To Hire Or Not To Hire?

Addressing the conflict women leaders have when hiring other women

#ChooseToChallenge
 

It is a complicated position to be a woman in leadership because, at some point, you will inevitably face a difficult decision: hire the best talent for the job or hire a woman. Sure, there will be times when the best talent for the job is a woman, but what do you do when, on paper, the best talent for the job is not the woman? And worse yet, what do you do when the distinction between the candidates is unclear?

I have spent countless hours talking to competent friends and colleagues in leadership positions about this issue. I’ve found that while many commonalities shape our opinions, there are still distinct differences in what we practice.  

The list below summarizes the common viewpoints that I believe most confident and capable women in leadership positions share. It represents the common ground we come from when making our hiring choices.
 

These commonly held views create a strong and unspoken bond between women in leadership positions, but how do we shape these guiding beliefs into a hiring strategy we can all feel good about when the frustrating truth is that our views are often conflicting? For example, we all agree that we need more strong women leaders, but promoting someone who may be a little too green may backfire and somehow make us all look bad.

On the other hand, seeing women in positions of power and authority is inspirational to the next generation, suggesting that this is a critical mass issue on some level. Yet, promoting too soon can be detrimental to a woman in her early career who may be struggling with Imposter Syndrome and start feeling like she is just a "token." And none of this even addresses the fact that not all applicants at the same level, men and women included, have had equal time to build their resumes due to life circumstances, like starting a family.  
 

The strength a woman holds in each conflicting belief places her along a spectrum that guides her hiring choices. The more conflicted the woman, the more she moves within the spectrum, and the more she nukes her decisions by blowing them up and analyzing all possible ramifications of her actions. How will the decision be received? What are the second order and beyond consequences? And how will this reflect on her abilities as a leader? While this is agonizing, the important idea here is that every woman should be aware of the spectrum she is operating along because knowing where you fall reveals important insights for how you can best manage the outcome.  

Super supporters believe that women and underrepresented communities are needed in leadership positions to bring a diversity of thought to the organization. Super supporters look for the path that an individual has taken, the obstacles they have had to overcome that may have held them back, and the drive and willingness to do what it takes for the position. Does the applicant have the ability to succeed in the position, even though it may not be reflected on paper because of life and discriminatory circumstances?

Super Supporters were often put in the position of being the token, and that’s not a good feeling.   It comes down to a long-term vision of the ends justifying the means. Enough women in a position of power can provide the necessary momentum to change the world.  

The tough lovers take the stance that they made it by defying all the odds, standing up to bullies, and forging their own path forward. These women feel that others should earn their rank through the same system they went through, and they aren't doing a service to women by giving it without merit. Raising an unqualified woman to the top is a disservice for all qualified women and sets back the group as a whole. Tough lovers aren't satisfied being the token women, and they hold all women to this standard.

The middle grounders fall somewhere in between. These are the women who are the most conflicted. They believe in tough love because they had to fight and scrap their way to the top, but they can also probably point to instances where they received advantages along the way. The middle grounders sometimes side one way or the other, and the inconsistency can cause them anguish. I suspect most women fall somewhere in the middle ground.

I'm a middle grounder. There have been times when I felt that we needed more women in leadership positions to give a diversity of thought. But I also carry with me how hard I struggled to get where I am without help. I feel that the struggle is important because it prepares you for what you will face in the world. At the same time, I want to help other women, so they don't have to struggle as hard as I did.  

In the end, I think the best any of us can hope for is to have reasonable justifications for our decisions, make peace with them, and move on. Never forget to get to know the person behind the piece of paper. Resumes can't capture the grit, fire, and determination that good leadership requires. And be aware of where you may need to provide additional support, depending on your position.

… for Super Supporters
If you are going to promote somebody who may not have the same accolades as the person on paper, be willing to mentor them and give them the resources to help them succeed.

… for Tough Lovers
Openly survey those below you and find the person with the most grit and fire and mentor them. Find the person who reminds you of yourself and give them the opportunities you wish you had.

… for Middle Grounders
The middle ground is the most challenging group. Come to peace with your decisions. Recognize that there is merit in the philosophies on both sides. When making a hiring decision, trust your intuition and decide. Regardless of the side, there will always be second- and third-order ramifications. Focus on the first order and move on. Nuking it won't help. Please don't put it all on yourself and stop overthinking.

Jenn Donahue is a leadership coach, engineer, and entrepreneur with 25 years as a member of the U.S. Navy. As the founder of JL Donahue Engineering—a globally recognized boutique seismic analysis and engineering firm—Donahue has worked with a wide-range of clients, including PG&E, Duke Energy, National Chevron Phillips, the city of Anchorage, The Tennessee Valley Authority, and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). Over the course of her career, Donahue has led operations around the globe—from building a bridge in the middle of an Iraqi war zone to constructing combat outposts in deserts filled with insurgents. Known as the “Earthquake Doc,” Donahue successfully spearheaded earthquake and tsunami reconnaissance missions in Samoa and Japan, designed the seismic plans for a bridge over the Panama Canal, and has served as the seismology expert at five nuclear power plants. Visit www.jenndonahue.com Connect Jenn Donahue