25 October 2010
Are HR Bosses Right to Lack Confidence in Engineers at Board Level?
Only 66% of HR directors believe engineers possess the necessary
skills and attributes to make a valuable contribution on a board of
management, according to a new study being debated by an
organisation set up to develop engineers as leaders in UK
industry.
The research was carried out by Sainsbury's Management Fellows
(SMF), a not-for-profit organisation that enables UK engineers to
acquire the knowledge and skills to make the transition from a
technical to a senior management role. SMF, which provides talented
engineers with a £30,000 MBA bursary to achieve board level status,
interviewed 100 FTSE250 HR directors to get their views on the
importance of input from engineers at a senior level. The results
show a lack of confidence in professionals who do not have legal,
financial or marketing backgrounds or experience.
SMF's survey showed that the career backgrounds most valued in
the boardroom are accountancy, sales, marketing, HR and legal, with
professional engineering coming way down the scale. Yet when asked
if professional engineers with MBAs are suitably qualified for
board positions, 80% of the HR directors agreed that they are.
SMF President, David Falzani, comments: "Engineers, by their
very nature, have a wide range of skills that offer so much more
than just technical knowledge including problem-solving and the
ability to oversee complex project management tasks. Engineers who
undertake MBAs through our scheme assist businesses to minimise
risk and make them more profitable. The findings from our report
show there is a still a long way to go in convincing UK industry
that engineers have what it takes to make it to the board and many
excellent candidates are being overlooked simply because they are
not from a legal or financial background."
SMF's view on the importance of a varied skill set on a board
including engineers is backed up by the Institute of Directors
(IoD), which believes a strong board extends beyond gender
diversity, and is one that welcomes people from all walks of
life.
With over 250,000 engineers employed in the UK, it is important
that organisations utilise their skills and knowledge and that HR
managers are aware of the benefits of including engineers in
decision making. To help, SMF has published the findings of the
survey in a booklet for HR professionals which encourages them to
consider the role of professional engineers on the board. The
booklet includes a skills matrix to assist in the assessment of an
organisation's needs and how a business-qualified, professional
engineer can add to the effectiveness of a board.
The survey also uncovered some promising statistics for the
future; 86% of those asked were open minded about recruiting
directors with non-financial or legal backgrounds and where
engineers have MBA qualifications and business experience, 80% of
HR directors felt reassured that engineers had the skills worthy of
a place in the boardroom.
David Falzani comments: "Historically, engineers have not been
seen as a natural choice to be members of boards of blue chip
organisations. But this research shows recruiters are discovering
that once they gain legal, financial, and marketing training, they
have a vital contribution to make."
The booklet - Re-engineering the Board to Manage Risk and
Maxmise Growth - for HR professionals and more information on
Sainsbury Management Fellows are available from www.smf.org.uk or by calling
Cathleen Breeze on 020 8941 8584.
