The strongest executive searches begin with a board and search committee aligned around the organization’s leadership needs. Michelle Anderson has seen that principle shape outcomes throughout nearly 30 years in recruiting and executive search, including almost 20 years working directly with boards and search committees at OMNI.
For her, it comes back to one idea. “It drives better outcomes if everybody is in alignment,” she says. “It’s about making sure that everybody is moving in the same direction.”
Alignment is also the part of a search a board has the most influence over, and it is established well before the first candidate conversation.
What a Strong Search Committee Looks Like
Michelle described a recent search with a seven-member committee drawn from the board. What stood out to her was their commitment.
“They were very committed,” she says. “We completed that search in 90 days. It was about them being available, being committed, and all being aligned.”
Committee Size and the Volunteer Reality
Michelle typically works with search committees ranging from three to eight members, with five to seven providing the strongest balance of representation and consistency.
“You need people who are committed to getting this important work done. I respect that they are all volunteers with full-time jobs, but committed to this critical need for the organization.”
That last point shapes how a committee should be built. A group of board members who genuinely want to serve, and who can protect the time for it, gives a search its strongest possible foundation.
Keeping the Chair and the Committee in Sync
Michelle pays close attention to whether the search committee, the board chair, and the wider board are aligned.
“If a board is not in alignment, we work through that and ensure we are on the same page when we leave the meeting with the type of candidate we are seeking,” she says.
The Search Chair Relationship
Most committees designate a board member to serve as search chair. Michelle works closely with that person to prepare for meetings, maintain communication between committee sessions, and keep the process aligned with the board’s expectations.
Beyond the chair, she rarely sees formal roles on a committee. Occasionally one board member is a liaison to staff or the leadership team, keeping people informed at a level that protects candidate confidentiality. The chair is the constant.
Staying Aligned When Views Evolve
The board and committee’s picture of the ideal candidate develops after the kickoff meeting as we consider the search committee’s feedback and stakeholder input.
When views begin to differ, she returns the group to what it decided at the start.
“We go back to what was originally decided at the beginning, when we put together the position description. We validate that,” she says. “We look at the input we’ve gathered throughout the process, and we hear out the other views.”
Michelle is also clear that the final authority remains with the committee: “We have a plan, but it’s their decision, so it can pivot along the way.” When the committee considers new information together and adjusts the profile deliberately, it can change course without losing momentum or confidence in the outcome.
The Voices Beyond the Committee
An executive search affects people beyond the five to seven committee members. Staff, donors and members of the wider board may offer valuable perspectives on the organization’s leadership needs, and Michelle gathers that input early in the process.
“We have a full process to get people to weigh in through surveys, focus groups and one-on-one meetings,” she says. That work happens in the first few weeks, before any candidate is interviewed.
Keeping stakeholders informed later in the process requires a careful balance between transparency and candidate confidentiality. Michelle recommends sharing high-level progress updates, such as when interviews are beginning, without disclosing candidate-specific information.
Many organizations bring stakeholders back in at the end, with the leadership team or a few additional board members meeting the finalists. The goal, as Michelle puts it, is that everybody “feels heard and good about the outcome.”
Where OMNI Fits
Selecting a new CEO is an important responsibility for any board or search committee, particularly during a time of leadership transition.
OMNI has deep expertise partnering with boards and search committees to identify the right CEO for the organization. We bring an experienced, collaborative approach that supports the organization as it considers the leadership needed for its next chapter.
Our next post covers what a board can do to prepare before a search begins.
If your board is preparing for an executive search, OMNI’s executive search team can help you build that alignment before the first candidate conversation. Request a consultation.
Authored by: Michelle Anderson, Vice President of Executive Search, OMNI Human Resource Solutions