One of the core ways to maintain a good lab culture is by choosing good lab members! And that also means that sometimes we have to remove lab members that are not good for the lab. What are some tactics and strategies for hiring and firing in a research space?
A resource guide on hiring in a justice-oriented research space
Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR) does science in a way that foregrounds humility, accountability, collectivity and good Land relations. Over time, we’ve become a safer space for people who are often pushed out of science. That means our “inclusive” lab must also be stringently exclusive, making sure our lab members are safe and we are accountable to our partners and co-research communities.
While it may seem harsh or uncomfortable to judge people who apply to the lab, we’ve learned the hard way that “excluding well” is essential to a strong lab culture, to lab values, and is paramount in our accountabilities to existing labmates. We hope this guide, largely based on our past mistakes, helps you to do the same.