Agenda item
Recruitment of Chief Executive
To consider the report as an item of urgent business
Minutes:
[Note – this item was taken in public session]
Recruitment of Chief Executive
The Human Resources Committee agreed to the urgent item that was not available five clear working days before the meeting so that the Service Head, HR and Workforce Development could commence the process to recruit a permanent Chief Executive as quickly as possible.
[Note – Stephen Halsey, Head of Paid Service, left the room for the duration of the discussion of this item to avoid causing prejudice to the discussion (as advised by the Monitoring Officer prior to the meeting)]
Simon Kilbey, Service Head, HR and Workforce Development, presented the report. He set out the existing situation including making reference to the Motion that had been passed at the Council meeting on 30 July 2014. The Motion was attached at Appendix A. He then set out the proposed timetable as follows:
(a) specification details being sent to the 4 recruitment consultant firms that were on the council’s framework agreement;
(b) the proposals from the 4 recruitment consultant firms on the framework agreement would be assessed and the top 2 would be selected for presentation to the committee; and
(c) the Committee receiving a report at its next meeting on 22 October that included:
(i) the assessment details of all the recruitment consultants involved and the proposal to select the preferred recruitment consultant; and
(ii) a briefing on the criteria and job description for the Chief Executive post.
Members then proceeded to discuss the report and a number of Members raised issues including:
· The most cost effective ways of advertising the post.
· How to ensure a smooth process that would result in the recruitment of a Chief Executive who could command general support.
· Whether the Mayor was in favour of recruiting a chief executive and whether there was a business case to justify the post. It was noted that some Councils had decided to delete the post.
· That simply recruiting a Chief Executive would not automatically improve political relationships at the Council.
· Whether there was a danger that the recruitment process could undermine existing officers.
· It was important to ensure proper dialogue with the political groups throughout the process.
· Clarification of the process by which the Mayor could object to an appointment should he so wish.
In response to questions, officers replied that:
· Recruitment Consultants were used as they had extensive expertise and had contacts to potential applicants.
· The recruitment process would be open and transparent and any appointment would be on merit.
· It was hoped that the candidates would have an opportunity to meet the political leaders and Mayor.
· There was a budget for the salary costs in corporate management vote for Directorate of Law Probity and Governance.
· The timetable was as set out but that it could potentially be subject to change.
RESOLVED –
(1) That the Human Resources Committee role in the proposed recruitment of a Chief Executive and the indicative timetable attached at Appendix A of the Head of Paid Service’s report be noted.
Under Procedural Rule 17.6, Councillor Alibor Choudhury and Councillor Oliur Rahman requested that their votes against the above resolution be recorded and Councillor Alibor Choudhury specifically requested that the following comments be noted:
(a) The Mayor felt that he does not wish to have a Chief Executive;
(b) The case for a Chief Executive was very shallow and that a business case was required;
(c) The recruitment process was undermining the Head of Paid Service who was performing well in his interim role administering the Council;
(d) That many councils had removed their chief executives so there was a case for not having a chief executive here.
Supporting documents:
- Cexec Recruitment Final Report, item 8.1 PDF 89 KB
- Indicative TimetableCExec App A, item 8.1 PDF 46 KB
- Appendix B - Motion 8 12, item 8.1 PDF 49 KB