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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2011-11-01 +!Sfwjtfe!! TUVEZ!TFTTJPO! UPXO!CPBSE! Uvftebz-!Opwfncfs!2-!3122! 5;11!q/n/! Uxjo!Pxmt!'!Tvoebodf!Sppnt! )Cpbse!Sppn*! 281!NbdHsfhps!Bwf/! BHFOEB! 5;11!q/n/!Upxo!Benjojtusbups!Sfdsvjunfou!Qspdftt! OPUF;!!Uif!Upxo!Cpbse!sftfswft!uif!sjhiu!up!dpotjefs!puifs!bqqspqsjbuf!jufnt!opu!bwbjmbcmf!bu!uif!ujnf!uif! bhfoeb!xbt!qsfqbsfe/ ESM Consulting Services Human Resource, Compensation and Training Services for the Public and Private Sectors October 22, 2011 Bill Pinkham Mayor Town of Estes Park Via e-mail: sbpinkham@beyondbb.com Bill, Per our phone conversation, I wanted to send you a summary of the services that I would be able to provide, my fees, and a bit about myself and my relationship with the Mountain States Employers Council (MSEC) and the Colorado Municipal League (CML). If you or any Board members have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of my references. I am the owner and principal of ESM Consulting Services which is a small, flexible HR Consulting Firm. I am also a part time employee of the MSEC and provide HR consulting services to members of MSEC. I am not officially affiliated with CML other than having been a member of the CML City Manager’s Association. ESM Consulting Services charges the same hourly rate that you would pay to the MSEC for similar services. Should the Town wish to join MSEC, the billing would come from MSEC rather than ESM Consulting Services and the Town would be eligible to receive all of the normal MSEC benefits and services that are offered to members. ESM Consulting Services is not a headhunting firm or an Executive Search Firm. ESM prefers to work on an hourly rate with a “not to exceed” amount that is dependent on the services the Town would desire. ESM does not maintain a database of potential City Managers, but will contact select individuals based on ESM’s past history with impressive potential candidates. ESM would not contact anyone that it has previously placed in a position. We feel that is a conflict of interest. The unique aspect of ESM is that we are very flexible and that we work closely with the client’s HR Department, Attorney, and/or other staff and can share the work associated with a recruitment process, thereby saving the client significant costs. The services that ESM Consulting Services is able to provide include, but are not limited to: Meeting with elected officials and staff to learn the Town’s concerns and issues and develop a candidate profile Drafting/reviewing job descriptions and desired qualification Drafting and coordinating the placement of classified advertisements Receiving and reviewing and categorizing resumes Some direct contact of candidates Conducting preliminary phone interviews Eric S. Marburger, SPHR, IPMA-CP, MBA PO Box 3505, Centennial, CO 80161 www.esmconsulting.net 303.995.4405 303.730.9870 (fax)eric@esmconsulting.net Rating candidates and recommending applicants for further consideration by the City Coordinating interviews with the City including drafting questions, attending interviews, assisting with candidate evaluations, coordinating public or staff involvement Working with Town Attorney to ensure all legal requirements are met Coordinating reference checks, background checks and other screening techniques Communicating with all candidates throughout the process ESM Consulting would charge the Town $125 per hour for professional services and $65 an hour for administrative services with a “not to exceed” amount to be mutually agreed upon, once the scope of services is determined. Advertising expenses, mileage, travel time and other out of pocket costs would be billed separately and not considered in the not to exceed amount. We would want to meet with the Mayor and Board very early in the process to learn what issues are currently facing the Town and what the characteristics are desired in the new Town Administrator. We would then determine what a manageable scope of services and costs would be and create a timeline for actions. Please let me know if you need any further information from ESM Consulting Services or from the Mountain States Employers Council. I would be happy to meet with you and/or the Board to answer any questions that you may have. All the best, Eric Marburger Eric S. Marburger ESM Consulting Services Bill, MostrelevanttotheTownofEstesParkΑFeelfreetocontact: CoreyHoffmanKathyNovakDickLunceford CityAttorneyFormerMayorBoardPresident CityofBlackHawkCityofNorthglennLaPlataArchuletaWaterDistrict 303825644472033958459709464682 Thelistbelowisacompletelist. Eric ExecutiveLevelSearches EricMarburger,LeadConsultant MountainStatesEmployersCouncilandESMConsultingServices tƌĻğƭĻĭƚƓƷğĭƷ9ƩźĭŅƚƩğƓǤķĻƷğźƌƭƚƩĭƚƓƷğĭƷźƓŅƚƩƒğƷźƚƓƩĻŭğƩķźƓŭƩĻŅĻƩĻƓĭĻƭͲЌЉЌВВЎЍЍЉЎƚƩ ĻƩźĭθĻƭƒĭƚƓƭǒƌƷźƓŭ͵ƓĻƷ AspenValleyHospital,Aspen,Colorado HumanResourcesDirector,2006 CheyenneRegionalMedicalCenter,Cheyenne,Wyoming HumanResourcesDirector,2009 CityofBlackHawk,Colorado CityManager,August2011 CityofCherryHillsVillage,Colorado CityManager,2007 CityofHagerstown,Maryland CityManager,March1998 CityofLaramie,Wyoming HumanResourcesDirector,2007 CityofLittleton,Colorado