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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.F.2. Selection of Search Firm for City Administrator Recruitment General Business 8. F. 2. SHAKOPEE TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Kris Wilson, Acting City Administrator DATE: 01/06/2015 SUBJECT: Selection of Search Firm for City Administrator Recruitment Action Sought The Council is asked to accept the attached proposal from Waters & Company Executive Recruitment to conduct the search for a new City Administrator, at a cost of$21,000. Background It is common place for cities the size of Shakopee to utilize a professional search firm when hiring a City Administrator or Manager. This removes any conflict of interest that might arise as a result of existing staff managing the process, and allows for the process to be driven by the Council as a whole. The attached proposal is from Waters & Company Executive Recruitment. Waters & Company is entirely owned by Springsted, which has a long standing relationship with the City of Shakopee. Springsted serves as the City's financial advisor on bond sales and economic development deals and their organizational management and human resources division is currently performing an organizational study as part of the City Hall Feasibility Study. They have recently completed or are in the process of completing City Administrator or Manager searches for the cities of Lakeville, Bloomington, Oakdale and Bemidji, Minnesota. The attached proposal outlines the process that Waters & Company would follow and provides background information on the consultants that would lead Shakopee's search. Recommendation I recommend that the City accept the proposal from Waters & Company. Budget Impact Funding for the $21,000 cost will come from unspent salary dollars resulting from the City Administrator position being vacant during the search. Requested Action The Council is asked to accept the attached proposal from Waters & Company Executive Recruitment to conduct the search for a new City Administrator, at a cost of$21,000. Attachments: Waters & Company Proposal ` n• m , 3 .f 3 ", 1.-,'. ,'1 ear "_ km, a MIR Proposal City of Shakopee, Minnesota Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search December 11, 2014 `�j C I Watercs& pan Y xeur.e RecruCom!c reny t A Springsted Company CI Waters&Company Executive Recruitment A Springsted Company LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL December 11,2014 The Honorable Brad Tabke City of Shakopee 129 South Holmes Street Shakopee,Minnesota 55379-1376 Re: Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search Dear Mayor Tabke: Thank you very much for the opportunity to submit a proposal to assist in conducting an executive recruitment for the position of City Administrator. Hiring a City Administrator is one of the most important decisions a City Council will make. This is especially true when the City Council seeks a City Administrator who brings a fresh perspective and an ability to facilitate organizational change. In our role and partnership as executive search consultants, Waters&Company,A Springsted Company, is committed to working closely with all City officials to conduct a thorough,well-executed search that identifies qualified candidates with proven leadership and management experience that matches the needs and expectations of the City. Earlier this year, Springsted acquired Waters&Company Executive Recruitment resulting in the formation of one of the largest public sector executive search firms in the nation. Collectively, our model and business strategy is to provide you with a strong process while remaining flexible to adapt to the City's needs and desires. We approach each search by establishing positive and effective communication and trust with everyone. We will work hard to understand the City's issues,challenges and future goals. We will use this information to recommend effective recruitment strategies,prepare professional materials and thoroughly evaluate candidate credentials. We understand our proposal is subject to review and discussion. Please contact me at 651-223-3053 if you have any questions on our proposal. Thank you very much for your consideration. Respectfully submitted, c:54043 - Sharon G.Klumpp, Senior Vice 'resident Consultant sml City of Shakopee, Minnesota Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search General Information Waters&Company Executive Recruitment(WCER)recently merged with Springsted Incorporated, establishing one of the largest public sector executive search and organizational management firms in the United States. Our company combines the executive search expertise and resources of two highly respected firms,Waters&Company and Springsted Incorporated. WCER and Springsted are Women's Business Enterprise("WBE")firms. Springsted,the parent corporation,is a certified WBE by the City of Saint Paul,Minnesota. Three employee-owners lead the firms and their 70-member staff. Our headquarters are located in Saint Paul,Minnesota,with offices strategically located throughout the United States. Our regional offices include Dallas,Texas;Milwaukee,Wisconsin;Des Moines, Iowa;Kansas City,Missouri;Richmond, Virginia; Denver,Colorado and Los Angeles, California. WCER has a team of seven primary search consultants available to meet your executive search needs. Each consultant assigned to this recruitment has experience working with cities and the many different disciplines that comprise the City of Shakopee,the leadership team and its constituencies. Our consultants bring an experienced,participatory and energetic perspective to each engagement;our unique approach and personal touch are reflected in our internal standard to provide outstanding services that exceed the