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Poll results

On Nov. 15, the Worcester City Council appointed Eric Batista the city manager on a permanent basis, making him the first Latino to serve in the powerful position. Batista was the assistant city manager under former city manager Edward Augustus, and Batista has been serving as acting city manager since Augustus left at the end of May. Although the City Council initially voted to conduct a nationwide search to find candidates for the position, the council later killed that search without soliciting any other candidates, in favor of simply giving the job to Batista.

If a strong in-house successor is in place, would your organization still search for candidates to fill your top leadership position?
No. We don't want to waste everyone's time if we already know who our next leader will be. (32%, 40 VOTES)
Probably not, unless the in-house candidate has deficiencies leaving the door open for someone else. (26%, 33 VOTES)
Yes. Other candidates, both internal and external, can bring fresh ideas and perspectives, even if they aren't picked. (12%, 15 VOTES)
Yes. It's important to perform your due diligence for a role as vital as your next leader. (30%, 37 VOTES)
Poll Description

On Nov. 15, the Worcester City Council appointed Eric Batista the city manager on a permanent basis, making him the first Latino to serve in the powerful position. Batista was the assistant city manager under former city manager Edward Augustus, and Batista has been serving as acting city manager since Augustus left at the end of May. Although the City Council initially voted to conduct a nationwide search to find candidates for the position, the council later killed that search without soliciting any other candidates, in favor of simply giving the job to Batista.

  • 125 Votes
  • 5 Comments
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5 Comments

  • November 21, 2022
    Do the sure diligence. Look at what just happened to Disney. Thought they had the perfect internal candidate, only to oust him for his predecessor and start a new leadership search.
  • November 21, 2022

    For a private company, it would depend. Did the board feel their skillset and vision were best suited to take the organization forward? How were they perceived by other employees, customers? And many other considerations.

    The city isn’t a private company, however. It is a democratically run institution charged with the maintenance of a vast shared enterprise. We have more than 200,000 residents. No company that large would forgo a thorough vetting of its next CEO.

    Elected officials owe their constituents transparency, first and foremost. And this process felt anything but transparent. There was no opportunity for Eric to express his organizational vision or answer questions on his experience or skillset, just unspecific assurances from councilors that he was the best person for the job. Vague hand waving does not inspire confidence in a thorough consideration of strengths and weaknesses.

    I congratulate Eric on his appointment and wish him great success. We are all depending on him to execute his very difficult job to the best of his abilities. But the next time a major transition comes before the council, I hope they take a more considered and transparent approach.

    - Albert LaValley, resident and local business owner

  • November 21, 2022
    If the candidate already knows how to do the job, does it well, and is familiar with the city and municipality in which they are working, it makes absolutely no sense to seek outside candidates. Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin Executive Career Coach (Retired) www.career-success-coach.com
  • Robert Anderson
    November 21, 2022

    Anyone instrumental with the WooSox boondoggle should not be considered for a promotion. $160-million debt on a tax-free property was less than a great idea. Was he involved with the WRTA boondoggle also??

  • November 21, 2022
    With over 40 years of combined experience in building organizations and leading an executive search firm, I know that the businesses with the best sustained results build their internal talent bench. They deliberately recruit, develop, and position their talent for increasing responsibility. Where they've done this well, an executive search would be superfluous. - Stanley H. Davis, Founder, Standish Executive Search, LLC