Trenches of Democracy

Excerpts from the second semi-annual report by Shakman Compliance Administrator (CA) Julia M. Nowicki:

Furthermore, in the vast majority of circumstances, all applications must be submitted in person at the Bureau of HR’s downtown office. As a result of these . practices, potential candidates who are told of a posting in advance gain an unfair advantage because they can arrive at the Bureau of HR’s offices early on the first day of posting and assure they will be among the first applicants to apply. If their applications indicate they possess the minimum eligibility requirements, they will be more likely to be among the first seven eligible applicants to be placed on the interview list. Furthermore, this procedure renders the fourteen-day posting period required by the CCPC irrelevant because it is highly unlikely that anyone applying toward the end of the period will be among the first seven eligible candidates.

The best candidates for any position are those who possess, through experience and education, qualifications that meet or exceed the actual requirements of the job. A job posting and job description that accurately and fully describe the knowledge, skills and abilities and define the essential and marginal functions of the position are vital to assure the selection a qualified, rather than a connected, candidate. The receipt of accurate and verified information about applicant credentials and skills is also critical to assuring that truly qualified applicants are identified for further consideration and are eventually selected.

The CA believes that except for purposes of determining if an application has been submitted within the deadline, the date/time stamp serves no purpose except to provide strategic advantage to those that understand that the process is less about merit and more about beating-the-clock. The process of interviewing the first seven candidates provides the opportunity for prohibited political influence to those who have been: “tipped off’ informally to the availability of a position.

To be continued…

You can read the full Shakman report here.

Tags: Cook County, Nowicki, Patronage, Shakman, Stroger

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