City's expectations. Over the past five years our combined consultant team has conducted over 1,000 executive recruitments. The WCER recruitment project team will partner with the City Council and others as your technical advisor to ensure that the recruitment process for your next City Administrator is conducted in a thorough and professional manner. Our objective is to generate high-quality candidates and assist you with the screening and evaluation of these candidates. We have structured the WCER recruitment project team to draw upon Springsted's 50-plus years of service to Minnesota cities and to leverage WCER's ability to expand national recruitment for this position. The breadth and knowledge of the recruitment project team includes a variety of sizes and communities served, familiarity with potential candidates from Minnesota and beyond and the experience and understanding needed to evaluate each candidate's"fit"with the City's established qualifications. Physical Address Waters&Company,A Springsted Company 380 Jackson St., Suite 300 Saint Paul,MN 55101 Office: 651-223-3000 Fax: 651-223-3002 Respectfully submitted, 21f/4`1/7/Zt.44.- Rollie Waters,Executive Vice President Consultant ��' C I Waters&Company �l�/ eci vie Recru;tment a Springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. II. Statement of Qualifications and Relevant Experience Principals/Owners: Bonnie C. Matson,Principal Kathleen A.Aho,President David N.MacGillivray,Chairman Executive Search Philosophy Our executive recruitment philosophy begi ns with a d ear partnershi p objective which is To administer a participatory and interactive process that results in the best candidate for the City Administrator position. VW will earn your trust from our initial meetings through the end of the arch. We will work to create an excellent partnership with all City officials. This includes helping the City think strategically and deliberately throughout each critical step of the process. This emphasis is an important component of the early stages as the City Council works to reach consensus on the qualities and characteristics you desire in the successful candidate. WCER team members will remain unbiased and fair in all communications and interactions. Ms.Klumpp and her team will deliberately and methodically work to understand the desired qualifications for this position as well as the City's issues and priorities. We will meet with the City Council and department leaders to discuss the City's recruitment goals and City Administrator qualifications and expectations. In partnership with City officials,we will identify best practices in the overall search process, including ensuring compliance with applicable Minnesota laws,finalizing a recruitment plan and a schedule of all activities and evaluating candidate qualifications in accordance with the competencies and management skills specifically identified by the City of Shakopee. The WCER team's previous experience in local government, along with our organizational development background,will provide a solid foundation for the City of Shakopee. Our previous consulting work and experience with the City will give elected officials and staff the confidence needed to move forward to hire the best qualified candidate for the position. Knowledge of the Profession and Search Market The WCER team is very active in Minnesota and across the country in executive recruitment. We are active in the Minnesota City/County Management Association,the League of Minnesota Cities, Association of Minnesota Counties,the International City/County Managers Association,the National Forum of Black Public Administrators and other Midwest and nationally based professional public management associations. We expand our professional network by working in collaboration with staff in our regional offices to identify and recruit qualified candidates for the position. Our key staff members in these offices are former local government administrators and managers that are active in the profession,in their region and in assisting in search processes. This"bench strength"will ensure that our recruitment strategy and results are thorough and comprehensive. Ultimately our goal is to recruit qualified candidates that are a strong match for the desired qualities and skills of the City. W C I Waters&Company ecutive Pecru tment A Springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. I] III. Recruitment Team Sharon G. Klumpp Senior Vice President and Lead Consultant Ms. Sharon Klumpp specializes in organizational and management consulting and X executive search for public agencies. Since joining Springsted over ten years ago, she has conducted over 90 searches. Ms. Klumpp has extensive government .,: experience,having served as Executive Director of the Metropolitan Council—the seven-county regional planning agency for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area,as Associate Executive Director for the League of Minnesota Cities,as City Administrator for Oakdale,Minnesota and as Assistant City Manager in St.Louis Park,Minnesota and Saginaw,Michigan. Her private sector experience includes serving as the chief administrative officer for the Minneapolis office of a major global engineering and design firm. Ms.Klumpp also served as an adjunct instructor at Walden University,where she taught public administration and organizational change in the University's School of Management. She holds a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Miami University of Ohio. David J.Unmacht Senior Vice President of Organizational Management and Human Resources Mr. Dave Unmacht will assist Ms.Klumpp in conducting this search process. .N. Mr.Unmacht brings more than 15 years of county administration experience, having worked for Scott and Dakota