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HomeMy WebLinkAboutUpdate Documents - Public WorksProposal For County Engineer Recruitment Services 4Pi 1 Leadership is Key to the Sustainability of Any Organization Great leaders invest in their teams, build trust and create an environment where employees don't just work, they contribute and grow. Finding great leaders is what we do! Executive Recruitment Interim Staffing. Application Software. Job Board. STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS About Prothman Founded in 2002, Prothman Company provides recruitment services to cities, counties, nonprofits, special districts and other public sector agencies across the western U.S. Our strength is understanding our client's needs, tailoring the search process to meet those needs, and then partnering with you to find the right candidate who will not only be professionally qualified to be your next County Engineer, but just as importantly, will be a great "fit" for your organization The entire Prothman team believes in our mission to serve our clients and their communities with integrity and commitment, and we are always on call and do what we do because we love helping organizations find great leaders. What makes Prothman stand out? A Proven Track Record After 23 years of successfully leading over 1,100 recruitments, Prothman has listened and learned along the way, continually improving and creating a recruitment process that works. We are proud of the trust we have built with our diverse range of clients, both large and small, ranging from 1 FTE to 14,000 FTEs (King County, Washington). No matter what your recruitment challenges are, we have a solution that fits. Quality Candidate Pools Leading the industry with our placement and retention rates, we don't just fill positions — we find the right leaders who thrive in their roles for the long term. Using tailored interview questions combined with effective assessment skills gained through years of interviewing experience, our interviews provide insights into the candidate's technical skills, as well as their values and interpersonal skills —both critical hiring components for long-term retention. Exceptional Customer Service For the past 18 years, Prothman has maintained the same dedicated in-house team, providing an unmatched level of expertise and process flow. Led by Sonja Prothman since 2007, our tight -knit group brings deep industry knowledge and experience, ensuring consistent, high -quality service for every client we serve. Strategic Outreach Methods Every recruitment strategy is customized because every client and recruitment is unique. Our strategy is to cast the widest net possible to ensure a qualified and diverse applicant pool, combining proven recruitment outreach tactics with innovative strategies to find top talent. In addition, our consultants are active and trusted in the public sector profession. Their network and personal outreach typically bring in several qualified candidates who may not be actively seeking a new job. Prothman Company appreciates the opportunity to submit the enclosed proposal. Submittal Date: July 15, 2025 -PRCffHA4AN 2 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS -EXPERIENCE Prothman Team Current Recruitments Assistant County Administrator — Kitsap County, WA Executive Director — Washington State Transit Insurance Pool, WA Human Resource Director — Yellowstone County, MT Public Works Director— City of La Pine, OR County Counsel — Clackamas County, OR Community Development Director —Jefferson County, WA City Administrator — City of Pullman, WA Port Manager — Port of Poulsbo, WA Capital Programs Manager — Douglas County, WA Assistant General Manager — Birch Bay Village Community Club, WA Clinical Director — Pend Oreille County, WA Fire Chief — City of La Grande, OR Fire & EMS Chief — City of Coquille, OR Deputy Police Chief — City of Ocean Shores, WA Finance Manager / City Recorder — City of Clatskanie, OR Fire Chief — Central Lyon Fire District, NV Parks & Recreation Director — City of Post Falls, ID Fire Chief — Burney Fire Protection District, CA City Attorney — City of Port Angeles, WA Judicial Services Director — Whitman County, WA References City of Chewelah, WA — City Administrator Contact: Gregory McCunn, Mayor mayor@cityofchewelah.org 509.993.5500 Port of Pasco, WA — Executive Director Contact: Jean Ryckman, Board President jryckman@portofpasco.org Port of Moses Lake, WA — Executive Director Contact: Kim DeTrolio, Director of Finance / Interim Executive Director krdetrolio@portofmoseslake.com 509.762.5363 City of Post Falls, ID — Parks & Recreation Director Contact: Janet Best, HR Director janetb@postfalls.gov 208.457.3309 City of Spokane, WA — HR Director Contact: Alexander Scott, Chief of Staff ascott@spokanecity.org 509.625.6774 3 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS - PROJECT TEAM ---- Gary Buchanan — Senior consultant — Project Lead Gary brings 31 years of successful Human Resources leadership experience to the Prothman Team. He recently served five years as the Director of Human Resources for the City of Tacoma, Washington, population 212,869, until his retirement. Gary also served 14 years at the Port