Monday, February 2, 2009

On Staff

Yes, I agree--we are fortunate to have professional people that staff our city departments. Would we really knowingly hire incompetents? When you hire someone with experience and base your hiring opinion on that and their resume, you don't know what you're getting, not really. You never know until you sign on that bottom line. You can really evaluate someone quickly--their attention to detail, their analytic ability, how they get along with their co-workers, etc. It only takes a few weeks to realize if this person has the potential to learn the job and what it takes to be effective.

Some people are terrific at interviews. During a major recession at one time in my life, I got so good at interviewing that I even kidded around about being a professional interviewee. I was determined to find a great paying job and work with a company where I would fit in. It eventually took me 9 months to land it. Between that time I was laid off and found the "perfect" job, I had several bummers that I took just to put bread on the table. All those jobs paid fairly well but they were jobs for which I was not suited and did not want. If you are in a job that you really like, you can excel beyond imagination. This is where Bob Baldwin has let us down.

Point being--it is not negativity when you point out the obvious. Staff should be constantly reviewed and held accountable. If they are out of line, they should be told. Actually, if they were doing the job they were told to do, nothing else would have to be said. All criticism would then be based on performance. From knowledge and experience comes their reward on the day they are hired. It is then up to them to perform in the way they are directed. This is not entreprenaurialship here. It is doing what the Commission asks of you and doing it to the best of your ability.