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District chief executives believe many of the upper-tier authorities are prejudiced against them when it comes to applying for leadership positions. Head-hunter Andy Ball recently persuaded three women district chiefs to give their views on their career prospects in an off-the-record interview. Experience, it seems, led the three district council chief executives who were the subject of this article, to believe there are barriers to them moving into leadership positions in unitaries, metropolitan boroughs or county councils. Despite a good personal fit with the job description, they had been unsuccessful in their applications, yet had little concrete evidence of why this was so. All three individuals have impressive local government careers. They have spent time in a variety of environments and hold clear track records of making change happen. Their current roles provide a significant leadership challenge. They balance budgets from a very small funding base, and head up complex, political organisations, without the support of a large group of senior officers. None of them doubts the difference in scale between the service provision responsibilities and budgets of, say, a unitary and a district. However, they believe their experience would enable them to bridge that gap. But having the opportunity to do that is not forthcoming. As one said: ‘Unitary authorities seem to think that size is everything. I know my skills would transfer from a district to a larger authority. Others seem less convinced.' Surely, this is a passing trend. These individuals are not statutorily responsible for social care, which is an enormous consideration currently. ‘Directors of adults or children's services undoubtedly make talented chief officers. One needs only to look at Colin Hilton, new chief executive of Liverpool City Council,' noted one of the interviewees. However, the change in these service areas has left some councils looking like rabbits dazzled in the headlights. This makes a DASS or DCS a pre-eminent contender for appointment to a chief executive position. We don't get a look in.' Yet one might assume this could change, once the tumult in social care has passed over. So, was there a tinge of sour grapes here? Surely the progression of Richard Carr from being chief executive of East Cambridgeshire DC, to Aylesbury Vale DC, to his recent appointment as chief executive of Wolverhampton City Council is testament to the fact that prejudice against districts doesn't exist? The three panellists agreed that there had been progress, and the face of the local government chief executive was changing. One of the chiefs remarked: ‘We are certainly a long distance from only being led by solicitors or accountants. Leadership skills, per se, receive greater recognition, and the whole top tier of local government is less professionalised.' There was agreement that the role of consultancies had reduced the prescriptive nature of job descriptions and person specifications. However, during the process there was a need to challenge the client and support their consideration of a wide range of candidates. In particular, one panellist had strong views about recruitment consultants acting as gatekeepers. ‘On one occasion I was advised that the client would accept applications from district chief executives as if they were doing me a favour.' Another interviewee mentioned that feedback centred on a member panel being ‘uneasy' about any district chief executive moving to a larger authority. The concern is natural, but a professional multi-part assessment can test the underlying characteristics of those who have managed tremendous scope, but not yet tremendous scale, to investigate their potential. On a positive note, each of the panellists was eager to consider their careers from a different perspective. ‘ The health sector is clearly in need of generic transformational skills, as is the fire service. Both of these areas are looking to appoint individuals who come from beyond their traditional talent pools,' was one comment. Indeed, Susan Johnson now at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, is not only the first female, but the only non-uniformed chief executive in the service. She was previously executive director at Yorkshire Forward. Each of the panellists was at pains to point out that their views were not fuelled by the bitterness of not being appointed. Rather they wanted to communicate how the appreciation of generic leadership skills should grow as part of the decision-making process going forward. After all, it can only help with local government's ongoing quest to find talent. Andy Ball is business director at Veredus

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District prejudice

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