Finding the right person for the team

摘要

As a leader with responsibility for delivering the strategic objectives of your organisation you know it is imperative that you attract the best possible talent to help you meet organisational outcomes. Faced with ambitious strategic plans, an increasingly competitive marketplace, and the post-COVID workplace, local authorities are looking beyond the usual pool of senior local government employees and are targeting experts across the wider public sector, as well as expanding further into the private sector and not for profit sectors. In addition, catchment areas are expanding from local to regional and national recruitment, to secure 'the best person for the team', where it is no longer good enough, or indeed desirable, to simply identify the best candidate for the role. With leadership demands changing and many of the obvious talent pools shrinking, the complex environment in which local government operates requires leadership of the highest calibre. Those leaders with the right behaviours, attributes and values can sometimes be found in unusual places and may often have 'non-traditional' backgrounds. Although recruitment may seem a simple process, in reality it is often nuanced and complex. It is therefore essential that your recruitment process is robust yet flexible, in order to reflect your specific requirements and the individual context.