mhl support | Case Studies | Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board

Recently, Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board found itself in an unusual position. After eighteen years at the helm, Clerk and Chief Executive Colin Hinchcliffe was due to retire and the organisation had to face the fact that it was singularly unprepared to search for, and appoint, a successor. As a Public Authority, a board of twenty-one members manages LMDB, but none of the members had any experience of the processes of Human Resources.

As Colin recalled, ‘there were no HR pros in post!’ he continued: ‘it was critical to make the right decision as to my successor because the role of Clerk and Chief Executive is fundamental to the whole organisation. Not only did we have to find the right person, but because of our status as a Public Authority, we had to be seen to be conducting the process correctly.’

Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board is the largest drainage board in England, and is a very visible organisation in coastal Lincolnshire, maintaining 973km of arterial watercourse and 30 pumping stations. As well as ensuring that water levels are maintained at an appropriate and safe level, the Board also has a duty to conserve and enhance the natural environment.

The consequences of a botched recruitment process were unthinkable and Colin turned to mhl Support. ‘I’d worked with mhl before’, Colin said, ‘and I’d enjoyed excellent service from them. In the event of a problem, such as an Employment Tribunal, they are my first port of call.

‘mhl provided invaluable input at every stage of the process’, Colin continued. ‘We discussed every element of what we were doing, including how to do it, what to include and so on. Then, mhl provided training for the interview panel, sat in with the panel as monitors and then commented on the process.’

From left to right: Colin Hinchcliffe, Michael Clark and Andy McGill

The ‘first interview’ having been concluded, mhl made their recommendations in respect of the next part of the process. ‘When they advised us to include both role play and personality profiling at the second interview stage’, Colin recalled wryly, ‘I confess that their suggestions were met with some scepticism. I must say, though, that with hindsight these were two critical elements and that without them the process would not have worked as well.

‘Diana Osborne, the HR Consultant from mhl, monitored the whole process and played the roles of both sounding board and devil’s advocate. She suggested alternatives and generally challenged us throughout the whole process. Without mhl Support, and Diana in particular, we might not have secured the services of such an exceptional candidate.’

Mr. Andrew McGill, LMDB’s new Clerk and Chief Executive, takes up his post on I January 2010. Whilst he’s sad to be moving on, Colin Hinchcliffe wishes the new man well: ‘I’m sure Mr. McGill will provide the Board with the vision and leadership to meet the challenges of the future’, he said.