counties,Minnesota. He has also worked as City Manager in Prior Lake and City Administrator in Belle Plaine,Minnesota. Mr.Unmacht was the recipient of the Minnesota Association of County Administrators(MACA)Joe Ries Excellence in County Management Award in 2000 and the Minnesota City/County Management Association(MCMA)Award for Management Excellence in 2006. Mr.Unmacht is also a Credentialed Manager with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)and a community faculty member with Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul,Minnesota. He has a master's degree in Public Administration from Drake University in Iowa and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Political Science from Wartburg College in Iowa. Knowledge of the City The WCER team brings a strong and functional working knowledge of the City of Shakopee. We understand and respect the City's growth and development and recognize its opportunities for the future. We will promote and market the City by diligently telling your story and advocating on your behalf to prospective candidates. Based on our knowledge of your organization,we believe that the City of Shakopee is in an excellent position to attract a strong pool of experienced candidates. W c I Waters&Company A Springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. 5 IV. References We are providing various references for you to contact. These references will give you an excellent understanding of our executive search work. Please feel free to contact any one of these individuals. City of Hutchinson,Minnesota City of Brooklyn Park,Minnesota Mr.Marc Sebora,City Attorney Mr.Jeffrey Lunde,Mayor 320-587-5151 763-493-80103 Executive Search: Executive Search: City Administrator City Manager City of Brainerd,Minnesota Minnesota Housing Mr.Dale Parks,Council President Mr.Dan Boomhower,Director of Human Resources Mr.Patrick Wussow, City Administrator 651-296-4225 218-828-2307 Executive Search: Executive Search: Multifamily Assistant Commissioner City Administrator City of Eau Claire,Wisconsin City of Willmar,Minnesota The Honorable Kerry Kincaid,Council President Mr.Denis Anderson,Council Member 715-839-4912 Ms. Charlene Stevens,City Administrator Executive Search: 320-325-4913 City Manager Executive Search: City Administrator List of Current Public Sector Recruitments and Additional Reference Information Ms.Klumpp is presently completing searches for the Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Fairmont,Minnesota and an Executive Director search for the East Grand Forks Economic Development Authority. These searches are on a different timeline than the Shakopee search and they will not impact her work with the City. W C I Waters&Company cative RecrL tment A Springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. V. Work Plan Relating to Scope of Work Requested The following is a listing of the major steps and work tasks in a search process. We will work in close contact and cooperation with the designated City liaison from the beginning to the end of the search. We will provide written and verbal reports to the City Council and designated City liaison as often as needed. The proposed dates are estimated and subject to discussion and change. We project that the search can be completed on or before April 21, 2015. Project Milestone Deliverables Proposed Date Notice to proceed January 7, 2015 • Contact with the City Council Position review and analysis • Contact with the department leaders Week of January 12,2015 • Prepare recruitment brochure Approve profile and job • Recruitment brochure January 20, 2015 announcement • Job announcement • Placement of job announcement Recruitment and candidate • Contact with prospective candidates January 21 — outreach • Acceptance of applications February 18, 2015 • Regular status reports to the City • Supplemental questionnaire Applicant screening and telephone • Management Style Assessment February 19— interviews • Candidate screening interviews March 5, 2015 Candidate presentation and • Meeting with the City Council selection of applicants to interview • Notification to applicants not advancing in the March 10, 2015 selection process Interview design • Interview design,questions, schedule and March 11 —26, 2015 candidate assessment forms References • Reference summary on final candidates March 11 —26, 2015 Comprehensive background check • Candidate background report March 11 —26, 2015 completed for finalist First and second interviews • Consultant attendance at interviews March 30— • Organized and structured interviews April 14,2015 Offer made/accepted • Draft employment offer and agreement April 15—21,2015 • Thank you letter to candidates not selected Projected start date • City Administrator starts On or before May 26, 2015 • Action plan for a successful transition W C I Waters&Company Executive Recruitment A springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. 5 VI. Specific Services to be Provided We understand that the City seeks a new City Administrator who possesses strong leadership and communication skills,the ability to work collaboratively with the City's governing body and a proven record in effectively managing change and ensuring results. WCER's search process is described below. We are happy to refine this process as needed to meet the City's goals and objectives. 