interest, and people who want to take part, but what is stopping them standing up and applying for these posts? Why is it when so many people want to get involved, there are so many vacant posts? What are the barriers and how can we start to break them down?