A new guide for local councillors aims to help them hit government
performance targets by offering practical information on recruiting senior
staff.
Recruitment for senior posts is one of the public duties of councillors. The
guide will be launched at this week’s Society of Personnel Officers in
Government (Socpo) conference, and is available free to councillors.
Getting the Right People in the Right Jobs, by recruitment consultants
GatenbySanderson, includes tips on every stage of the recruitment process from
thinking about the job to marketing, shortlisting and selection.
The guide also provides advice on induction and ongoing personal development
support as well as case studies of senior recruitment in local authorities.
Graham Goodwin, managing director of GatenbySanderson, said that government
performance targets were putting increased pressure on local councillors to make
sure they recruit the right people.
"HR gives advice about recruitment, but the final decision is with the
[council] members," he said. "At present there is a gap in support
[for councillors] who also have to look at the wider implications of recruitment."
Socpo’s annual conference takes place in Brighton on 10-12 March.
10 tips on how to attract the top talent
1 Make sure you get involved in the recruitment process
2 Past practice is not necessarily best practice – you need to
be flexible and innovative
3 The amount of time you invest will show candidates the
importance you attach to the appointment
4 Consider recruitment training for yourself and colleagues
5 Appointing a senior person to your team is a great
opportunity to re-evaluate and refresh your vision
6 Recruiting is also an opportunity to generate PR
7 Make sure the information you provide is top quality, as it
reflects the whole authority
8 Recruitment is a two-way process – convince the candidate to
work for you
9 Follow the law on equal opportunities
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10 Provide induction, mentoring, coaching and team development
Source: Getting the Best People in the Right Jobs
