1. HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE
NON-EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

2. WHAT WE’LL COVER TODAY
• Your mind-set
• What is the interviewer looking for?
• Why conduct research into the company and how to do it
• Making first contact
• How to write a covering letter that will make you stand out from the crowd
• Tips for preparing the questions you will ask at interview
• Questions you can expect to be asked in interview
• Extra resources
SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW

3. RICHARD DAVIES
SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
• Executive Coach with In Touch
• 25 year corporate career with Kellogg’s and Shell
• Was Head of Learning & Development at Shell
• Built own portfolio career since end of 2016
• Been involved with hundreds of interviews

4. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
THE INTERVIEW

5. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
THE INTERVIEW

6. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?

7. THE PURPOSE OF NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The non-executive director (NED) is, essentially, a creature of corporate governance
• NEDs essentially perform a supervisory and advisory function
• NEDs support the board in instilling the appropriate culture
and values
• NEDs are there to bring balance and hold the executives to account
SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW

8. EXCEPTIONAL NED – KORNFERRY INSTITUTE REPORT
• Objective and independent thought processes
• Ability to challenge in a supportive way
• Effective communication and influencing style
• Established experience of current or future business of the company
• Diverse but in-depth business experience, able to learn and understand
company business quickly
• Financial literacy, able to understand business models
• Risk understanding
• Technology as business models become inextricably intertwined with
technology and digital strategies
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9. WINNING MIND-SET
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10. MIND-SET : EQUAL BUSINESS STATURE
“It’s just as much a case of you checking to see
if this organisation is right for YOU -
as it is for them to try to discover
if you are right for THEM”
SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW

11. MIND-SET : EQUAL BUSINESS STATURE
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The interview is your opportunity to demonstrate what it will be like to have you on their board e.g.
• Evidence of having done your homework
• Share strategic insights
• The right behaviours – challenge with diplomacy

12. STEP 1 – RESEARCH
• Research the hiring company or organisation
• Initial due diligence. Is this a company or organisation that you’d like to join?
• Research informs your high quality questions for interview
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13. RESEARCH
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Public Image
• Research the company’s reputation online via rating agencies and search out any articles or news stories
the company has appeared in. Similarly, you can learn a lot from the company’s own website, especially in
terms of commercial and regulatory statements and the public image it portrays.
• Download and read the annual report

14. RESEARCH
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What do customers say about the company?
• Trustpilot company check is the largest source
of data on UK companies and attracts over a
million visitors each month carrying out due
diligence
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/companych
eck.co.uk

15. RESEARCH – COMPANIES HOUSE
https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company
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16. RESEARCH
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What do employees say about the company?
• GlassDoor has a database of 8+million company
reviews, leadership/management ratings, salary
reports, job interview tips, employee benefits
reports, and workplace insights generated by
employees.
• Whilst this is a useful source – there is likely to
be some biased reviews from disgruntled
employees. Take the research insights from this
as just one of many inputs.
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews

17. STEP 2 – CONTACT THE COMPANY
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First Contact
• If details have not been provided in the job posting, call In Touch, or the
recruitment agency that has posted the role. Ask for help.
• Explain that you’d appreciate the chance to talk to one of the interview panel
• When you do manage to fix up a call. Be professional, ask questions e.g
• Why are they looking to recruit a NED now?
• What are the key challenges ahead for the
organisation?
• What skills, experience and attributes are they
really looking for in a NED?

18. STEP 2 – CONTACT THE CHAIR OR A CURRENT NED
SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
Ask
• Ask the interview panel member if you can chat to one of the existing NEDs
• Look at the company website, are there links that will help you get in contact
with the NEDS?
• Search LinkedIn and send a request to connect
• Personalise the invitation and explain that you will be applying for a NED role
and would appreciate a chat

19. WHY HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS?
SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
Stand out from the crowd
• Gain valuable information you can add to your application covering letter
• Be memorable - if you have spoken to a panel member this increases the
likelihood of being called for interview
• When it comes to interview, demonstrate your diligence and
refer to insights from your conversations

20. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
STEP 3 - WRITE A WINNING COVERING LETTER
Recruiters spend between 6-40 seconds scanning a cover letter
• It is important to stand out
• Name the people with whom you have already spoken:
‘ It was fascinating to learn more about your organisation and its plans when I was
speaking to . . . <insert name of person / people you have spoken to>’
• Find out more tips for your cover letter by listening to the In Touch webinar on
this topic. How to Craft a Winning Cover Letter by Brendan Gurrie, March 21st
2019. Available on BrightTALK

21. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
STEP 4 - PREPARE YOUR QUESTIONS
From research, prepare questions that demonstrate your commercial acumen,
using the Three Dimension model of Value from Axiometrics
• System questions (Thinking and the Why) – about Vision and Purpose, Their Point
B, challenges and growth opportunities, longer term strategy, market disruption,
compliance, new legislation or relevant trends in technology
• Task questions (Doing and the How) - about current financial performance, cash,
liabilities, immediate priorities and the competition, sales & marketing,
operations. How they are going from Point A, their current position, to Point B
• People questions – (Feeling) about employee engagement levels, customer
satisfaction, supplier relationships, key partnerships, and the team dynamics on
the board and engagement with all relevant stakeholders
• http://www.axiometricspartners.com/

22. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
STEP 5 - QUESTIONS YOU COULD BE ASKED
No guarantee you’ll be asked but it’s better to be prepared
• What is it that attracted you to this non-executive position?
• What is your previous experience and how do you believe it could be valuable
to this board?
• How would you describe your style and how would you tailor your approach as
a non-executive director?
• What mistakes have you made in previous roles and what did you learn from
them?
• What do you believe our clients and stakeholders expect from us and how can
we deliver on this as a board?

23. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS YOU COULD BE ASKED
No guarantee you’ll be asked but it’s better to be prepared
• Can you outline 3 key challenges that may affect businesses in our sector over
the next 10 years?
• Do you have any previous examples of where you have helped a business
achieve their financial goals and unlock new commercial opportunities?
• What do you believe your role will involve as a Non-Executive on this board?

24. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
• Members can go to the portal, look under ‘Learning Hub’ and you’ll find four-module CPD accredited courses
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

25. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW
• Members can go to the portal, look under ‘My Downloads’ and you’ll find a checklist and useful worksheet
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

26. SUCCEEDING AT INTERVIEW