1. Build strategic partnerships that promote the diversification of diverse talent pools and lead to increased numbers of candidates of color, rather than relying on existing networks likely to mirror the status quo (Brennan & Forbes, 2019). When organizations comprise people who are already in the same networks, "the resultant networking can be a source of strength in some regards but can also lead to insularity.... Organizations need to invest in time and strategies to go outside of their networks to engage in new communities" (Norton & Linnell, 2017).
2. Ensure that nominating committees and hiring managers include staff members of color, and are aware of and receive training to overcome implicit biases, including the "mini-me" syndrome, which results in recruiters and hiring managers favoring people like themselves (Norton & Linnell, 2017). Eighty-six percent of education nonprofits do not mandate a diverse interviewer on the panel; 81 percent do not have diversity-specific training; and 74 percent do not offer anti-bias training (Norton & Linnell, 2017).
3. Establish explicit outcomes and tracking metrics related to leadership pipelines and to diversity. For accountability to diversity goals, for instance, organizations can track the number of candidates of color who apply for leadership positions (Brennan & Forbes, 2019). More strategically, tracking the skills and experiences of afterschool staff can help to strengthen the leadership pipeline by using data to identify emerging leaders, target individualized supports needed to prepare these candidates of color for leadership roles, and make decisions about promotion. School districts offer a model for this approach. In a study of The Wallace Foundation's Principal Pipeline Initiative, Leader Tracking Systems emerged as a core tool for building pipelines of effective school leaders, offering an objective way to identify emerging leaders and to make decisions about hiring and placement (Anderson, Turnbull, & Arcaria, 2017).
4. Leverage transitions in leadership as catalysts for change (Norton & Linnell, 2017). Although formal leadership positions in afterschool are limited, transitions, such as when current leaders retire or seek new positions, offer opportunities ripe for organizations and boards to reconsider policies and structures: What competencies are needed in a new leader? What are the responsibilities of the leader, or leadership positions? How can hiring, compensation, and professional development policies intentionally foster equity and diversity for the organization?
Learn more at The Afterschool Leadership Landscape: Supporting and Strengthening Racial Equity.
Courtesy of NAA.
