No matter the organization, leadership transitions can be challenging, and even more so now that organizations are conscious of the need for more equitable hiring processes. Nonprofits and businesses want to handle leadership transitions more effectively and equitably, but how many of us really feel confident that we know how to do so?

There is a lot that can be said about how to handle leadership transitions and hire new leaders for different types of organizations, too many to include in one social media post. But one important thing to consider are the qualifications that your organization selects to evaluate candidates.

Some job positions require a formal degree, such as counselors/therapists, social workers, nurses, lawyers, and CPAs, but requiring a formal degree for jobs that are not specialized is an inequitable hiring practice. Many [INSERT] leaders have years of direct experience and skills that make them even more qualified than someone with a formal degree. Yet many leadership positions still require certain types of credentials, especially for Executive Director and CEO positions, which leads to a lot of excellent candidates being overlooked. This is not only inequitable, but also a great loss for the hiring organizations.

If you’re able to influence the hiring process at your organization, consider how you can help set up different types of job qualifications. Look to hire individuals who have experience in the positions they will be overseeing, relationships in the communities being served, internal knowledge of your organization, more general knowledge of nonprofit operations, etc., as well as creativity, flexibility, and good communication skills. Formal degrees aren’t bad, but they aren’t everything.

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