Should We Use Race or Gender as a Requirement for Leadership Positions?

“My administration will look like the country, and I commit that I will in fact pick a woman to be Vice President.”

Joe Biden, Democratic Presidential debate in March 2020.

Joe Biden has committed to selecting a woman for his running mate. Should we do the same with our leadership positions? Should we commit to hiring a woman or a person of color for the next leader position that comes available? While this doesn’t fit in with most hiring practices, it wasn’t that long ago when hiring managers would include who wasn’t going to be considered. We’ve worked to create an equitable environment, but are we doing everything we can?

I took the opportunity to explore this question more in my recent ERE.net post. Personally, I would love to see more leaders express the desire to hire women or people of color for their high level roles and stop claiming they just want the “best” [which I’ve covered before]. And I’m also happy that Mr. Biden has made this commitment. I look forward to seeing who he selects and voting for them both!