Finding and Developing Talent in a Constantly Changing Environment

As Latinos, we often hear ‘Dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres’ – tell me who you’re with and I’ll tell you who you are -- as a cautionary phrase of being careful of who you surround yourself with.??

Building a strong team to surround you is key to the success of any organization. One of my greatest sources of pride at Latinos for Education has been not only building what I consider to be the best team to achieve the mission, but also having a culture where every person who comes through our organization grows and develops into the next stage of their profession, pursuing bigger and better opportunities.??

From the start, it was important to me to bring on talented people who had the mindsets, temperaments and trust needed to launch a startup. There is a lot of ambiguity in creating something new, so the team I needed was going to have to not only be high performing, but also willing to be flexible and adaptable.??

My own background is in identifying and developing talent and it’s been foundational to what Latinos for Education is now. I’ve had the opportunity to bring on amazing gente that have been willing to grow in an environment that is consistently challenging. They’re here because of the opportunity our organization provides them to make an impact in our Latino comunidad and to be part of something that speaks to their own experiences.?

That doesn’t mean I haven’t learned some hard lessons along the way. As Latinos for Education has evolved, it has become clear to me that the people who thrive here have been not only passionate about education but have an innate ability to be open to constant change. That kind of entrepreneurial spirit can actually be really hard to find. ?

In all honesty, not everyone is meant for a startup environment. Here are some lessons I’ve learned along the way about attracting the top-notch talent needed for a startup environment:??

Build a strong brand.??

I give so much credit to our marketing and communications work that has been done over the years to build the visibility of the organization. We have a relatively small team of 25+ people, but we get hundreds of applications for some of our job postings. That says a lot about the positive way in which people view the work of Latinos for Education. If you’re doing good work, don’t hide it. It’s ok to shout it from the rooftops so when you have an open role, the talent finds you.??

Consider what your team might need outside of the office by prioritizing competitive rates and salaries. ?

My vision for Latinos for Education was that our gente, many who are first gen, would get a shot at changing outcomes for their own families. That cycle has been important for me to break for so many of our staff who come from lower-income families. So, it was always my priority to provide competitive salaries, benefits and opportunities for professional development and growth.??

Find a common thread in the culture of your team, but make sure you keep diverse perspectives.??

For us, we have a common thread of our Latino backgrounds and shared values grounded in our cultura as part of this work. The tie that binds us often makes our team feel seen in a way that they may not have experienced in other roles, our core values are such that every staff member can find themselves in them. I believe that this has been a key ingredient to our success. However, we also need to continually prioritize diversity in perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences as we all have multiple identities.??

Hire people who will leave to pursue bigger and better roles or to continue their education.??

I know that our staff have many opportunities outside of Latinos for Education that come their way often. I say this to my team: I fully expect that most people will leave within a few years of being here. I’m ok with that. Our work is about developing leaders in the sector so we must practice that internally, too.?

Being a woman, una Latina, and a leader brings its own unique experiences and perspectives. I’ve learned to use mine to create the organizational culture I would have benefitted from when I was growing in my own leadership, like something as seemingly simple as being thoughtful from start to finish in recruiting, hiring, and supporting our staff up until their last day. ??

At the same time, as I learned the ins and outs of social entrepreneurship, I have also grappled with the perceptions that come along with any woman having to make tough decisions and being direct about them.??

There’s something to be said about hearing from other organizations we partner with that our team is impressive. I may be biased, but we have been able to find great people to join the journey of Latinos for Education. So even though I haven’t always been perfect in finding and developing staff members, I’m proud of the team I have today because of the ties that bind us, and the ganas that they bring to our work every day.???

For me, “Dime con quién andas, y te diré quién eres” is no longer a cautionary phrase, but one of accomplishment. In fact, it has never been more true in building Latinos for Education’s incredible team, as well as my own development as a leader. I am because of who they are. ?

Despite a recent surge in social entrepreneurship popularity throughout the past decade, the rate of people of color leading movements continues to lag. The Urban Institute reports that across all nonprofit organizations, 79% of leaders are non-Hispanic white. Even still, organizations who are led by leaders of color are funded at much slower rates than others led by non-Hispanic white leaders.? Research also shows that women of color constantly face systemic barriers in social entrepreneurship.? As the college graduation rates for Latinas grow faster than any other group of women, I share about social entrepreneurship, organizational development, and lessons in leadership that I’ve learned along the way.??