If you have ever fancied having a seat on the board, then there has never been a better time to put yourself forward. Three things are currently conspiring to push up the demand for female non-executive directors: Post Enron, UK corporate governance has demanded a great number of independent directors on UK boards; that those sitting on UK boards cut down on the number of board posts they hold (no more than six is now thought advisable, previously a dozen or more was not uncommon); and that diversity of those sitting on boards is increased.

In recent months the spotlight has shone more intensely on this last issue, as while many firms now have as many non-executive as executive directors on their boards, just 10% of all non-executives are female. The attention will doubtless trigger more firms to look at the gender diversity of their boards, opening up opportunities for women.

One problem could be that not enough women are putting themselves forward as candidates. Chris Spencer Phillips, managing director, of non-executive recruitment company, First Flight Placements, says that only around 8% of the 2,700 potential non-executives on his books are female. Despite this he has clients actively looking for female candidates to boost their boards.

He said: "We have a couple of non-exec roles for clients who specifically want females, so we do want to attract more but there does seem to be a reluctance by females to put themselves forward."

One of the reasons that women historically might have missed out on non-executive roles, was the way they were recruited. In 2003 less than 50% of non-executives roles were advertised, the remainder getting their seat on the board via contacts. In fact just 4% of non-executives were actually formally interviewed before being appointed to a board.

"We have a couple of non-exec roles for clients who specifically want females so we do want to attract more, but there seems to be a reluctance by females to put themselves forward." Chris Spencer-Phillips, Managing Director, First Flight Placements

Post Enron, things have changed. Recruitment processes are now much more open and specialist firms have set up to help those who want to become non-executives. The average non-executive role takes up about 18 days a year, for which an individual could expect to be paid £38,250 in a FTSE 250 company, according to Deloitte.

Getting a position as a non-executive can prove career enhancing for those looking to make the jump to the board room within their own workplace as well, as one of the respondents to the Cranfield Female FTSE survey confided.

She said: "They actually should try and get some non-executive experience, which is less onerous, particularly if they start off doing it in smaller, less high-profile companies, because it doesn't really matter, as long as they get their feet under the table ... And then they understand... it's less frightening and that they can cope with it."

So what exactly does a non-executive do?

Non-executives are there to ensure that the company is governed properly; that it complies with the right laws, that its strategies are robust, that stakeholder and shareholder interests are protected and subjected to the appropriate due diligence.

In addition to sitting on the main board, some non-executives will also be asked to sit on other company committees, such as those overseeing the company's accounts or deciding senior management's pay.

"Try and get some non-executive experience, which is less onerous, particularly if you start off doing it in smaller, less high-profile companies." FTSE Female Report 2007

What do you need to be a non-executive director?

The first thing is time. You must have the flexibility to be available for board and other committee responsibilities. This actually lends itself quite well to high fliers who have stepped out of the workplace while their children are young but would now like dip their toes back into the world of business. The typical non-executive appointment is made for three years, so be honest about whether you will be able to put the time in over the longer term.

Next you will have to have the ability to make decisions. Companies can hire advisers if they want advice. What they expect from a non-executive is the ability to make decisions. It is also important to be able to ask detailed questions and challenge what you are being told by a company's management, ahead of making such decisions. This will necessitate reading the board papers and background information you are sent ahead of board meetings.

Companies will of course be looking for you to bring something to the role, be it experience in their sector or at senior management level elsewhere. In return the majority of companies now offer training for their non-executives.

On top of this many actively encourage their non-executives to take on other non-executive roles, as they believe such experience will ultimately end up benefiting their company as well. First Flight points out that it has helped many clients put together portfolios of three to five non-executives directorships.

Finally, given the increased legal responsibilities expected of non-executives, these days it is vital to make sure that the company has appropriate directors and officers insurance in place to protect you.

By Lindsey Rogerson