Health Leads started off as an excellent organization with a pristine reputation, and a commitment to the work. In the past few years, I have watched them go off the rails. No longer do they do the kind of work that matters in communities, but they’ve blossomed into a “think tank” that doesn’t actually do any work.
I have known MANY members of the Health Leads employment community, particularly at the Manager and Associate level that have to work multiple jobs in order to feed themselves. You are barely paid enough to live. The organization will tout its sustainable vacation policy and health benefits (both of which are good), to make up for the fact that Associates and Managers are not paid fairly and seldom see a path to promotion. Additionally, staff are routinely asked for their opinions on how the work is going. When they offer criticism, staff are told that “if you don’t like it, you can leave,” forcing many from marginalized communities to avoid speaking out, lest they be fired.
Speaking of being fired… NO ONE has job security. I watched Health Leads go through not one, not two, not three, but FOUR layoffs, which resulted in mass-cuts to Associate and Manager-level employees, who do the bulk of the work, while *most* directors, VPs, and C-Suite level employees do very little.
The CEO is a whack job, who can’t lead an organization to save her life and is a white woman who frequently employs white savior tactics and steps on the neck of people of color in the organization to get what she wants (which is to be liked by everyone).
Additionally, this org has 23-25 year olds managing people well-beyond their skill-level—an outrageous model for “management.”
My advice to (remaining) staff: GET OUT. This is a sinking ship. Even if you think your job is safe---it is not. My advice to applicants: look elsewhere. My advice to management: I hope you like that paycheck.
