Election 2024: Competency Checking and the Unseen Battle for Equity In the Workplace

Win or Lose Competency Checking Will be Center Stage

As we stand on the brink of November 5th, the stakes of this election are monumental. But beyond the headlines and policy debates lies a subtler narrative: the persistent weight of competency checking. For Black and other professionals of color, this systemic phenomenon sets a higher bar for job entry, retention, and advancement—expectations not equally placed on white colleagues.

Consider Vice President Kamala Harris. If she wins, she may transition from "pet to threat"—a term for the paradox of being celebrated until one is deemed a threat to existing power structures—and face what is known as a "cracked glass cliff," an inherently precarious leadership position.