Letters to the Editor
Agency Job-Postings a Sham

To the Editor:

I have read Brandon Ward's lengthy article in last week's issue in which he discusses recruitment fliers inter alia. His main contention is that recruitment fliers in 2008 are often a farce. I am sure he is right.

In the early 1980s I conducted a survey of all HRA recruitment fliers over a several-month period and ascertained that all the positions advertised for had been filled by illegally serving provisional employees prior to the posting of the fliers. Through the Freedom of Information Law I obtained the names of all people subsequently appointed to the advertised positions and ascertained that they had been in the positions prior to the posting of the flier.

In the late '80s I confronted the then-Commissioner William Grinker, and showed him a flier he had posted and gave him the name of the provisional appointed to the position who had been serving prior to the posting of the flier. Commissioner Grinder was candid to concede that I was correct and indicated that agencies "just go through the motions with recruitment fliers." This exchange was fully covered in the May 22, 1989 issue of the Local 371 newspaper "The Unionist."

The fact is that most recruitment fliers are a scam to conceal the hiring of illegally-serving provisionals usually appointed before the posting of the fliers. The only legitimate recruitment flier for any position, including a managerial position in the competitive civil service, is a flier that requires legitimate civil service status in the position being advertised for. The money squandered on phony recruitment fliers could best be spent on baskets of cheer for the illegal provisionals posting the phony ads.

Dr. GEORGE SILBERMAN, Retired Sup. III, Social Work