of Seattle as the Human Resources Director. The Port of Seattle encompasses both the Seattle Seaport and Seattle -Tacoma International Airport. Additionally, Gary served 30 years in the Naval Reserve. His Naval career included three command assignments, and he was deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Gary received his Bachelor of Science degree from Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT, and his Naval Science degree from the University of Utah. Cliff Moore — Senior Consultant — Project Support Cliff Moore joins Prothman after a 30-year career in public service. Cliff's background includes service as the County Manager of Thurston County, Washington, and City Manager of Yakima, Washington. Cliff also served as Director of the Planning and Land Use Department in Thurston County and held senior administrative positions at Washington State University in Pullman and executive leadership positions at the university's extension offices in both Jefferson and Thurston Counties. Prior to his years of public service, Cliff worked abroad as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa; he was Assistant Country Director for the CARE mission in Honduras; and he was the Director of the US Refugee Resettlement Office in Khartoum, Sudan. Cliff received his master's degree from the University of San Francisco, and he is fluent in Spanish. Sonja Prothman — Project Support As owner and CEO, Sonja directs the day-to-day operations of the Prothman Company and has over 19 years of experience in local government recruiting, interim placements, and organizational assessments. Sonja is a former councilmember for the City of Normandy Park, Washington, and brings to Prothman the "elected official" side of government ®a vital perspective for understanding our clients' needs. A Seattle native, Sonja earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Washington. Jared Eckhardt — Project Support Jared is responsible for profile development and candidate outreach. Jared works one-on-one with the client for position profile development and works with Sonja and the lead consultant on each client's outreach strategies. Jared also functions as recruitment support as a secondary lead consultant on recruitments and special projects. Jared graduated from the University of Washington, earning his BA in Communications. Barry Gaskins — Project Support Barry provides client and candidate management and administrative support to Sonja. His attention to detail and understanding of timeliness to the customer and candidates is remarkable. Barry works with the lead consultant with scheduling interviews, arranging candidate travel, managing candidate application packets, and assembly of candidate information to give to the client. Barry came to us from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where he served as a Program Assistant for four years in the US Library Program. Barry earned his bachelor's degree from California State University in Los Angeles. Madison Lindquist -- Project Support Madison is responsible for Prothman's social media, direct mail outreach, website development and Online Application Service support. Madison works one-on-one with the client to ensure optimal outreach in all available social networking resources and works with clients who choose to use the Online Application Service. Madison also functions as recruitment support. Madison graduated from the University of Washington, earning her BA in Communications. APPROTHA&4N 4 SCOPE OF SERVICES -FULL RECRUITMENT Prothman Company has been in the business of finding highly qualified candidates for placement in local government organizations of various sizes with varying political ideologies for 23+ years. We understand politics, Board & Council dynamics, and community passion, and we are experts in facilitating. We have designed our recruitment process so that all stakeholders are included, listened to, and treated with respect. We truly enjoy helping local government thrive and look forward to performing all the services represented in this proposal. 1. Develop a Tailored Recruitment Strategy Project Review The first step will be to: ♦ Send introductory recruitment "kick-off' email ♦ Review the scope of work ♦ Review the project schedule ♦ Review if a salary survey is needed Information Gathering and Research (Soliciting Input) We will meet via Teams and spend as much time as it takes to learn everything we can about your organization. Our goal is to thoroughly understand the values and culture of your organization, as well as the preferred qualifications and personality you desire in your next County Engineer. We will: ♦ Meet with the County Administrator ♦ Meet with Public Works & Engineering Staff, as directed ♦ Meet with other Stakeholders, as directed ♦ Review all documents related to the position Position Profile Development (Identifying the Ideal Candidate) We will work with you and develop a profile of your ideal candidate. Once the Position Profile is approved by you, it will serve as the foundation for our determination of a candidate's "fit" within the organization and community. Profiles include the following: ♦ A description of the ideal candidate's