Some members have raised concerns that our role briefs may be too narrow, limiting the range of candidates considered for board positions. This article explains our approach and why organisations often prioritise specific expertise when defining their requirements.
Our Approach to Role Briefs
At Nurole, we encourage organisations to focus on:
- The problems they are trying to solve
- The skills and expertise gaps they need to fill
Rather than simply listing pre-determined solutions, we work with organisations to clarify their needs. However, this process can sometimes be misunderstood, particularly when it comes to what we call the base rate context—the typical decision-making process organisations follow when selecting board members.
Category A
Candidates who:
✅ Can challenge and support the organisation and
✅ Have deep sector, functional, situational, or other relevant expertise
Category B
Candidates who:
✅ Can challenge and support the organisation
🚫 Do not have deep expertise in the relevant sector or function
Most organisations will almost always prefer Category A candidates. While it can sometimes be beneficial to have an outsider’s perspective (Category B) to challenge assumptions and “ask the stupid questions,” this is the exception rather than the rule.
Why Expertise Matters
Boards typically look for individuals who bring both challenge and expertise. If a strong, diverse talent pool exists within Category A, there is little reason to consider Category B candidates, as they bring comparatively less value to the table.
This does not mean that individuals in Category B lack valuable skills—it simply means that their skillset alone is not sufficient to stand out in a competitive board selection process.
Summary
- Role briefs are designed to address specific skills and experience gaps rather than being broad and open-ended.
- Organisations prioritise expertise when selecting board members, as this typically leads to the most effective governance and support.
- While outsiders (Category B) can add value, they are typically considered only when there is a strategic reason to do so.
We hope this provides clarity on why our role briefs often appear narrow in focus. If you have further questions, please reach out to our team.