I always liked the film The Abyss, classic James Cameron, gritty Ed Harris, and a mild crush on Mary Mastrantonio. And in particular, the naming of the ship “The gazes also” as a lovely reference to Nietzsche.
And without meaning to sound terribly dramatic and desperately trying to bring this round to something talent related – an abyss is exactly what I think is staring back at local government. As the sector moves towards LGR and the transformation complexities that it will bring, without some fairly basic changes it’ll be less Mary Mastrantonio and more Mary Celeste.
Speaking with a brilliant CIO recently, he offered his concerns around how multiple districts would merge technologically into a single organisation whilst they had no real technology leadership capability. Several smaller councils have end of life systems, one I know of is five years into a single system migration with many more years still to come before it’s completed. And who is delivering the self-signed homework? A consultancy of course.
And that’s not something we can change easily. Right now, and well in advance of LGR, we know the need is there and that it’s only going to increase. We know the current talent pool for great professionals at a senior level with local government experience is small, we know that the sector consistently doesn’t pay enough, we know that candidates don’t like not being in an executive (chief) role whilst leading an entire division, and we know that when we do get candidates into the process they are put through a grilling that is longer than a series of Love Island.
Ok it’s probably longer because I don’t actually know, it just feels omnipresent. So not only is the recruitment process for senior digital roles often too lengthy but, despite these roles rarely being executive positions in the traditional sense, candidates are frequently treated as such for selection purposes. This means that in addition to screening interviews, they’re often subject to multi-stage panels and extended assessments, and most crucially, member approval.
Across the public sector, the time to hire is notoriously sluggish. But within the respective recruitment processes, how often do civil service CIO’s meet perm-secs or ministers, how often do university CIO’s meet the Council, how often do charity CIO’s meet the trustees? Rarely is the answer, keeping agility and pace in the process.
So, whilst this local government approach is obviously rooted in public accountability, it’s out of sync with broader market expectations and quite frankly can be counterproductive. Some councils have been known to take up to 24 weeks to fill specialist roles, while private companies frequently close similar hires in just two.
This prolonged pace is especially problematic in the digital sector, where in-demand candidates are used to streamlined processes. Unsurprisingly, many drop out before the finish line despite the best efforts of recruiters. Surveys show nearly 60% of candidates abandon applications due to excessive complexity or time, while another 49% walk away simply because the process drags on too long. Overall, it’s estimated that up to 71% of applicants drop out of recruitment pipelines due to poor experience or delays. Keeping top talent engaged in this context requires hands-on, high-touch recruitment expertise and relentless communication. And this raises another issue, if organisations aren’t utilising these services and simply running an advert themselves, they may never even know just what talent they have missed out on and the false economy they have created.
So, when the pay is lower and the process is already longer, why are we adding more hurdles?
As local government reform approaches, councils will need to reassess how they attract and retain the senior digital talent they need. That means moving beyond outdated structures and adopting a more competitive, candidate-centric approach to hiring. Improving the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is key, and this means going beyond just salary to include role clarity, attractive job titles, defined remits, sufficient budget authority, decision-making freedom, and a transparent, efficient recruitment process.
The coming years will bring huge demand for technology and digital skills, and therefore enormous opportunity for consultancy businesses. As councils seek to modernise services, implement reform, and drive local innovation, the demand for transformation-minded CIOs who can hold everyone to account will only grow. What concerns me is that those who fail to adapt their recruitment strategy, risk being left behind. Councils must generate as much competitive advantage as possible, not just in terms of offer and benefits, but in how they present themselves as bold, future-facing employers of choice, poised for digital transformation.
This exact transformation will be the cornerstone of future-ready councils, but it won’t happen without the right leadership and talent in general. To secure that talent, local government must stop treating senior DDaT recruitment as a bureaucratic ritual and start treating it like a strategic priority that deserves agility. Members need to delegate authority to their Chief Officers and stand aside, and Chief Officers need to embrace commercial practice to drive performance. Perhaps with less member involvement, porosity in the sector will also increase and innovation and performance levels will rise as a by-product.
Because without this change and member delegation of authority, I fear that large swathes of the sector will end up entangled in tape, pointing at each other, and staring at an empty Captains chair, as they descend ever further into darkness.