The end of year statistics on the WOB Jobs Board show that in the 2022 calendar year, 2010 of the positions posted to the WOB Jobs Board were remunerated. This equates to 69% of the 2931 roles posted being paid.
In total there were 200 more roles posted on the WOB Jobs Board in 2022 compared with 2021. The percentage of vacancies that offered remuneration remained consistent at 69%, suggesting a growing awareness of the need to pay non-executive directors across all sectors increases.
Women on Boards has offered a free Post a Board Position service since 2006. Our website records the successes of WOB members.
2022 at a glance
Of the 2931 board positions posted, remuneration was as follows:
- 2015 (69%) were paid roles
- 477 (16%) attracted expenses
- 439 (15%) were unpaid
Comparisons with previous years
Most viewed vacancy postings
The evidence shows that on the WOB Jobs Board, roles advertised as paid get the most interest, followed by other payment type and then committee fees. Unpaid roles attract less than half the eyeballs of paid directorships. Unpaid roles attract less than half the eyeballs of paid directorships as this index, where paid directorships are scaled to 100, shows.
Those vacancies that attracted the most views from WOB members were all either paid or offered a scholarship, but ranged across sectors as the following table shows.
Government boards and committees
In the government sector, 94% of roles were remunerated in 2022, making this sector second only to for-profit entities in offering paid roles. Some of these roles offer relatively small (usually per diem) payments, but they still compensate board and committee members for their time. This enforces the WOB view that a government entity is a good place to look for a first paid role.
An area of interest is the increasing number of government committees – some 17% of the 1,149 government positions posted were for committee roles. Committees usually want current high-level professional skillsets, so this could be a preferred entry point, particularly for younger aspiring directors.
Not for Profits
Remuneration of board members in the Not-For-Profit sector continues to grow steadily from 2021 as the table below shows:
Remuneration of NFPs comes in a number of ways.
- 25% of those posted paid directors fees in 2022
- 25% offered contract payments, other payment types or committee fees.
- 25% paid expenses. In some cases, this covers professional development.
Women on Boards is of the view that NFPs need to closely monitor their recruitment success if they are seeking to attract high quality board members. Lack of applicants or a lower standard of applicants may require a shift to paying board members, particularly for NFPs operating a large business.
There is also the matter of reaping the rewards of the diversity dividend. For the NFP sector to continue to grow and innovate it needs to ensure a good balance of male and female board members. Women, who are often found in large numbers on unpaid NFP boards, cannot be expected to continually volunteer their expertise without some compensation being offered.
NZ boards
New Zealand based opportunities featured regularly on the WOB Jobs Board in 2022. This reflects the growing number of NZ-based WOB members and that NZ boards are often open to non-NZ residents. Remember, Auckland is closer to the east coast of Australia than Perth!