Does Strong Towns have a list of value-aligned candidates for city staff positions? Featured

• 

  Edward Erfurt

  • June 28, 2024 13:59
  • Official comment

  Hiring for a position can be a challenge in any industry, and this challenge becomes more complex when you are hiring for a public servant. There are restrictions and limited tools available for a city administrator to promote a mid level or senior position in a municipality. For example, a municipality would not have the ability to actively recruit candidates in the same way as a private sector company.

  This process becomes even more complicated in a community where the elected officials like city council members or the mayor want to be involved in the hiring process. The city administrator needs to have the full authority to make the ultimate hiring decision, and these positions should not be perceived as political. 

  I have been in both the role as an applicant and in the position of a manager hiring for these types of positions. Here are a couple of suggestions of things I personally did in my public sector role to attract Strong Towns value-aligned candidates: 

  • Starting today, begin sharing stories about your community through social media through a Strong Towns lens. Focus on the things that align with Strong Towns principles. Share about how citizens undertook a bottom up approach to address a struggle in your community. Share how staff or city council did the next smallest step to address a local struggle. You do not have to explicitly call out "Strong Towns" but you can
  • Encourage city staff to share these types of stories on the city's social sites.
  • Encourage elected officials to share these with their stakeholders
  • Encourage local citizens to like and share these posts
  • This will be a beacon for the value-aligned that may be outside the region or exploring employment opportunities in the future. 
  • Share your role as an elected leader, technical staff, or engaged citizen in the Strong Towns Facebook group or discord. Think about how we share and talk about the communities in the Strongest Town contest. This will introduce your community to the movement.
  • Share both the successes and struggles of your community. 
  • Don't be afraid to ask the movement for help or guidance. 
  • Take note as to who engages you, because these might be people looking to work in a Strong Town. 
  • If you are an elected or appointed official, talk to your city administrator early and often about the importance of this role in your city. Establishing a vision and being clear on the impact this position has on the long term sustainability of your community is important. 
  • The administrator will ultimately make this hire, but you can help to frame the characteristics and skills that will influence the posting and hiring for this position.
  • This interest and these talks can help to improve the job description and posting. 
  • As an elected official, become a champion in this hire. This will become extremely important if the best candidate for this position is moving from outside the region or state and this role may shift the current conversation.
  • Connect with your Local Conversation or active members in your community. Let this group know that this position will be available and when it will be posted. In addition to asking them to share the posting, ask if they have names of people the city can send the job posting to. 
  • If you do not have a local conversation or you think you are the only Strong Towns member in your community, reach out to Strong Towns. We would be happy to connect you with your movement locally. 
  • Be deliberate and clear in the job posting of a vision for a stronger community. The job posting and advertising for the position should include as many Strong Towns principles and Strong Towns language as possible. For example, you may include a desire for this position to have experience in the development of  safe and productive streets or have the understanding and ability to communicate the long term liabilities of development. 
  • Reach out to the previous Strongest Town Contest participants and let them know you are seeking this position. These are places that are currently dealing with similar struggles and they are making progress. These might also be places that you aspire to be. Include an ask to have them share this opportunity with any other Strong Towns aligned colleagues and friends. 
  • Share the posting early and often. There are the normal channels for job postings that most governments use, and then there are productive channels. 
  • Use social media and do not be afraid of tagging Strong Towns.
  • Take advantage of the Strong Towns social pages and other aligned organizations. 
  • Encourage your community to share broadly. 
  • Send direct messages or emails with the posting to people you would encourage to apply. These are the people you met at the National Gathering or through one of the Strong Towns Platforms. 

  I do want to add this footnote. Please be sure to follow the job posting rules specific to your community. I do want to add this footnote. Please be sure to follow the job posting rules specific to your community. If you have a question, ask your human resources department or confer with your state’s league of cities or counties.

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