HumanResourcesDirector,2007 CityofNorthglenn,Colorado CityManager,November2008 CityofWheatRidge,Colorado HumanResourcesDirector,2001 ColoradoWaterResourcesandPowerDevelopmentAuthority,DenverColorado ExecutiveDirector,2009 DenverArchdiocesanHousingCommittee,Denver,Colorado HumanResourcesDirector,2005 ElPasoCountyGovernment,ColoradoSprings,Colorado ChiefFinancialOfficer,1999 CğƩƒĻƩ͸ƭReservoirandIrrigationCompany,Brighton,Colorado GeneralManager,February2011 LaPlataArchuletaWaterDistrict,Ignacio,Colorado DistrictManager,August2010 LittleThompsonWaterDistrict,Berthoud,Colorado ExecutiveDirector,2008 PagosaAreaWaterandSanitationDistrict,PagosaSprings,Colorado DistrictManager,August2010 RoseMedicalCenter,DenverColorado HumanResourcesDirector,2002 SoutheastMetroStormwaterAuthority,Centennial,Colorado ExecutiveDirector,2008 SouthMetroFireandRescue,Centennial,Colorado DeputyChief,2003 TownofErie,Colorado TownAdministrator,2002 MultipleDepartmentHeads,2002Α2010 UrbanDrainageandFloodControlDistrict,Denver,Colorado ExecutiveDirector,2008 WesterraCreditUnion,DenverColorado VicePresidentofHumanResources,2008 164 Goose Lane Carbondale, CO 81623 970-963-0752 garysuiter@comcast.net October 25, 2011 Mayor William C. Pinkham and Board of Trustees Town of Estes Park P.O. Box 1200 Estes Park, CO 80517 Dear Mayor Pinkham and Members of the Board: Thank you for the opportunity to present you with an overview of our executive search process. As we discussed, the purpose of engaging the services of an executive search firm is to bring forward an objective, proven and well-defined search process that will assist the Town in recruiting and selecting highly-qualified individuals who best fit the profile, culture, and overall needs of Estes Park. The Mercer Group, Inc. is an executive search firm with considerable experience in the recruitment of Town Administrators and other local government professionals in Colorado. Our processes are always open and participative, thereby building the confidence of the Board and the community, while getting you the best professional for the job. Following is a description of our executive search process: 1. Position Analysis We start with extensive consultation with Board members, the Mayor, Town staff as well as other individuals or groups to learn the Town's vision/mission, goals and objectives, the needs and issues, requirements of the job, and to verify information about the environment within which the position functions. We will spend a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the process in Estes Park in order to improve our knowledge of the community and the Town organization. During this process, we will identify expectations, perceptions, and issues regarding the position, as well as the expected characteristics of the next successful Town Administrator. Based on those interviews, we will prepare a draft position profile and review it with the Board in order to arrive at a general agreement regarding the specifica- tions for the position. The final Town-approved position profile will include information about the Town, the community, major issues to be faced, the position, and the selection criteria established. Our Position Profiles are found to be thoroughly informative to prospective candidates. 2. Recruitment Process Because we have recently completed similar searches, we will review our database to determine those candidates whom we may already know or have on file who may meet the Town's specifications. Although this process is valuable, we will rely most heavily on our own contacts in the Town management field and on our own experience. In other words, through "network- ing" (not just advertising), we will conduct a nation-wide professional search for the best qualified candidates and invite them to apply for the position. The Position Profile is a very effective tool during this phase of direct recruitment. We will provide the Town Board with advertising alternatives. Based on those discussions, we will place ads in professional journals, national, regional and local web sites, and many other channels to encourage applicants to apply. We suggest advertising the position for at least four weeks. 3. Resume Review We will review and analyze each applicant's background and experience against the position profile criteria reflected in the candidate brochure. We will acknowledge all resumes received and keep candidates informed of their status. 