Woodford County committee extends road supervisor application deadline, outlines three-stage hiring process

The Woodford County personnel committee voted to extend the application window for its road supervisor opening through Friday, then outlined a three-stage screening and interview process intended to balance candidate evaluation with concerns about intimidating large interview panels.

During the committee meeting the presiding officer said every fiscal court member had been provided candidate applications and introduced a supplemental questionnaire designed to capture certifications, technical and administrative experience, procurement and budget history, management communications and a willingness to be "on call 24/7." He asked that candidates complete the questionnaire before interviews, targeting completion by the Wednesday following the meeting.

Committee members raised and rejected objections to accepting a late application; an unidentified member moved to extend the deadline and the committee approved the extension by voice vote. The presiding officer said the first screening round would offer short interviews (up to 30 minutes) to identify candidates for the second, more detailed round.

The second round would be conducted by the personnel committee in a closed, executive-session format to address candidate concerns that large panels can be intimidating. The presiding officer asked that Gail Smith, who works daily in the road department, participate in early screening and discussed the possibility of Squire Brown joining some interviews. A final round would involve the committee of the whole.

The committee set a target date of Tuesday, March 24 to have a hiring recommendation prepared, with the possibility of additional meetings in early April if more time is needed. Members were told they would be able to review questionnaires and applications at every step and submit input to the personnel committee prior to the committee-of-the-whole decision.

The committee took no formal final hiring action at the meeting; the extension and the interview plan were directional steps to carry the process forward.