qualifications • Years of related experience • Ideal personality traits ♦ Organization -specific information • Description of the organization • Description of the position and key responsibilities • Priorities and challenges facing the organization ♦ Community -specific information ♦ Compensation package details ♦ Information on how to apply 5 2. Identify, Target, and Recruit Viable Candidates Outreach and Advertising Strategy (Locating Qualified Candidates) We recognize that often the best candidates are not actively looking for a new position - this is the person we want to reach and recruit. We have an aggressive recruitment strategy which involves the following: ♦ Print and Internet -based Ads placed regionally and nationally in professional publications, journals, and related websites. ♦ Targeted Direct Mail Recruitment Brochures sent directly to hundreds of county/city engineering professionals who are not actively seeking a new position. ♦ Focused Candidate Outreach via personal networking and thousands of personal emails sent directly to public works and engineering professionals. ♦ Posting the Position Profile on Prothman's Facebook and Linkedln pages, and on the Prothman website, which receives over five thousand visits per week from potential candidates. 3. Conduct Preliminary Screening Candidate Screening (Narrowing the Field) Once the application deadline has passed, we will conduct an extensive candidate review designed to gather detailed information on the leading candidates. The screening process has 3 key steps: 1) Application Review: We will screen the candidates for qualifications based on the resumes, applications, and supplemental question responses. After the initial screening, we take the yes's and maybe's and complete a second screening where we take a much deeper look into the training, work history and qualifications of each candidate. 2) Internet Publication Background Search: We conduct an internet publication search on all semifinalist candidates prior to their interviews. If we find anything out of the ordinary, we discuss this during the initial interview and bring this information to you. 3) Personal Interviews: We will conduct in-depth videoconference or in -person interviews with the top 6 to 10 candidates. During the interviews, we ask technical questions to gauge their competency, and just as importantly, we design our interviews to measure the candidate's fit within your organization. Candidate Presentation (Choosing the Finalists) We will prepare and send to you candidate packets which include each candidate's application materials and the results of the personal interviews and publication search. We will meet via Teams and advise you of the candidates meeting the qualifications, our knowledge of them, and their strengths and weaknesses relative to fit within your organization. We will give you our recommendations and then work with you to identify the top 2 to 5 candidates to invite to the final interviews. We will discuss the planning and design of the final interview process during this meeting. r . � 4. Prepare Materials and Process for Final Interviews Final Interview Process (,Selecting the Right Candidate) The design of the final interviews is an integral component towards making sure that all stakeholders have the opportunity to learn as much as possible about each candidate. ♦ Elements of the design process include: • Deciding on the Structure of the Interviews • Deciding on Candidate Travel Expenses • Deciding on an Evening Reception ♦ Background Checks Background checks include the following: • References from 8 12 current and past employers and colleagues • Education Verification, Criminal History, Driving Record and Sex Offender Check ♦ Candidate Travel Coordination After you have identified the travel expenses you wish to cover, we work with the candidates to organize the most cost-effective travel arrangements. ♦ Final Interview Packets The Final Interview Packets include sample interview questions and the candidates' application materials and are the tool that keeps the final interview process organized. ♦ Final Interviews with Candidates We will travel to Ephrata and facilitate the interviews. The interview process usually begins with a morning briefing where the schedule and process will be discussed with all those involved in the interviews. Each candidate will then go through a series of one -hour interview sessions, with an hour break for lunch. ♦ Candidate Evaluation Session After the interviews are complete, we will facilitate the evaluation process, help the decision makers come to consensus, discuss the next steps, and organize any additional candidate referencing or interview sessions if needed. ♦ Facilitate Employment Agreement Once the top candidate has been selected, we offer any assistance needed in developing a letter of offer and negotiating the terms of the employment agreement. 5. Warranty Repeat the Recruitment If you follow the major elements of our process and a top candidate is not chosen, we will repeat the recruitment with no additional professional fee, the only cost to you would be for the expenses. 