The company’s board has to be convinced that a new employee is a suitable employee for the company before they can approve the appointment. Interviews are an essential component of the hiring process.

Board members are interested in hearing candidates talk about their skills and experiences that allow them to be appropriate for the job, with an emphasis on the value they offer. Interviewers will often ask questions to assess the candidate’s knowledge of the difficult and complex issues a board member may face.

As a result they’ll also want to understand how the candidate handles conflict and how they are able to engage with other board members in a respectful way. It is also typical for boards to inquire of the candidate how they would approach specific issues, such as shareholder engagement, potential conflicts of interest and the need to ensure that the company is operating in a ethical and responsible way.

Many companies provide candidates with a checklist of documents to read before the interview. It is more than the mere glance to gain a complete understanding of the company’s operations and its C-suite members and board members as well as industry dynamics and the most significant risks. The best method of preparation is listening to CEO conversations with analysts and investors, says Deb DeHaas who is a two-term public company board member and chief executive officer of the Corporate Leadership Center. She says that candidates should be able explain why they are interested in the company, their product or its problems, and how they can solve these problems.

https://boardthrough.com/tips-to-guide-you-in-your-corporate-board-seat-interview/