Key hiring job goes out of Ballarat

BUSINESS leaders are calling into the question the choice of company to run the recruitment process for the City of Ballarat’s new director roles.

Late last week it became clear the contact to fill the four senior management roles, as well as a fifth high-level position, had been awarded to Melbourne based recruitment firm Sal Corp.

“It’s always disappointing when you see any contract go out of town,” said Commerce Ballarat CEO Jodie Gillett.

“But in particular right now, when our businesses are going through some of the toughest times they’ve ever known, we’re constantly asking to keep dollars in town if you possibly can.

“It’s critical we all think local first and give our business the opportunity to tender for jobs when they come up. All industries are under pressure, not just the business that have been closed down.”

City of Ballarat interim-CEO Janet Dore said the recommendation to go with Sal Corp came from within the organisation from a list of three suppliers who tendered on the work.

“We have had Sal Corp on our preferred provider panel for some time and the principal [Christine Mileham] has been working closely with the HR area in assisting with performance reviews of senior staff over the last 18 months,” Ms Dore said.

“We had a competitive tender process for which we had three quotes and Sal Corp was the best provider in that.

“We didn’t get any local firms submitting for the expression of interest that we put out.”

But Ange Conner, director of Ballarat based human resources company Inspire HQ, which is also on the municipality’s approved supplier list for HR recruitment, said her firm wasn’t made aware the work was available.

“On this occasion, no, we weren’t contacted,” she said.

“It’s extremely frustrating. The time and effort that goes into putting together a tender [to be included on the supplier list] is not something you can whip up in short period of time.

“So there’s the investment on that, and then not to even have the opportunity to pitch for this work is exceptionally disappointing at any time but let alone during a period we’re going though now when that spend now goes outside of Ballarat.”

Ms Dore said Sal Corp had been working with the City of Ballarat for some time and is deeply engaged with the municipality’s HR processes.

“The involvement of Sal Corp in performance reviews, and assisting the previous CEO, meant it was invaluable to retain her [Ms Mileham’s] advice and support,” Ms Dore said.

“There’s been a number of different tasks Sal Corp’s been involved with; supporting the conversations with directors who are leaving in terms of getting agreements drawn up, there’s also position descriptions associated with the restructure.”

With recruitment into the executive management ranks of municipal government bureaucracy a specialised area, Ms Dore questioned if Ballarat based firms like Inspire HQ could find the right people for the advertised jobs.

“The knowledge of the local government scene and the networks of involvement are very important,” Ms Dore said. “I’m not aware of any local firm that has that kind of capability.”

However, Ms Connor said her firm can find talent for high-level management roles.

“I’m recruiting an executive manager position at the moment for a large manufacturing company,” she said.

“It’s a different industry and executive level position is an executive level position whether it’s with a council or a large corporate, or a small business. We’ve regularly recruited for executive positions in the past.”

Sal Corp is the same company the City of Ballarat used to hire Ms Dore into the acting CEO role in early June.

That move came after council fired the previous CEO Justine Linley following a report by the State Ombudsman which in part alleged questionable hiring practices by her and then director Terry Demeo.

Yet Ms Dore said there were no issues with the engagement of Sal Corp for further work following her recruitment as she had limited involvement with the firm when she was hired.

“I wasn’t on their books at all until council called for expressions of interest to recruit the interim-CEO and I got a call from the principal [Ms Mileham] saying are you interested and would you allow me to put your name forward?,” she said. “It was very last minute.”

The City of Ballarat is currently recruiting for four director roles and one executive manager. Applications, through Sal Corp, close in late August.