How your board application is graded

Previous articles provided information about the process and documents you need to submit a successful board application. I began by initially looking at how to respond to advertised board vacancies, then how to write a compelling cover letter, why you need a NED CV, and finally how to write one focusing on 8 crucial elements. In this article, I want to explain what happens once you submit an application as part of a formal board recruitment process. 

Imagine this. You have written and submitted what you believe to be a compelling board application for an organisation that you are passionate about and a role that you are sure you are qualified for. You are feeling pretty good about your chances; after all, you sweated for hours over the application, did all your research, and were even encouraged to apply by the advertiser. Weeks or months go by with silence, and then you receive a ‘thank you, but no thank you’ email. You are frustrated and don’t understand why. Sound familiar? If it does, then you are definitely not alone. 

To better understand why your application was unsuccessful, it is helpful to know what happens to it after submission. In particular, I want to help you understand how board applications are graded. In doing so, you can significantly improve your chances of being appointed. The idea behind this is that if you understand the process of how ‘yes’ and ‘no’ decisions are made, then it will help you write more compelling applications that get past the gatekeepers and lead to an interview. 

The grading process begins

Once collated (digitally or physically), all the applications are individually graded or sifted. Depending on the available resources, the number of applications received, and the skill of those assessing them, this process may take a day or even weeks to complete. Who is tasked with grading the board applications can vary dramatically. It may be a recruitment consultant, the HR Director, the Chair, each member of a Nominations Committee, or even the CEO. 

No matter who grades the board applications, the goal is the same. To sift or shortlist the applications down to a small number of candidates to interview. The shortlists are rarely more than 10 and, most often, are less than 5. This number that makes the cut usually correlates with the number of applications received. 

How board applications are graded

Initially, applications are assessed and graded based on their application cover letter. In a broad sense, applications are graded A, B, or C based on their alignment with the selection criteria.

C- Candidates

• Typically, these candidates make up at least 10% of the applications received.
• Their applications respond to the selection criteria in some way. However, they merely demonstrate that they understand the criteria, without providing information on how they meet them.
• They typically do not provide examples or evidence of successes.
• Some do not respond to the criteria at all or provide statements such as “refer to my CV”.
• Often, people submit applications speculatively, wasting their time and the organisation’s time.

B-Candidates

• Make up the bulk of candidates – approximately 80% – ranging from aspirational to experienced candidates.
• Typically, these applications respond to each selection criteria. They provide evidence of having done the role but fail to detail their successes.
• They are also often typified by including too much contextual information.
• They are unlikely to be selected for an interview because more experienced candidates are in play, or they are let down by their poor, rushed, or simplistic application.
• Many qualified candidates receive this grade because their applications did NOT separate them from their competitors, not because of their inability to do the role.

A-Candidates

• These candidates typically make up the top 10% of applications received.
• These applications stand out because they meet 100%, or as close to, of the selection criteria.
• These applications clearly, concisely, and confidently state that their experience meets the criteria. Plus, they provide evidence of successfully achieving them.
• These applications are easily identified, but are still not always interviewed.

It is not a bell curve anymore

The figures I provided above are ones that I historically thought were the case. These graded applications followed a bell curve. At one end, you will find the 10% of applicants who don’t meet the criteria (and really should not have applied). In the middle are the 80% of applicants who are capable to some degree of undertaking the role – often meeting a significant number of the selection criteria. Leaving the 10% who are the top candidates who meet all the criteria. However, this is changing. Today, I am finding that 30% of candidates are A’s, 60% are B’s, and still 10% are C’s. More than ever, it is a highly competitive process.

Which candidates will make the cut to be interviewed?

As a general rule, most, if not all, of the A-candidates will likely be selected to attend a board interview. However, the final number will depend on what the chair or interview panel previously determined. Should there be more A-candidates than interview slots, the A-candidate applications will often go through a second round of screening. Applicants may be regraded as A-, A & A+.

Should the A-candidate cohort be smaller than the required number of applicants to be put forward for interview, then some B+-candidates may be lucky enough to make the cut.

How to ensure that your application is graded as an A-candidate?

Firstly, conduct thorough research, then leverage this information in your board application. This research will provide you with the insights required to separate you from the competition and rise to the top as an A-candidate. In-person research can be leveraged to demonstrate your connectedness and build confidence in you as a candidate.

Secondly, revise your board CV before submitting any board application. Customise it if necessary for the role and selection criteria.

Thirdly, in any formal Board Application process, you MUST include a Board Cover letter that clearly addresses the stated selection criteria, including the essential and recommended criteria. Include a board cover letter even when it is not requested. You may have to include it in the same document as your Board CV. Ensure you include a supporting statement if requested.

In Summary

Understanding how board applications are graded after submission is going to help you write more impressive documents. This, in turn, will lead to more board interviews and more board appointments. In most cases, there are B-candidates with the skills and experience to be graded as A-candidates. But in a competitive and often under-resourced selection process, their underwhelming board applications let them down. Thorough research, a customised Board CV, and a decisive board cover letter that addresses all the selection criteria are the best ways to ensure your application is graded accordingly.

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