Personnel Board Challenges Haddad's Hiring Process
The newly appointed Personnel Board gave a strong recommendation to the Board of Selectmen that they ensure that all employment vacancies in the town are posted for all to apply for, stressing that it is essential for the town to follow a formal process based on best business practices.
This advisory was prompted by an agenda item where Town Manager Mark Haddad told the Board that he was promoting from within to replace outgoing Executive Assistant Patrice Garvin who is leaving Groton to become Town Administrator in Shirley.
Although the Personnel Board is 'advisory' to the Board of Selectmen, its Chairman Bud Robertson made it very clear that the entire Personnel Board did not agree with the process used by Haddad in his recent appointment of an internal Town Hall candidate to fill the vacancy without posting the open position. Although Garvin's job is a bylaw position and not a union position, all of the town's unions mandate that all jobs be posted.
Robertson advised that it is common best practices to post all jobs, union and non-union, to ensure an "open, fair system. Otherwise it is a closed society." He added, "We felt that the job should have been posted and asked Human Resource Manager Suzanne Loverin to convey this to Haddad," which he said she did.
Robertson told Selectmen, "If you want openness in town, I just don't know why it is not posted." He stressed the need for a consistent policy.
Haddad had appointed Dawn Dunbar, an assistant in the Land Use Department to the Executive Assistant position. He said, "The reason it [the job] is not posted is that she sometimes works in this office, helping out Patrice. She will be able to hit the road running....I believe that this is a special circumstance." He added that it was a busy time of year and he needed to find a replacement as soon as possible.
Haddad said posting a position when he already had selected a replacement would be a "sham" but Robertson countered that the town needs to be 'fair and transparent; in these situations.
Responding to a question from Robertson, Haddad said a posting usually is up for five days and that a hire could happen within two weeks.
Selectman Chairman Peter Cunningham thanked the Personnel Board for their advice and said that this "should be integrated going forward." Colleague Josh Degen said that as a small business owner," it behooves us to advertise. Bud's point is valid."
Haddad also advised the Board of the retirement of Barbara Ganem from her position as the Conservation Commission Administrator effective in late fall, adding that he is starting the search for her replacement.
In addition, Haddad told the Board that he had hired Stephanie St. Germaine as Activities Coordinator at the Council On Aging. "She's the right candidate for this job," said Haddad. "The seniors are going to love her."
