It is not inconsistent with the values expressed in the ICMA Code of Ethics for members to serve as an executive recruiter in a consulting capacity, volunteer as an advisor to the process, or be part of a search committee as long as they will not be a candidate for the position. Members should follow this guidance:   

1.   Helping the council identify the preferred attributes and skills of the next manager, writing the job description and job ad, outlining the process, developing the schedule, and making recommendations about the interview questions and process are all tasks suitable for an ICMA member.

2.   Because the selection of the manager is uniquely the responsibility of the council, managers should be careful about influencing the selection of a candidate. To that end, they should avoid participating in the review of resumes, screening or testing of candidates, interview with council, and council sessions where decisions are made about finalists and the final candidates.

3.   Members who provide this service on a consulting basis should follow Tenet 12 and the guideline on Private Employment:

Tenet 12: Seek no favor; believe that personal aggrandizement or profit secured by confidential information or by misuse of public time is dishonest.

Guideline on Private Employment.  Members should not engage in, solicit, negotiate for, or promise to accept private employment, nor should they render services for private interests or conduct a private business when such employment, service, or business creates a conflict with or impairs the proper discharge of their official duties.

4.   If a member serving in an advisory capacity is offered the position or decides to apply for the position, he or she should immediately withdraw as an advisor and in the interest of fairness and transparency, the position should be re-advertised.

Ethical scenarios from PM's Ethics Matter!

Encores, Fans, and Futures (2010)

How Can Managers Help Other Communities Recruit Managers? (2007)