The Right Fit

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I rarely buy shoes and clothes online or through a catalog because no matter how good it’s described on paper, I really don’t know how it will fit until I try them on. The picture and product description may be enticing, but we all know that the burger at your favorite fast food restaurant never looks as good as the picture that gets you to buy it.

The same can be said when choosing a person for a position. They may look great on paper, but you really don’t know if the person will be a good fit for the organization until they’ve been in the position for awhile.

According to the paper, the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has been tasked by the Board to scrutinize 31 applicants and then transmit the top seven candidates to the Presidential Search Committee (PSC) so they can narrow the number of individuals down to the top two to three finalists who will then be interviewed by the Board. In a Saturday article, it was stated that the top seven candidates will be the ones “who best meet the ACCT’s standards, criteria, and qualifications.”

I’m sure that ACCT has a lot of experience working with boards and trustees in the U.S. to help them screen candidates who will become the top executives of U.S. institutions. However, what concerns me is that this external organization has been entrusted to use a template that may work well in the United States, but may be flawed to predetermine who would be the best chief executive officer for the CNMI’s only accredited institution for higher learning. Other than reading something about the CNMI or College on paper or online, have the individuals vetting the applicants visited Saipan or the campus? Do they understand our situation and the unique circumstances to help them choose someone who would be the best fit for the institution? I seriously doubt it.

I’m not saying that we should not use outside resources or not hire someone from off-island, and in good times this should seriously be considered. However, during this critical time it is imperative that the next president is fully aware of the grievous situation at the College, and is committed to the institution and community to get us through it. Considering that the College has been declared non-essential by the government and receiving less revenue, is on continued Show Cause, and is paying far below the norm for the position (according to a new survey, the average salary for executives at two-year institutions is $165,000), it begs the question: why would anyone who is qualified from off-island really want the position right now?

There are a lot of candidates who will look good on paper, and who may receive high marks when judged against ACCT’s standards, criteria and qualifications; however, they may be a poor fit for Northern Marianas College specifically and the CNMI in general. We have already seen two off-island hires that appeared well-qualified with doctorates and experience at other institutions. Yet, one was terminated and the other resigned before his contract ended to avoid termination.

The point I’m trying to make is that the best candidate is most likely someone that is from Saipan or has lived here long enough to know the community and College; yet, they may not pass ACCT’s standards and qualification used to evaluate applicants for U.S. institutions. Rather than entrust the PSC members to establish their own criteria to review ALL the candidates, I feel they have been hobbled in the process to narrow the field of players down to the ones who would be the best fit for the College and community. My main reason for applying for the position was to ensure there was a large enough pool of applicants from the CNMI to help avoid making another mistake of hiring a person that looks good on paper, but does not understand the unique circumstances, culture, and situation we are facing at this time.

My hope is that the Board and/or search committee will request that those individuals who are seriously being considered share the same four points I have presented in my previous articles: 1) why did they apply for the position – what is their motive and what will they bring to the position; 2) what is their 100-day agenda and what do they hope to specifically accomplish; 3) what are their personal beliefs and philosophy so that we can get to know them better and understand their management style; and 4) what do they know about the College and what are their ideas for improvement.

Whoever is eventually hired, it is imperative that there is a good fit between the College and the new president. Even though the clock is ticking and there may be a temptation to fast-track the hiring process before the March 15th deadline, there is just too much at stake to make another costly and regrettable hiring decision that could cause greater damage in the short- and long-run.