Independence subcommittee hears two executive-search firms; SGR quotes $27,919 package

The City of Independence subcommittee on the search for a new city manager on Thursday heard presentations from two executive recruitment firms and questioned both about outreach, vetting, diversity, assessments and timing, with committee members planning to score the firms and return with a recommendation to the full council.

"We should have a decision for you in 7 to 10 days so that you're not sitting out there wondering what we're doing," Scott Crim, a search consultant who led the first presentation, told the committee, describing his firm’s national recruiting reach and process.

Why it matters: The firm the council hires will run the recruitment brochure, conduct outreach and references, coordinate semifinalist and finalist interviews and provide the background reports council members will use to pick a new city manager. The committee needs to weigh price, guarantees, demonstrated candidate pools and the firm’s ability to reach candidates who reflect Independence’s growing Hispanic and Polynesian communities.

What the first firm told the committee

Scott Crim and managing partner Colin Benziger described a turnkey search that includes: individual interviews with council members to build a recruitment brochure; targeted outreach using a proprietary email list and LinkedIn; rigorous background checks (criminal, civil, credit and motor-vehicle); and a finalist process that the firm recommends include a reception, one-on-one meetings and a council interview. The firm said it typically reaches candidates through a combination of advertising (20–30%), a 14,000-email list and targeted phone outreach.

On assessing fit, Crim said the firm focuses on chemistry between the manager and elected officials: "What makes or breaks a manager is the chemistry that he or she has with the council." The firm described a roughly 90-day recruit timeline and recommended moving the search closing dates slightly away from holiday calendar conflicts.

SGR presentation and price

Rebecca Flurry and Billy Owens presented on behalf of SGR, describing the firm as practitioner-led and emphasizing a national job-board and social-media footprint. SGR described a marketing and sourcing approach that pairs direct outreach with LinkedIn sourcing and a widely viewed job board, and it said it tracks both client and candidate feedback after searches.

SGR cited a full-service price of $27,919, which the firm said includes $2,500 for ad placements and a 12‑month placement guarantee; travel for finalist interviews and any additional ad placements would be billed separately. "We want to tailor our proposal to your needs," Flurry told the committee.

Questions from the committee

Committee members pressed both firms on several recurring issues:

- Diversity outreach: Council members asked how firms would reach Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and female candidates. Both firms said they use targeted trade organizations, state municipal leagues and direct outreach to candidate networks.

- Assessments: Members asked about personality assessments such as DISC. Both firms said such testing can be useful to confirm team fit or for onboarding, but neither insisted it was mandatory for screening semifinalists; cost and redundancy were cited as reasons for optional use.

- Written skills and communications: The firms recommended asking finalists for written materials (candidate introduction forms, 90-day or first-year plans) to assess writing and communication style.

- Staff and public engagement: Both firms recommended stakeholder interviews and offered multiple options — town halls, staff receptions, advisory committees and online surveys — and said formats can be hybrid (virtual and in person). The committee signaled support for an online public survey and suggested holding public-facing events for finalists.

- Timing and elections: Committee members raised the pending municipal elections and the city’s budget cycle (fiscal year begins July 1). Both firms said candidates commonly account for election timing and that searches can proceed through elections; holiday-season scheduling may slow some steps but is manageable. One firm suggested completing the search before elections when feasible, while acknowledging politics can affect candidate interest.

Post-placement support and guarantees

Both firms described post-placement follow-up. SGR emphasized a 12‑month warranty and said it would re-run a search for its costs only if a placement leaves within the first year except in the case of an "act of God" (such as death or total incapacitation). The other firm described a similar approach to post-placement contact and suggested 6‑month evaluations and year-end 360 reviews as best practices to support a successful transition.

Next steps

Following the presentations the subcommittee discussed add-on services (online public engagement tools and DISC assessments) and agreed to score the proposals. Committee members set an internal deadline to submit scores, scheduled a follow-up meeting to finalize a recommendation to the full council and discussed targeting a council decision in early November. The committee did not take a formal vote at the session.

What wasn't decided

The subcommittee did not award the contract at the meeting, nor did it make a formal selection; members instructed staff and committee reviewers to submit scoring on the proposals and presentations and reconvene for a recommendation to the full council.

Who said what (selected quotes)

"We should have a decision for you in 7 to 10 days so that you're not sitting out there wondering what we're doing," Scott Crim said when previewing his firm's timeline.

"Our mission is really simple. It's just to help communities succeed," Rebecca Flurry of SGR said during her presentation.

"If that manager stays at least 5 years, we consider a search successful," Colin Benziger said when asked about retention expectations.

"We can guarantee that if that individual is fired or if they leave within the first year, that we'll redo the search for our costs only," Billy Owens of SGR said about the firm's warranty.

Ending note

Committee members said they will return scores by the stated internal deadline, meet again to craft a recommendation and route that recommendation to the full council for action. The public meeting adjourned after committee discussion of next steps and scheduling.