Post by Teddy Bear on May 27, 2014 17:13:06 GMT
You'd think that if their was a vacancy at the BBC for a particular position then by advertising nationally they would attract the most suitable people at the minimal cost.
But that's not good enough for the BBC. They have money to burn - OURS, and the cost is immaterial to them. They will just cut quality and content in their programming to balance the cost.
But that's not good enough for the BBC. They have money to burn - OURS, and the cost is immaterial to them. They will just cut quality and content in their programming to balance the cost.
BBC blows £500,000 to hire headhunters
So much for Lord Hall’s pledge to cut down on wanton extravagance when he became BBC Director-General in April last year.
The Corporation is under fire for spending almost £500,000 of licence-fee money on headhunters to help recruit senior staff.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that between November 2012 (when Hall’s appointment was announced) and March 2014, the BBC paid expensive executive search firms to find candidates for a handful of top roles.
Companies including the Zygos Group were retained at an average cost of almost £29,000 a month to recommend individuals that they considered suitable for the posts.
The BBC refused to name anyone hired as a result of this expenditure, fuelling accusations of ‘unjustifiable secrecy’ from Tory MP Alun Cairns, but insiders said they include former Labour MP James Purnell and former Times editor James Harding.
Purnell became the £295,000 head of Strategy and Digital in February 2013, while Harding joined in April last year as the £340,000 head of BBC news.
Cairns said: ‘This is a waste of money. The BBC is so well known that it should advertise vacancies in newspapers and on websites. Anyone seriously interested in working for the BBC would then apply.
‘I’m particularly concerned that it’s refusing to confirm which staff were hired as a result of paying these head-hunting firms. What is the BBC hiding?’
The Beeb admits it spent a total of £487,636 on headhunters during the 17-month period.
So much for Lord Hall’s pledge to cut down on wanton extravagance when he became BBC Director-General in April last year.
The Corporation is under fire for spending almost £500,000 of licence-fee money on headhunters to help recruit senior staff.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that between November 2012 (when Hall’s appointment was announced) and March 2014, the BBC paid expensive executive search firms to find candidates for a handful of top roles.
Companies including the Zygos Group were retained at an average cost of almost £29,000 a month to recommend individuals that they considered suitable for the posts.
The BBC refused to name anyone hired as a result of this expenditure, fuelling accusations of ‘unjustifiable secrecy’ from Tory MP Alun Cairns, but insiders said they include former Labour MP James Purnell and former Times editor James Harding.
Purnell became the £295,000 head of Strategy and Digital in February 2013, while Harding joined in April last year as the £340,000 head of BBC news.
Cairns said: ‘This is a waste of money. The BBC is so well known that it should advertise vacancies in newspapers and on websites. Anyone seriously interested in working for the BBC would then apply.
‘I’m particularly concerned that it’s refusing to confirm which staff were hired as a result of paying these head-hunting firms. What is the BBC hiding?’
The Beeb admits it spent a total of £487,636 on headhunters during the 17-month period.