1. Trust and Working Relationship—WCER commits to meeting and exceeding the expectations of the City from the beginning to the end of the process. We will create strong lines of communication, be open to ideas and develop a strong partnership with the City Council and staff. Our work with the City is open and transparent. We have a strong working knowledge of Minnesota laws that must be observed throughout the hiring process. We make sure that the City and candidates understand how these laws affect the hiring process. Our strong regard for conducting a process that follows the requirements of the Data Practices Act and the Open Meeting laws is a critical aspect of our relationship with the City. 2. Project Initiation—WCER meets with the City's representative to define working relationships, determine preferred methods of communications and refine the project schedule. The revised schedule is distributed to ensure that everyone involved with the search process understands the process and schedule. Ms. Klumpp maintains a strong and open line of communication with the City throughout the search. 3. Position Analysis and Development of the Recruitment Brochure—We meet individually(or collectively depending upon your preference)with the Mayor and City Council members to broaden our understanding of the position's leadership and management requirements, current issues and strategic priorities and to identify expectations for the next City Administrator. We also obtain input from department leaders to increase our understanding of the City's strengths and needs. Information obtained from these meetings,our review of the job description and other City documents,is used to prepare a recruitment brochure. The completed brochure and job announcement will be approved by the City before recruitment begins. The recruitment brochure is central to our marketing of this position and our outreach to prospective candidates. If the City already has recruitment materials or preferences for the inclusion of certain information,we integrate these into the City Administrator recruitment brochure. One option we can explore with the City is the use of our web-based survey to determine the key attributes essential to the position. The survey is completed internally by the organization's employees and can be extended to members of advisory boards and commissions. The results of the survey provide the City Council with important feedback from these key stakeholders for development of the interpersonal profile for the ideal candidate. 4. Identification and Recruitment of Qualified Candidates—In consultation with the City,we will develop a customized recruitment strategy for the City Administrator position that includes placing job ads with professional local government associations such as the League of Minnesota Cities,the Minnesota City/County Management Association(MCMA)and other organizations we identify in consultation with the City. We anticipate job postings to be placed in the International City/County W Waters&Company xecutive Recr�;ment A Springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. 10 Management Association(ICMA)and other national recruitment sites. To increase the exposure of this position,we will strategically place the job posting with other Midwest and regional state municipal leagues, state-wide city/county management associations and public administration schools that are in regular contact with alumni regarding job opportunities. We will discuss and determine the overall strategy(state,region,national)with you during our first meeting. Our recruitment outreach emphasizes personal contacts with prospective candidates. We also contact MCMA members,ICMA-credentialed managers and managers who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to professional leadership development. Finally,we draw upon our knowledge of qualified local government managers from our extensive database that allows us to sort by specific demographics critical to this position and from the professional network of our team. Applicants are directed to a highly-accessed website(waters-company.com)that has a special location attracting many potential candidates to upload their resumes. The City receives timely updates on the status of the search. We also maintain open and professional communication with the applicants to acknowledge receipt of their resume,to keep them informed about the status of the search and their candidacy for the position and to track developments in their job search activities. 5. Candidate Screening—Applicant screening is based on position requirements and hiring criteria established by the City in the position description and recruitment brochure. Once we have identified the top candidates we ask them to complete a questionnaire that addresses their professional and personal qualities so we can assess their fit with the characteristics identified in the position profile. Along with substantive information provided in the answers to the questions,we evaluate the candidates' writing and comprehension skills. We ask each of the top candidates to complete a Management Style Analysis that determines if the candidate's behavioral traits, competencies critical to the position and work values,match the needs of the City. Upon review of these materials,we conduct telephone screening interviews with the top candidates to expand upon their experience and to learn about their management and leadership style. Through the telephone screening interviews,we also learn about their professional expectations for the position and determine the candidate's level of interest and motivation for seeking the position. 6. List of Top Candidates—We meet with the City Council to present the written candidate reports,a summary of the Management Style Analysis and a list of the top candidates. We don't target a number ahead of time;we will work with the City to identify how many candidates they wish to interview and evaluate. Each candidate report includes: (1)a summary of the screening interview; (2)the candidate's resume; (3)the completed questionnaire; and(4)relevant information from an internet search. The City Council selects the candidates who will be invited to interview. In a professional and respectful manner,WCER informs all applicants of their status in the selection process; in particular those that are not moving forward to the interview stage. 