It was great to see that last Saturday’s Independent led with a survey of the number of women on the boards of the FTSE 100. But it wasn’t so great to discover that of 329 executive directors, only 20 are women. It’s a very poor state of affairs that some simply blame on sexism or the conflicting demands of motherhood but it was also suggested that perhaps women weren’t competitive enough or didn’t want the top job. Whatever the reasons, what can be done about it? Are quotas the answer? Might boards and recruiters to think more laterally about who might be suitable? Do we need to demystify the requirements, the selection processes and, indeed, the role itself? Should we focus more on succession planning and place greater emphasis on structured boardroom training for the ‘marzipan’ layer of senior executives, where women are better represented? Hopefully we’ve moved away from the days when it was acceptable to comment publically on the innate ability – or, more accurately, lack of innate ability – of women to carry out the role at all but is this still the private view of at least some of the decision-makers?

1) Remember to take your hairbrush out of your hair before you attend your meeting.

2) Feeling thirsty? Be careful when picking up a jug of water to pour yourself a glass of water. The bottom has been known to fall out of said jug in the past.

3) Do not ask what the square footage of their offices is (unless you are an architect).

4) When trying to find a client’s offices, do not stand on the street corner by a puddle. Particularly avoid when you hear a car approaching.

5) Moderate your alcohol intake. Do not molest your client.

6) Do not mention your bitterness at your spouse’s affair with his/her secretary.

7) Do not lock yourself in the lavatory at evening client events. Offices tend to be locked up beyond a certain time in the evening, and there will be no hope of escape until the morning.

8) Remember to tell your loved ones where you are at all times. It can be embarrassing having your husband/wife/partner phoned up in the middle of night by someone asking for instructions on how to wake you up and how to get you home.

9) Be yourself. Do not invent a whole imaginary new persona in order to sell yourself/your product to your client. Someone may find out after all.

10) Try not to cry.

We’ve just been sharing a few memories of candidate interview experiences – and yes these have all happened!

1) Do not pick up a toffee in reception just before you go into an interview so that your jaws are so clamped together you cannot speak.

2) Do not wear a tie with Mickey Mouse (or even worse Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) festooned all over.

3) Do not bring your My Little Pony lunchbox to your interview.

4) Do not crack your knuckles or clear your nasal passages throughout your interview.

5) For men; cut off your ponytail. Remove your ear-ring.

6) For women; remove your ankle bracelet. Do not overdose on the perfume.

7) Do not fall asleep in your interview

8) Do not ask midway through your interview if they mind if you eat your sandwiches.

9) Do not call your interviewer ‘babe’ or ‘darling’ or other affectionate terms of endearment, even if you think you’re a shoe-in for the job.

10) Adjust your seating position throughout your interview. Do not sit so still that your leg goes numb, and therefore you fall over when you try to stand up to shake hands.

Last week, George Osborne announced his plans for a banking levy that will be implemented from January 1st next year.

The Chancellor hopes to raise £2 billion annually from the levy which will be based on a bank’s total liabilities, excluding tier one capital and other relatively low-risk debt based on the banks’ balance sheets. It will be initially set at 0.07% and will not be deductable for corporation tax purposes.

The British Bankers Association was quick to respond to the proposal saying that we must ensure bank taxes do not hurt our national interests or provide an unfair advantage for other businesses operating here. Although this levy will apply to all banks regardless of nationality, there are also other countries creating similar levies. It is therefore important that bank levies are co-ordinated internationally so that international banks do not find themselves taxed multiple times for the same thing.

There was opposition to the proposal from Aldermore, the new British bank. It wants all SME lending to be exempt from the banking levy, to make it easier for small businesses to access the funding they need.

At last weekend’s G20 summit, Europe did not get global support for a bank levy, but it did get G20 backing for some form of contribution from the financial sector to pay the cost of government interventions in that sector according to a set of common principles.

In light of the comments from the BBA, is it right for the Chancellor to push ahead with the bank levy in its current form? And if so, what can be done to prevent banks being taxed multiple times?

The Labour Party failed to deliver gender equality on pay and in the boardroom. On average woman receive 16.4% less pay than their male counterparts, whilst only 12.2% of them are FTSE 100 directors.

The 2010 general election did produce a small rise in the number of women MPs; up from 126 to 142, but they still account for only 22% of the total.

Based on current trends, it will take 73 years before women have equal representation on FTSE 100 boards. According to the Conservative Party Manifesto, this lack of diversity should not be allowed to continue.

Their slogan for the 2010 campaign was “the year of change”. But how would they change the current situation that is preventing talented women from contributing their ideas to the boardroom?

The Tories will require the list of directorship appointments to include 50% female candidates, and this rule would apply to both executive directors and NEDs. In addition, all non-executive director position would have to be advertised to ensure that all potential candidates have the opportunity to apply.

In their manifesto, David Cameron also laid down strict rules on the subject of equal pay. Any employer who is found guilty of gender pay discrimination by an employment tribunal will have to undergo a compulsory pay audit covering the entire company. In a further bid to ensure equality, the Tories would ban employers from inserting gagging clauses into employment contracts. Currently these clauses forbid employees to discuss their salary with colleagues.

Although the Labour Party manifesto does touch on the subject of equal pay, it does not say it will be enforced. The wording reads: “We will ENCOURAGE employers to make greater use of pay reviews and equality checks to eliminate unfair pay gaps, including inequalities in pay between men and women.” There is no mention anywhere in the manifesto document about implementing measures to tackle the gender unbalance in the boardroom.

Nick Clegg did have better news for women, but only for those working in larger companies. The Liberal Democrats manifesto stated they would introduce fair pay audits for every company with over 100 employees to combat discrimination in pay. Like the Tories, the Lib Dems made no mention of tackling boardroom inequality.

Company Secretaries are deeply involved with diversity as a factor in overall board evaluation and the many female CoSecs out there will no doubt welcome the Conservative party’s stance on equality in the boardroom.

But there could be a fly in the ointment! The ‘old boy’ network has for a long time prevented women from being truly successful in the business world. Does it still play a significant role in the modern business world and if so to what extent will it prove to be a barrier to the Tories plans?