Interview, Podcast
#14 - Sharon Nunez & Jose Valle on going undercover to expose animal abuse
- Focus remains on farmed animals with expansion plans in Brazil, Mexico, and India, while strengthening operations in existing European markets like Germany and the UK through 2020.
- Significant hiring is projected for 2018 and the near future across human resources, project management, operations, data analysis, programming, design, video editing, legal, and corporate outreach roles.
- Specific recruitment targets include seven new positions in India, including a lawyer, general counsel, food policy manager, two corporate outreach staff, a video editor, and administrative associates, alongside plans for a human resources hire before the new year.
- Content localization into Chinese is planned to leverage new opportunities, and leadership intends to travel to additional Latin American countries to meet activists.
- Growth is contingent on securing additional funding, which would accelerate expansion into China, Argentina, and Chile and support further organizational scaling.
- A new initiative in the Mexican Senate is expected to pass legislation affecting all animals entering slaughterhouses in Mexico.
- Corporate outreach initiatives are anticipated to yield significantly higher impact than current estimates and will be expanded in Germany and the UK.
- Welfare improvements are projected for 350 million rabbits in Europe following the passage of a new law, while cost-effective campaigns and investigations are expected in India and Mexico compared to the US.
- The organization aims to maintain a technological edge using big data and AI, requiring staff with technical skills such as programming and data analysis.
- Staffing philosophy prioritizes flexibility, proactive behavior, and cultural fit over years of experience, with 70 to 80% of roles expected to be filled by individuals possessing basic traits.
- To mitigate emotional burnout, the organization plans to limit staff exposure to graphic factory farming imagery, cultivate a supportive office culture, and potentially adjust earning-to-give donation thresholds to as low as half the current level based on fund transfer impact.
- Internship opportunities are available for social media and educational initiatives, with a recruitment expectation that many applicants may not yet know their specific specialization.
- Upcoming events include the annual Animal Rights Conference in the US, St. John's Politics Conference in Europe in November, CARE in Austria in November, and Taking Action for Animals in Washington, D.C. next year.
- Potential risks include talent shortages in the US, India, and Europe that may hinder hiring key staff, as well as the emotional toll of exposure to animal cruelty footage on employees.
- Strategic funding decisions involve distributing earnings to effective animal charities lacking immediate skills, with the threshold for such considerations potentially lowered based on donation amounts.