Okaloosa County BOCC — November 4, 2012 — reading text

routinely incorporate meetings with other stakeholders (such as the business community, the non-profit community, county staff and so on) to gather their insights. These forums can be very valuable as they provide additional points of view and a better understanding of the elements of the community. In a sense, they help us develop an understanding of the community’s tapestry. Phase II: Recruitment Task Two: Develop Recruitment Materials Based on the information we gather, CB&A will next develop a comprehensive recruitment profile. Once we have completed our work, we will provide our draft for your review and comment. Your suggestions will be incorporated, and the final recruitment profile will be used in our recruiting efforts. A sample of our work is included as Appendix B. Other samples can be found on our firm’s website under the “Executive Recruitments” / “Active Recruitments” tabs. -21- Packet Pg. 230  6.1.a.b VI. Approach Methodology Task Three: Recruit Candidates We use a number of approaches to identify the right people for this position. We say people, and not person, because our goal is to bring you six to ten excellent semi-finalists, all of whom will do the job extraordinarily well and who are so good that you will have a difficult time choosing among them. Then you can select the top three to five to interview and ultimately the one who is the best fit with you and your community. These approaches we use to identify candidates are:  Attachment: Colin Baenziger (1222 : Search Firm for Position of County Administrator) Networking. The best approach is diligent outreach. We will network with our colleagues and consult our data base. As we identify outstanding candidates (many of whom are not in the market), we will approach them and request that they apply. Many excellent candidates are reluctant to respond to advertisements because doing so may alienate their current employers. When we approach them, their credentials are enhanced rather than diminished.  Advertising. While we will seek out the best, we will not ignore the trade press, which sometimes yields strong candidates. We intend to contact the members of organizations such as the National Association of Counties, Florida Association of Counties, International City/County Management Association, Florida League of Cities, Florida City and County Management Association and so on. We will also post it on our website, www.cb-asso.com. We generally do not use newspapers or generic websites because while they produce large numbers of applications, they generally do not produce the type of candidates we are seeking.  Email. We will also e-mail the recruitment profile to our list serve of over 7,000 managers and professionals who are interested in local government management. One of the advantages of e-mail is that if the recipient is not interested, he/she can easily forward the recruitment profile to someone else who may be. The Private Sector. Some of our clients ask that private sector candidates be included among our recommended candidates. While we do not routinely recommend candidates with no experience in government, we have been very successful in finding highly qualified and capable private sector people to bring forward. Phase III: Screening and Finalist Selection Task Four: Evaluate the Candidates Based on our most recent recruiting efforts, we anticipate receiving resumes from 40 to 60 applicants. We will narrow the field as described above and present information on candidates to the Commission. This process requires a mixture of in-depth research and subjective evaluation. Our process is as follows. At each step of the process we will provide a veterans’ preference in accordance with the applicable Florida statues and Administrative Code. Step One. Initial Screening. CB&A will evaluate all resumes and identify the top eight to ten candidates. Some of these may be in-house candidates or individuals who have held high level positions in other governments but who have never been the manager. Often these people simply need the opportunity. -22- Packet Pg. 231  6.1.a.b VI. Approach Methodology Using a football analogy, Vince Lombardi was an assistant coach with the New York Giants prior to being hired by the Green Bay Packers. Hence, we do not believe we should only consider those who have already held the position we are recruiting for. Step Two. Screening Interview. Our lead recruiter, and possibly other senior representatives of the firm, will interview each of these candidates. Using the questionnaire developed in Task Two and our experience as managers and recruiters as well as our unique ability to assess candidates, we will make a determination of the candidates’ abilities and whether or not to recommend they go forward in the process. Attachment: Colin Baenziger (1222 : Search Firm for Position of County Administrator) Once the candidates have passed the initial screening interview, we will ask the each to prepare a brief written introduction describing who they are and their background/experience. Based on screening interviews, we will present the County with at least 10 well qualified candidates. We will then meet with the County to discuss them and to select six to eight to be thoroughly researched. We feel six to eight is an ideal number since, as we get to know them and research their backgrounds, we may need to eliminate or more. Further, the candidates may be applying elsewhere, find positions and withdraw from our process. Step Three. Background Investigations. For those that remain in consideration, CB&A will conduct extensive background checks. Specifically, we will:  Interview References: We tell the candidate with whom we wish to speak. These include current and former elected officials, the municipal attorney, the external auditor, staff members, peers, news media representatives, the director of the local chamber of commerce, community activists, and others who know the candidate. We also attempt to contact some individuals who are not on the candidate’s list. Typically we reach eight to ten people and prepare a written summary of each conversation.  Conduct Background Checks. Through our third party vendor, American DataBank, we will conduct the following checks: criminal records at the county, state and national level; civil records at the county and federal level; bankruptcy and credit. We also verify education and employment for the past 15 years.  Search the Internet and Newspaper Archives. Virtually every local newspaper has an archive that provides stories about perspective candidates, the issues they have dealt with, how they resolved them and the results. These articles also provide insight into the candidate’s relationship with the public and the elected officials. Of course, not all news sources are unbiased and we consider that in our evaluation. Our goal in these checks is to develop a clear picture of each candidate and each of the avenues we pursue is a piece of the puzzle. We crosscheck sources, search for discrepancies and resolve them when we find them. When sensitive or potentially embarrassing items are discovered, they are thoroughly researched. If we conclude the situation is damaging or even questionable, the candidate will be dropped from further consideration. -23- Packet Pg. 232  6.1.a.b VI. Approach Methodology Note: We firmly believe that all background work we have outlined above should be completed early in the process and on the top six to twelve candidates. The reason is we want you to know that the individuals you will review and select from are all top performers and do not have anything embarrassing in their pasts that might come to light after selection. It also means that once you have selected the top candidate, you can immediately move forward to negotiate a contract and make an announcement. Attachment: Colin Baenziger (1222 : Search Firm for Position of County Administrator) Task Five: Finalist Selection and Presentation. We will evaluate the information we have gathered and present five to eight candidates to the County. It should be noted that selecting strong candidates is more an art than a science. While we consider standard ranking factors and the elements of the job, ultimately the most important factor is who we believe will be a good fit with the elected officials and the community. Typically 40% of our finalists are women and/or minorities. For the selected candidates, CB&A will compile the information we have developed into a written report for each recommended candidate. Specifically, the report will include: the candidate’s resume, a written introduction to the candidate, the results of our background checks, his/her reference checks, and our compilation of materials from Internet/newspaper archives. We will also include some advice on interviewing, a series of questions the elected officials may wish to ask (as well as some areas that it is not wise to get into) and some logistical information. A sample candidate report is included as Appendix C. The preceding information will be forwarded to you electronically. Task Six: Finalist Selection Approximately a week after the Commission Members have received the candidate materials, CB&A will meet with the elected officials to discuss our findings and to confirm the five finalists. At this point, we will finalize the interview process with the Board. Task Seven: Notify All Candidates of Their Status We will notify the selected candidates by telephone and give them the opportunity to ask additional questions. CB&A will also contact those not selected to advise them of their status. Part of the notification will include advice concerning the candidates’ resume and/or cover letter so that, even though they were not selected to go forward, they will have gained something valuable from participating in the process. Phase IV: Coordinate the Interview Process and County Administrator Selection Task Eight: Coordinate the Candidate Assessment Process Prior to the interviews, we will recommend an assessment process including means to evaluate the candidates’ communication skills, interpersonal skills, and decision making skills. As part of the process, we believe the Commission should observe the