The session covered the implications that the public hiring process has for town manager candidates, the importance of using professional recruiters in the hiring process, developing interview questions, setting a salary range, and negotiating and drafting a contract.

The panelists were:
• Norwell Selectman Ellen Allen, second vice president of the Massachusetts Select Board Association and immediate past president of the MMA
• Auburn Town Manager Julie Jacobson, president of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association
• Danvers Town Manager Steve Bartha, second vice president of the Management Association
• Attorney John Clifford, a partner at Clifford & Kenny, LLP

The panelists shared a number of resources available to select boards, including the ICMA’s Recruitment Guidelines and the Management Association’s Massachusetts Recruitment Guidelines Handbook.

They also responded to a range of questions on issues like residency requirements for town managers, best practices for engaging recruitment firms, the impact of COVID-19 on manager recruitment, and annual reviews for town managers.