31 May 2010

Major HR stuff-up due to rushed Super City process

A major error by the Auckland Transition Agency has left hundreds of skilled council staff unable to apply for positions in the new Auckland Council the Green Party said today.

“This failure is another symptom of the rushed and flawed process the Government has used to push through the Super City,” Green Party Super City spokesperson David Clendon said.

Last week thousands of council staff were supposed to receive a letter telling them they had been ‘mapped’ to a certain area of the council, and to give them access to a website where they could apply for suitable jobs.

Mr Clendon said that at least several hundred council staff have not received letters while many others who have are directed to a site which will only allow them to apply for jobs that are clearly not matched to their skill set.

“This shows a lack of respect for council staff, and could lead to lower quality services for all Aucklanders,” Mr Clendon said.

“Morale and motivation are already low among Auckland Council staff and this will worsen the situation.

“Staff seeing this level of ineptitude are more likely to simply leave the council and apply for jobs elsewhere,” Mr Clendon said.

“This is another reason for these highly-skilled and specialised staff to look for work in other localities or the private sector.

“Taking more than a week to apologise for a major mistake like this shows little concern for the feelings or predicament of council staff.

“It is clearly an unfair process if only some staff are able to apply for new jobs, while others are not, through no fault of their own.

“This is definitely not the best way to ensure Auckland Council gets the best staff possible to plan and deliver essential services to the region.

“The Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide, should take steps to ensure the Auckland Transition Agency does not make similar errors in the future carries out a fair and respectful process for all future jobs,” Mr Clendon said

ENDS

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