HOW WE SELECT NEW CREW MEMBERS -

About the Recruitment Process

The recruitment of new crew members used to be by invite only, but as of June 2023 we have opened the doors to applications, and changed the admissions process to reflect this. One thing has not changed, though. To be a Resilience Crew member, you must be:

- - An adult (18+).
  - Actively writing and either have one or more titles already published, or planning to publish a story in some form within the next 12 months. (See FAQ for details).
  - Interested in being involved in an active, supportive writers’ commune with a shared platform.

Our admissions process is clearly outlined to make it as transparent as possible. This may sound frightfully formal and – let’s face it – rather boring, but there is a method to this madness. Provided there are no obstacles along the way, it looks like this:

1. 1. A name is put forward.
  2. Quarterdeck shortlists or rejects candidate based on selection criteria and current crew make-up.
  3. We carry out a simple social media search to check compliance with our rules.
  4. Candidate name is put forward for consideration by the crew.
  5. The candidate, if successful, receives an invite to board the ship.

1. A Name Is Put Forward

Anyone who fits the main criteria above can apply for a spot on the Resilience, as a passenger or crew member. Existing crew members may also put names forward for consideration.

2. Quarterdeck Shortlists or Rejects Candidate

We pride ourselves on having a diverse group of writers, and we want to keep it that way. When selecting a new member, we want to make sure we have a good mix of origins, ages, professional backgrounds, writing experiences, genres, abilities, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, locations etc.

We skill share in camp, so there may be times a certain skill or genre may bump someone higher up the list, or move them down a peg or two.

Not being invited does not mean you’re not good enough or that we don’t like you – it just means you weren’t a good fit at this point in time.

3. A Simple Social Media Check

Once we have decided that a candidate would be a good addition to our crew, we engage in a little good, old-fashioned online snooping. We don’t have a whole lot of rules on the Resilience, but the ones we do have are important to us.

A candidate whose online activities clearly breach our code of conduct is not very likely to enjoy spending a lot of time in our midst. Better to learn about any potential conflicts of interest in advance. That is not to say we would turn down someone who’s cheering for the “wrong” football team, or favouring green tea over the real deal. We’d just have to show you the error of your ways… =)

4. The Crew Weighs In

Before the final decision is made, we ask the crew to weigh in. We have a zero tolerance policy against bullying and mean-spirited behaviour, so there is a protocol in place for this too.

We post the candidate name(s) in our housekeeping tent and ask the crew to endorse them if they are in support of the invitation. Any concerns they may have are discussed privately with a Quarterdeck officer. We will not invite people who have already been found to break camp rules. Simply not liking someone is not a good enough reason to disqualify them.

5. The Successful Candidate Is Invited to Board

In cases where a candidate has passed the assessment in points 1 to 4, I reach out with an invitation and a portal key that will transport them straight to Hotel de Ville, our readers’ retreat in Libertalia. We used to take recruits straight to the campground, but as of 2023 we will start with a warm-up session at the hotel. And yes, there is a reason for this too.

We have worked hard to make sure the campground is a safe space where we can be ourselves and share both work relate and private matters. As each new recruit begins with a three-month probationary period where we get to know each other, and check whether we are the good fit for each other we thought we’d be, it makes more sense that we do the honeymoon period in the mingling area at the hotel. It is set up to be similar to the camp, but we may not be quite as open with the private stuff in there.

The hotel is also the place our passengers have access to, so even if you graduate and get a permanent tent in our camp, you may still want to keep your room at Hotel de Ville,

And We’re Walking…

Now we’ve cleared a lot of the howsandwhatsandwhens out, we’re going to take the door down to our right and take a look at the Author Wall of Fame, aka the current list of crew and passengers before we check out the housekeeping and maps rooms.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO NEXT?

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