6. Guarantee Replacement Recruitment Prothman will guarantee that if the selected finalist is terminated for cause or resigns within one year from the employment date, we will conduct one replacement search with no additional professional fee, the only cost to you would be for the expenses. - µ ZOTWA Availability, Communication and Schedule We will provide you with our cell phone numbers and emails so that you have direct access to your lead consultant and support staff, and we will communicate and update you as often as you desire. We understand that each recruitment is unique, and we are flexible to adjust the recruitment process to fit your needs. Each recruitment takes approximately 10 - 13 weeks to complete, depending on the scope and direction from the client. You can expect approximately: 1 - 2 weeks for stakeholder interviews and profile development and approval, 4 - 6 weeks for recruitment, 2 weeks for screening and interviewing, and 2 - 3 weeks for coordinating final interviews. Sample Schedule Blue highlighted /bolded events represent meetings with the client. -Ror►�n�,4n► $ Date Topic Date Topic Meet via Teams for stakeholder interviews. Meet via Teams for stakeholder interviews. Weeks of July 21 & 28, 2025 Weeks of July 21 & 28, 2025 Gather information for position profile. Send Gather information for position profile. Send profile for review and edits. Get profile approval. profile for review and edits. Get profile approval. August 4, 2025 August 4, 2025 Post profile on Prothman website Post profile on Prothman website August 13, 2025 August 13, 2025 g Send direct mail brochures and first round of Send direct mail brochures and first round of emails emails September 7, 2025 September 7, 2025 Application closing date Application closing date Weeks of September 8 & 15, 2025 Weeks of September 8 & 15, 2025 p Prothman screens applications &interviews top Prothman screens applications &interviews top 6 - 12 candidates 6 - 12 candidates Meet via Teams for Work Session to review Meet via Teams for Work Session to review Week of September 22 - 26, 2025 Week of September 22 - 26, 2025 semifinalists and pick finalists, and design semifinalists and pick finalists, and design final interviews final interviews Week of October 6 or 13, 2025 Week of October 6 or 13, 2025 Travel to Ephrata for Final Interview Process Travel to Ephrata for Final Interview Process FEE, EXPENSES & GUARANTEE Professional Fee The fee for conducting a County Engineer full recruitment with a one-year guarantee is $16,500. The professional fee covers all Prothman staff time required to conduct the recruitment. This includes all meetings and correspondence with the client, writing and placing the recruitment ads, development of the candidate profile, creating and processing direct mail letters, creating and coordinating the email campaign, reviewing resumes, coordinating and conducting semifinalist interviews, coordinating and attending finalist interviews, coordinating candidate travel, conducting background checks and professional references on the finalist candidates and all other search related tasks required to successfully complete the recruitment. The professional fee is billed in three equal installments throughout the recruitment, one at the beginning, at the halfway point, and upon completion of the final interviews. Expenses Expenses vary depending on the design and geographical scope of the recruitment. We do not mark up expenses and work diligently to keep expenses at a minimum and keep records of all expenditures. Grant County will be responsible for reimbursing expenses Prothman incurs on your behalf. Expenses for each recruitment include: • Trade journal, Linkedln, and associated website advertising (approx. $1,200 - $2,200) • Direct mail announcements ($1,900) • Consultant travel: mileage at IRS rate, travel time at $40 per hour, lodging if needed (approx. $200 - $350 per trip) • Final Interview Packets and Shipping, if requested: (approx. $75 - $170) • Background checks performed by Sterling, if requested (approx. $130 per candidate) Other Expenses Candidate travel: We cannot approximate candidate travel expenses because they vary depending on the number of candidates, how far the candidates travel, length of stay, if spouses are included, etc. If you wish, we will coordinate and forward to your organization the candidates' travel receipts for direct reimbursement to the candidates. Cancellation You have the right to cancel the search at any time. Your only obligation would be the fees and expenses incurred prior to cancellation. Equal Opportunity We can assure you that we recognize the importance and wisdom of a diverse rich candidate pool and for every recruitment we conduct, we have made it our mission to reach out to and attract the most qualified and diverse candidate pool as possible for our clients. If we are chosen to be your executive recruiting partner, we will do so with the common goal of finding the agency a diverse and qualified pool of candidates. Guarantee Prothman will guarantee that if the selected finalist is terminated for cause or resigns within one year of the employment date, we will conduct one replacement search with no additional professional fee, the only cost to you would be for the expenses. - PPMUMMAN 9