Recruitment and Selection in the Public and Nonprofi t Sectors 207
Executive and Managerial Recruitment and Selection
At the federal and state levels, executives are typically appointed to their
positions by the chief elected offi cials or their designees and are referred to
as political executives. They lack permanent status and retain their positions
only for as long as the president or governor desires or until the next elec-
tion. Often these executives have been referred to the respective executive
branches by someone they know, such as a legislator, a professional associ-
ate, a campaign worker, a university classmate, or a corporate executive.
At the local level and in nonprofi t agencies, the recruitment and selec-
tion of city managers or executive directors is usually conducted by search
committees. Usually the personnel committees of the city council or board
of directors are responsible for the search. They identify the qualifi cations
needed and determine the recruitment strategies to use. Often citizens or
clients and representative staff will be asked to participate in the effort.
Search committees who lack the time or expertise to recruit executives
may choose to delegate much of the responsibility for directing the recruit-
ment and screening efforts to professional recruitment fi rms or consul-
tants. An advantage of using professional recruitment fi rms is that they can
devote complete attention to the search process. Unlike council or board
members, professional recruiters are not part - time volunteers committed
to other jobs. Developing recruitment strategies, placing advertisements,
screening r é sum é s and applications, responding to correspondence, verify-
ing references, and conducting preliminary interviews are time - consuming.
Professional recruitment fi rms are knowledgeable about fair employment
laws and practices and document the procedures used should allegations
of discrimination arise. Their livelihoods and reputations depend on con-
ducting professional and legal searches.
Another advantage in using a recruitment fi rm is that it can provide an
objective viewpoint if internal candidates apply for the position. Board or
council members may place loyalty, politics, or familiarity above profi ciency.
An additional reason to consider a professional fi rm is that sometimes orga-
nizations wish to remain anonymous in the early stages of the recruitment
process. Screening applicants through a professional fi rm retains that ano-
nymity (Ammons & Glass, 1989; Snelling & Kuhnle, 1986).
Even if a professional firm is hired to direct the recruitment and
selection process, council and board members should not abrogate their
oversight responsibility. They need to work with the fi rm to identify the
professional and personal qualifi cations required to guide the organiza-
tion and consistent with the organization ’ s mission. They must determine
