Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 12-22-08 special agenda — reading text

established and carefully identify, recruit and evaluate candidates who meet your criteria. We do not simply bring forward candidates whom we may already know. Our key staff members have extensive experience in conducting executive searches for the public sector throughout the natipn. Prepared for Fort Walton Beach, Florida by Slavin Management Consultants 32-  We are committed to complete client satisfaction. Our successful placement- oriented approach will ensure that the project work is practical, realistic, timely and that it has the full commitment and support of the City Council so that a successful placement will be facilitated. We use discount airfares and leverage trips between clients whenever possible to reduce expenses to our clients. We are leaders in the field of executive search in the public sector and our methodologies are state- of-the-art. We can address all aspects of your assignment. Every search that we have conducted has resulted in a selection from our recommended group of candidates. Our experience includes large and small organizations, and chief executives and subordinate level positions. More than 95% of our placements have remained in our client' s positions for more than five years. Our style is interactive. That is, we strive to build a partnership with our clients. We are experts in EEO/ AA recruitment. Approximately 25% of our placements are women and/ or minorities. Prepared for Fort Walton Beach, Florida by Slavin Management Consultants 2 33- PROJECT SUMMARY We recommend a five- step process as follows: Develop job qualifications and requirements for the City Manager position the " Recruitment Profile. Identify and recruit qualified candidates. Evaluate prospective candidates. Make recommendations, help in selection and facilitate employment. Establish evaluation criteria and follow- up. Each step of this process is described below. A. Develop Position Profile We will meet with the City Council members individually and collectively and with staff ( if the City wishes) to learn the City's needs, focus and requirements such as experience, education and training as well as preferred management style and personal traits. In developing the recruitment profile, we will spend a con- siderable amount of time at the beginning of the process in Fort Walton Beach to gather additional information about the City and to ascertain, the unique challenges of the job and the general environment within which the position functions. Once we have gained the necessary information, we will prepare a draft recruitment profile and review it with the City Council to arrive at a general agreement regarding the specifications for the position. The final profile will include information about the region, Fort Walton Beach, the City government, major issues to be faced, the position and the selection criteria established. B. Identify Qualified Candidates We will first review our database to find those candidates whom we may already know and/ or already have on file who may meet your speCifications. Although the above process is valuable, we will rely most heavily on our own contacts in related fields and on our own experience. In other words, through " networking," we will conduct a professional search for the best- qualified candidates and invite them to apply for the position. In this effort, we utilize appropriate professional organizations, our established contacts, and our knowledge of quality jurisdictions and their employees. We will prepare classified advertisements and develop a targeted advertising program utilizing professional publications. At the City's option, SMC will either place these announcements directly or assist the City in doing so. We will acknowledge all resumes received and thoroughly screen all potential candidates. C. Evaluate Prospective Candidates Preliminary Screening and Progress Report Criteria for the preliminary screening will be contained in the approved recruitment profile. They may include such items as education, technical knowledge, experience, accomplishments, management style, personal traits, etc. Screening of candidates against those criteria will be based on data contained in the resume and other data provided by the candidates and on our knowledge of the organizations in which they work. At this stage, each must meet the minimum qualifications specified in the recruitment profile. We request that all candidates provide us, in writing, substantial information about their accomplishments and their management style and philosophy. This information is verified and, at the City's option, may be further tested by having the finalists respond to a supplemental questionnaire and/ or complete management and leadership style inventories. We interpret these instruments for the City as well. We will meet with the City to provide a progress report on a numl? er of semifinalist candidates. These Prepared for Fort Walton Beach, Florida by Slavin Management Consultants 3 34- individuals will be top prospects who clearly meet the City's specifications for the position. With guidance from the City Council, we will narrow the semifinalist candidate group on the basis of refined criteria. In preparation for this progress report, should the City wish we will conduct video interviews with the semifinalist candidates. Also at this meeting we will determine the City' s expectations relative to interview in questions that we will write as well as the candidate rating and scoring processes which will be included our final report. D. Selection and Emp/ ovment In- depth Screening and Final Report At this point, we will interview those semifinalist candidates whom the City has the greatest interest in. Proper "fit" is as important as technical ability. We assess both. In order to better assess candidates' management style and interpersonal characteristics, we personally interview each in his or her present work environment. We will closely examine each candidate' s experience, qualifications, achievements, management style and interpersonal skills in view of the selection criteria and our professional expertise in evaluating the quality of such qualifications, skills and achievements. We conduct in- depth background checks on those individuals who continue to demonstrate their overall suitability for the position. Included are detailed and extensive reference checks which cover a minimum period of ten years. In conducting these, it is our practice to speak directly to individuals who are now or have been in positions to evaluate the candidate' s job performance. We ask each candidate to provide us with a large number of references. We then network these references to other persons who know the candidate. In this way, we thoroughly evaluate each candidate. These references and evaluations are combined to provide frank and objective appraisals of the top candidates. As part of our evaluation process we conduct credit checks and verify undergraduate and graduate college degrees. We also conduct criminal history, civil court records and driving record checks. At the City's option, we can arrange for assessment centers and/ or psychological ( or similar) testing of the candidates. ( These optional items will result in extra cost.) We will then meet with the City Council to present a group of well- qualified finalist candidates for interviews in Fort Walton Beach. These final candidates will not be ranked because, at this point, they will all be qualified and it will then be a matter of chemistry between the candidates and the City Council that should produce the final selection decision. Our final report will be presented in a meeting with the City Council. This written report is a comprehensive document. It contains our candidate recommendations, details about the search, interview tips, interview questions, candidate evaluation forms and information about legal vs. illegal inquiries. The report also includes the candidate interview schedule as well as our recommendations relative to timing, sequencing, location, setting, format, and conduct of interviews. The report contains comprehensive information about each recommended candidate. This includes educational and experience information, an evaluation of the candidate' s experience relative to the criteria established by the City, a summary of reference comments and a statement of accomplishments and management style prepared by the candidate. Present compensation is also provided for each recommended candidate. We will provide information about trends in employment, employment contracts and agreements, relocation expenses, perquisites, appropriate roles for spouses, receptions, etc. We arrange schedules for top candidate interviews with the City and we will coordinate the entire process. We will properly handle any and all media relations. Unless otherwise directed, it is our standard practice to tell all media that we are working on behalf of Fort Walton Beach and that any public statement should come from the City directly. Under no conditions will we release information to the media unless specifically directed by the City to do so. We will notify all unsuccessful candidates of the final decision reached. Finally, will continue to work for the City until a suitable candidate is recruited and hired by the City. SMC is an equal opportunity employer and recruiter, and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. 4 Prepared for Fort Walton Beach, Florida by Slavin Management Consultants 35- E. Establish Evaluation Criteria Once the new City Manager has been on board for 30 days or so, we will conduct a session with the City Council and with the new City Manager to establish mutual performance criteria and goals for the position. F. Follow-u" We will follow- up with the City and the new City Manager during the first year and assist in making any adjustments that may be necessary. G. ReoortinQ We will keep the City informed, involved in decisions and involved in the search process. We will provide frequent progress reports to the City Council. H. Oeliverables Deliverables include the recruitment profile ( draft and final), the advertisement (draft and final), the progress report (presented in person), the final report with interview tips, interview schedule, interview questions, candidate resumes, candidate evaluations, candidate writing samples, rating sheets, ranking forms, tabulation forms and appropriate/inappropriate question list and negotiated employment agreement between the City and the selected candidate. Prepared for Fort Walton Beach, Florida by Slavin Management Consultants 5 36- PROJECT SCHEDULE The search process normally takes between sixty ( 60) and ninety ( 90) days