To the editor:

I’m writing to express my sincere appreciation for Brian Woodhead’s many contributions to the Town of Portsmouth over his career with our Department of Public Works. 

As a former elected official in Portsmouth, I’ve known Brian for many years. He’s an outstanding person, a great department head and an effective leader. He has served us well and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors. I also applaud the town for their choice of the DPW deputy director as his successor. I wish Mr. Rodrigues as much success in the job as Brian enjoyed.

I also wish to offer some perspective on our town’s hiring policy, which came under some process criticism by one of our councilors. Councilor McDowell, the lone nay vote to confirm Mr. Rodrigues, complained that this position wasn’t opened up for competition. I certainly agree that competition is a healthy and effective hiring practice, but it is not the only path to filling a vacancy. 

As any experienced hiring manager knows, the best-case scenario for replacing a senior employee is to have a qualified and well-known replacement ready to step in. This is why mature organizations demand succession planning from their leaders. They understand the advantages of promoting from within when possible. It encourages long-term leadership development, creates a pipeline of experienced and committed leaders, and it sends a strong message that hard work and dedication will be recognized and rewarded. It boosts morale and motivation as the workforce can see clear opportunities for career growth. This is a powerful tool for attracting and retaining quality people. One question nearly every potential new hire asks is “What is the career growth potential with this position?” And the organization better have a good answer.

The other obvious point is that a competitive hiring action, even when executed well, involves selection of an unknown, and thus introduces potential risk of making a bad hire. Don’t get me wrong, competitive hiring is a best practice and should be embraced, but it isn’t a silver bullet for filling every opening and should not be mandated as a matter of policy. It’s just one more tool for healthy organizational development. 

Let’s not fall into this kind of one-size-fits-all policy blunder. How we go about hiring our public servants is a big deal, and deserves careful process, judgement and a large measure of common sense. Thankfully our town administrator and staff are professionals and understand this. It’s also one of the reasons why Section 305 — non-interference by the council — has been a part of our Town Charter since adoption in 1973.

Jim Seveney

Portsmouth

Jim Seveney is a former president of the Portsmouth Town Council.