To Change Your Organization, Rethink Your Job Qualifications

“LaTresse, we want to consider a diverse candidate pool for this position but it’s also really important anyone we consider has a minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in conservation.”

“Well, since you’ve hired me to tell you the truth … 10 years ago, you weren’t letting us into those positions. So how could a Black, Indigenous, or person of color have that experience in the first place?!”

What we do differently at Bonsai Leadership Group is prioritize telling our clients the truth. Otherwise, we’re doing people a real disservice. If you hire us to create a different outcome for your nonprofit, then it’s our responsibility to be real with you.

So, let’s be real. The environmental sector has traditionally been white-led and white-centered. That’s why organizations who try to diversify their staff on their own usually end up falling into groupthink.

• People hesitate to speak up or make the bold move.

• Teams fall in line behind the CEO/Executive Director and whoever they want to hire.

• The person hired is the one they feel most “comfortable” with …” comfortable” being a code-word for “similar to.”

rethink your job qualifications

How can you re-think the qualifications that are needed so that you can create space for a more diverse pool of candidates to choose from?

Does your new COO really need 10 years of conservation leadership experience, or could they bring their transferable skills from being a kick-ass Operations Director of a mental health program or social justice org?

How can you think more creatively about what you're seeking, instead of keeping with traditional hiring processes that have unintended barriers to finding a candidate who’d be great for your team?

How can you live into your values by intentionally interrupting old practices and thought patterns and instead leaning into a more inclusive way forward?

If these are the questions you’re willing to get into action around, our team can support you. We promise to be open, direct, and clear, so you can become the organization you envision becoming.