For many private companies, director onboarding is typically a “set and forget” exercise. Ironically, upgrading the onboard experience for your next director can fall to the bottom of the priority list just when you need the process to be current and optimized — when the new director is coming aboard. This happens, in part, because the board puts so much time and energy into recruiting the director, they figure the onboarding is fine as is. After all, since the new director has conducted their own extensive research on your company and been through multiple interviews and interactions with other board members, it’s natural to think they have what they need to successfully arrive at the first board meeting thoroughly prepared.
Think again.
The period between new directors is the best time to get your onboarding relevant and ready. Despite other attention-grabbing items on the board agenda, take the time now to design or revamp your onboarding process so you can extend a warm and thoughtful welcome to the next director and equip that person to add immediate value when they join and be successful in their role over the long term.
Keeping your onboarding process optimized is always important, but especially when you consider:
- Private boards are increasingly looking for directors with new areas of expertise. Non-traditional candidates or those with limited board experience will rely heavily on the onboarding process to prepare for service to your board.
- There is less public information about private companies for candidates to find on their own. You have the responsibility to fill in the gaps by anticipating and meeting the new director’s needs for all the missing information.
- A white-glove experience can make the director feel even more positive about their choice to work with you and jump-start important relationship-building.
Onboarding Is Not Episodic
While their learning will never end, onboarding a new director typically happens over the course of their first two years of service. It begins when you craft the specifications for the board opening, happens when the candidate digs deep (online and by gathering information from others in their/your network), and continues throughout the interview process. It then formally starts after the candidate verbally accepts the position and carries on when the new director arrives onsite for their first board meeting. Over the coming months, they’ll benefit from more refined and nuanced learnings — such as dynamics between board members and senior leaders — that come from board work and interactions.
Over those first two years, the new director will be functioning at an “arm’s length,” during which they can leverage their newness to keep asking the basic questions and requesting backgrounder documents and briefings. This stage will never happen again for the director, so they should be encouraged to leverage this advantage to probe as much as possible to gain clarification and understand context. I’ve also noticed that, during this orientation time, some of the most creative and thought-provoking ideas can come from a new director — things a long-standing board may not have considered.
| Onboarding Checklist Welcome Email Contract for signature Dates and locations of meetings for the next 12 months Link to shared file system and what to find there D&O policy Website link Links to socials to following the company and its leaders Link to recommend training programs, materials and videos Confirmation of board “buddy” (typically head of nom/gov committee) and contact information Shared File System Board member job description with terms Articles of incorporation Bylaws Past meeting agendas and minutes Resolutions Board member skills matrix Committee descriptions, charters and members Committee folders with documents Board and executive team org charts, complete with contact information Glossary of company and industry terms and acronyms Financials Core financial documents, including valuation reports Strategic Documents Current strategic plan CEO and key management succession plans Sustainability plan Education Educational materials Director development policy, delineating stipends Resources List of directors, key management and trustees, with bios and contact info List of key partners, advisors and consultants Employee onboard packet and handbook Corporate calendar that includes key external events, such as trade shows, and key internal meetings Sales and Marketing Competitive analysis Customer research Sales plan Marketing plan Top customers and prospects Onboarding Session (Remote) Personal welcome from CEO Overview of key opportunities and challenges Company overview presentation Q&A time Miscellaneous To-Dos Have director complete skills self-assessment Have director complete training Add bio and headshot to website Internal announcement/welcome email to the company, with background on the director and focus on skills External news release; add to website and share on socials Add board members to key email lists, such as for external marketing emails First Headquarters Visit for Board Meeting New members come to first board meeting early, before board dinner Presentation of security badge Introduce director in all-employee meeting Tour, with overviews from team leads Meet internal trustees (If applicable) Corporate photo Lunch with CEO Time with board chair before board dinner Within the First Year Follow-up survey on onboarding experience Capture feedback and tweak onboard process as needed Have new director attend one meeting of each committee 30-day check-in from board chair or board buddy During Term Attend one to two external trade shows at which company exhibits Visit other locations One-on-one meetings/relationship-building with other directors |
The Importance of One-on-Ones
New directors can benefit greatly from one-on-one relationship-building and information-gathering meetings with other board members and key executives. These meetings typically reveal who’s who in the company and allow the director to learn more about the roles, history and styles of others — beyond what was originally shared in interviews for the role. This is the best way to learn about the topcurrent-state opportunities and challenges and get debriefs on the most recent and significant events at the company, such as an acquisition that didn’t happen (and why) or the recent search process for the new CEO.
One-on-one meeting themes may include a “what’s on my mind” with the CEO, a deep dive into the financials with the CFO, or characteristics of the group (what works and what doesn’t) from the board chair. The chair of the nom/gov committee could act as the new director’s “board buddy” — their primary contact to answer additional questions along the way.
Without one-on-one meetings, new directors come onto the board at a disadvantage.
Homework and Housekeeping
New directors should gain immediate access to a robust board portal (introduced via a welcome email or presentation) that provides a brief overview of the portal’s contents. There’s no need for a formal walk-through of information that the director can review and absorb on their own. Just make sure the portal is working seamlessly and is always current, so the director doesn’t have to work with individual (and confidential) documents outside of the shared files. This may seem like a trivial point, but this happens more than you would think. When a director cannot easily access the portal, it creates a confidentiality risk and makes the director wonder if they are reviewing the most current information.
Provide other necessary, early housekeeping details: the formal contract that clearly delineates all compensation and expense processes, the next 12 months of board dates (another point that sounds basic, but rarely is provided this far in advance) and a copy of the D&O insurance. Ideally a glossary of company and industry terms and acronyms should also be provided, as well as , executive and board charts, complete with bios and contact information.
Customize the Information
I bring a marketing and reputation management skill set to boards, so I can lend my greatest value if I have access to items specifically related to those areas. For me, that would includesales and marketing plans, voice-of-customer research, a competitor matrix, sales and marketing data, customer market data, customer personas and journeys, costs per lead, lifetime value of customers, issues management tracking and the company’s crisis communications plan.
Directors coming onto the board with HR, technology, supply chain and other specialties will need different information, based on their expertise, to be optimally ready to benefit the company.
Also remember: If your company is an ESOP organization and your new director has never served on such a board, make sure to provide them with recommended educational materials (books, trainings and a stipend for a certification program).
Immersion Tour
Have the new director come to town for the board meeting earlier than the others and host them on an immersion tour of the company. Make plans to have key executives in the office for the director to meet or, better yet, time the next employee town hall so the director can be introduced to all. During the tour, make sure products and demos are available to see. And a welcome swag bag may make for a fun ending; after all, your new director is now also a company ambassador, so get them excited to represent your brand!
Welcome Aboard!
Every new director is enthusiastic and motivated to immediately apply their skills and knowledge to your company when they join your board. Be ready to meet them where they are, prepared and organized to welcome them to the team with a finely tuned onboarding program. By providing an amazing and effective experience, you’ll set everyone up for success.