7. First and Second Round Interviews—We work with the City designated liaison and the City Council to design and coordinate the interview process. We find that each city is different,so before we organize an interview process we seek your expectations and desires. Based on city preferences,we develop a structured interview process that maximizes the input of all participants and we coordinate the interview schedule with the candidates. The interview process is structured in a way that helps the City Council assess the candidates' leadership skills,their ability to communicate,their approach to making decisions,their interpersonal skills and other preferred qualifications. We also provide a template to help the City Council evaluate the candidates on an UT I Waer Cmpany V V C atcu is ve&Recroj;ment A Springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. 7 equitable basis and provide a feedback form to other participants in the interview process so the City Council can consider these perspectives in its assessment of the candidates. Ms. Klumpp will be in attendance at the interviews to provide support as needed while the City narrows the field of candidates who could be invited to a second interview. For the second interview,we will design a different candidate engagement process. 8. Reference Checks—We contact references and provide a thorough reference outline for each candidate participating in the interviews. It is our practice to contact at least four references per candidate: an elected official, someone who supervised the applicant,a direct report to the applicant and a community member. We believe that a more comprehensive reference profile can be compiled if we seek input from a representative of each of these areas. The City may choose at some point to retain a licensed psychologist to evaluate the candidates. This option will be discussed in the process;the costs for this service are not included in the work plan or fee. 9. Background Check and Employment Offer—We conduct a thorough background records check on the final candidates,which includes state and national criminal and civil history,driver's license review and a credit check. The timing is coordinated with the interview and hiring process. We will assist the City Council in developing an employment offer and negotiating the employment agreement and compensation package with the successful candidate in accordance with direction received by the City Council. We will also develop a list of six month and one year goals for the City Administrator. This will include information collected from City officials and the incoming Administrator. Triple Guarantee Our Triple Guarantee is defined as: (1)A commitment to remain with the recruitment assignment until you have made an appointment for the fees and tasks quoted in this proposal. If you are unable to make a selection from the initial group of finalists,WCER will work to identify a supplemental group until you find a candidate to hire. (2)Your executive recruitment is guaranteed for 24 months against termination or resignation. The replacement recruitment will be repeated with no additional professional fee,but only for project-related expenses. Candidates appointed from within your organization do not qualify for this guarantee. This guarantee is subject to further limitations and restrictions of your state laws. (3)WCER will not directly solicit any candidates selected under this contract for any other position while the candidate is employed with your organization. W C I Waters&Company A$pring5ted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. VII. Price Proposal WCER's all-inclusive professional fee to conduct the recruitment outlined in this proposal is$21,000. This fee covers the cost of professional services by the Project Team Leader,the project support staff and all project-related expenses such as advertising,printing, candidate background and reference checks and travel expenses for on-site visits. Travel expenses incurred by candidates for on-site interviews with the client are not the responsibility of WCER and are handled directly by the client organization. If there is a preference for separate billings for the professional services and project-related expenses,please advise us and the agreement can reflect such an arrangement. The all-inclusive professional fee will be billed in three installments: 40%of the fee will be billed when recruitment for the position begins;40%at the implementation of Phase III; and 20%upon acceptance of offer by the candidate. We are open to negotiate an alternative payment schedule if selected for this search. Additional work related to the search process and as specifically requested by the City that is outside of the scope of this project(i.e. additional onsite meetings)is additional. The fixed professional fee for this recruitment anticipates no more than three onsite consulting days with one consultant. However,we would be pleased to provide additional onsite consulting visits for our standard daily rate of$1,500 plus expenses. If candidates from this recruitment process are selected for another position within your organization within one year of the close of the recruitment,a fee of 50%of the above mentioned proposal amount will be due to Waters&Company,A Springsted Company. All questions regarding the professional fees and project-related expenses should be directed to Sharon Klumpp, Senior Vice President at sklumpp�a waters-company.com or via phone at 651-223-3053. j�T W- aters&Company A Springsted Company City of Shakopee,Minnesota. Proposal to Provide City Administrator Executive Search. 101