4. Candidate Screening Criteria for the preliminary screening will be contained in the approved Position Profile. They may include such items as education, technical knowledge, experience, accomplish- ments, management style, personal traits, etc. Screening of candidates against those criteria will be based on data contained in the resumes 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 Position Profile. Once the initial screening is completed, we will select leading candidates who most closely match the criteria established by the Town Board. The output of this step in the process will be a matrix display of leading candidates showing how each rates against the selection criteria established by the Board (Exhibit I). This matrix will be reviewed with the Board and guidance obtained prior to proceeding. comments about each proposed finalist with respect to some of the key selection criteria, and we will include the resumes of the proposed finalists. Α We will assist the Board to identify a shorter list of those potential finalists who appear to be the most promising to invite for interviews. One contingency here is that the Town may not approve of any of the candidates. If that should occur, we would, of course, keep searching until the Town's needs are clearly met. 5.Background Investigation Procedures As part of our process in evaluating your top candidates, we conduct thorough internet searches and make detailedreference checks. In conducting these, it is our practice to speak directly to individuals who are now or have previously been in positions to evaluate the candidate's job performance. We ask each candidate to provide us with a few key references. We then network references to other persons we believe to be familiar with the experience of the candidate. These references and evaluations are combined to provide frank and objective appraisals of the top candidates. We also verify past employment difficulties, if any, including any legal action filed against former employers. As part of our evaluation process, we check criminal and motor vehicle histories, and verify undergraduate and graduate college degrees. As an additional option, we can arrange for credit checks, or psychological testing of the candidates, if desired. Β 6. Interview Process ists will be compiled. We will prepare a written summary on each finalist. The information will cover, but not be limited to, 1) present position, 2) total years experience, 3) salary requirements, 4) education, 5) previous positions held, 6) notable projects, 7) manage- ment style, 8) skills and abilities, 9) interests, and 10) professional goals. This informa- tion will be presented to the Board in a detailed written format combined with the results of the background investigation and candidate screening. Our report will be presented in a meeting with the Town Board in which we will discuss our findings and provide background information, sample questions and a rating form for the interviews. Targeted questions will be recommended that relate to and expectations. We will also provide the Board with our recommendations relative to timing, sequencing, location, setting, format, and conduct of interviews with the finalists. We will provide information about trends in employment, employment contracts and agreements, relocation expenses, perquisites, appropriate role for spouses, receptions, etc. We will arrange schedules for top candidate interviews with the Board and will coordinate the process. During the time candidates are in Estes Park for interviews, it can be effective to schedule a public reception for residents and other Town leaders to meet the candidates. Such a reception can be arranged informally at a convenient time and place. This often helps the candidates gain their bearings about the community. Board members often gain valuable feedback from those attending and from observing the interactions with candidates. Community members gain confidence from meeting and talking with the candidates. Other successful interview steps include an opportunity for each finalist candidate to talk with the top Town staff members and to take a tour of Town facilities and community assets. For a thorough interview process that helps the Town Board to reach a conclusion, we can discuss several other methodologies and procedural options. 7. Negotiation and Follow-up We will also assist in mediating the process relative to salary, benefits and other conditions of employment. This allows the Board and the new Town Administrator to avoid beginning their work together with an adversarial relationship. We can be especially helpful also because we have proposed a fixed fee rather than one based on a percentage of salary. Γ One contingency here is that an agreement may not be able to be arranged. If that is the case, we will work with the Board to select an alternate candidate. Finally, we will notify all unsuccessful candidates who were not recommended for interview of the final decision reached We will keep the Town Board closely informed and involved in decisions concerning the search process at all times. We will prepare and send periodic reports that describe the progress on the recruitment, specific steps to be taken to meet the Town's deadlines. Of course, we take pride in our flexibility to accommodate our clients and will work with you to design a process that best fits the needs and desires of the Town Board. My own experience is in Colorado local government management for 22 years prior to consulting, including management of resort communities. Since I entered municipal consulting in 2002, I have assisted many Town Boards with executive recruitment, strategic planning, organizational analysis, and training. We would be happy travel to Estes Park and personally describe our thorough process and work products in more detail. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely Yours, THE MERCER GROUP, INC. Gary Suiter Senior Vice President Δ