Sharpen your focus when recruiting for the top
It’s no secret that recruitment for senior positions is one of the most important tasks that any management team can undertake, and now more than ever it’s vital they get it right. Accelerated cuts to the public sector workforce will drive the development of slim-line teams and sharing of resources; including senior and experienced personnel across Local Governments.
With these key drivers for change in place the right appointment will contribute significantly to the success of an organisation, allowing it to thrive and survive despite on-going austerity cuts. However, the wrong appointment to a critical post could well bring about the collapse of the same organisation. In the case of shared resources this could mean the failure of more than one Local Government body.
In fact, the impact of an individual appointment to a smaller team is far greater than the potential impact to a larger organisation. Overlooking the appointment of senior positions carries a clear and significant risk, and this is especially the case when planning and looking ahead to what a future small state might look like.
With the question of just how much will Local Government spending be cut still hanging in the air, and the state of the nation still to be determined, identifying and appointing highly skilled individuals to executive positions needs to be at the forefront of senior management teams’ minds.
Spending on core areas may shrink dramatically with planned austerity cuts, and the concept of shared resources will become an increasing reality for many Local Governments. In fact, for some this is indeed already the case with the merging of IT departments and infrastructure through shared services agreements. For these to be successful strong leaders are needed from the outset.
Therefore, appointing people to senior posts with the right skills set and know-how is becoming ever more critical for Local Government management teams and is not just the realm of the private sector.
Failing to focus on this critical recruitment issue for the future could spell disaster for some.
Common reasons often cited for not addressing this issue include; a lack of time and resources, internal politics, and saddling already overworked teams with even more work. Smaller organisations often have to draw from smaller pools of immediate and accessible talent.
However, you do not need a large people management department and dedicated resource to tackle this recruitment issue.
At CIPFA-Penna we believe our clients deserve a focused and specialised approach to recruitment. With our own team of senior and experienced associates we bring value and expertise to the often complex process of sourcing, selecting and appointing executive and highly skilled staff.
We work with our clients to boost their existing pool of talent and to source appropriate people to suit their organisation today and tomorrow.
Planning for a future small state is a challenge facing many management teams, and finding people who can unlock resources and assets will be a vital component to shaping local governments that flourish.
