Finding a talented leader for Bristol
In late 2007, Rockpools assisted Bristol City Council to appoint a new chief executive. Bristol has seen regular changes in political control, leading to a perception in the market that it is a place of political risk and uncertainty. Everything Rockpools did throughout the process was managed within this political context. At the outset, Rockpools developed a framework for the recruitment which all political groups were comfortable with, limiting risk later on in the process.
Strong partnership working between Rockpools and the council was crucial for appointing a Chief Executive who had a relationship with the city of Bristol, not just the council. From the outset, Rockpools consulted local stakeholders in order to take a comprehensive brief for the role and members of Bristol’s Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) contributed to development of the job description. This meant that, when speaking to potential candidates, Rockpools could communicate messages from stakeholders across the city and give candidates as full a picture as possible. Local partners met with all candidates on the final shortlist and fed thoughts into the final panel decision.
The Rockpools team were keen to ensure that candidates got as close to ‘doing the job’ as possible during the application process, as this helped to ensure the success of the final appointment. In Bristol, candidates were given formal and informal opportunities to gather intelligence and get a feel for Bristol – the place and its people. This included a tour of the city, meetings with politicians and local stakeholders.
The recruitment process was built on the close partnership which developed between the Rockpools team and their client. This engendered high levels of trust and confidence in the process and meant the council were content for Rockpools to act as its advocates, both with candidates and with local partners. The outcome was a campaign which raised the profile of the city and the council and the appointment of Jan Ormondroyd as Chief Executive; a candidate who was endorsed by all political groups.
