In a statement released on Friday (13) the Cayman Islands Airport Authority (CIAA) have announced Janet E. Peters was interviewed, along with five Caymanian applicants for the position of chief human resources officer, in late July, in accordance with a process undertaken by the Ministry of District Administration, Tourism & Transport (DAT&T) on behalf of the CIAA, and has been awarded the position.

The statement from the authority said:

“The Ministry compiled an interview panel comprising its Human Resources Manager, independent Human Resources (HR). consultant from the private sector, the Human Resources Management Advisor for the Portfolio of the Civil Service as well as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the CIAA.

“Mrs. Peters was considered the ideal candidate as she possessed the requisite experience and professional qualifications required to achieve the strategic aspects of this position. However, she was recruited with the stipulation that within six months, the CIAA will recruit a Caymanian understudy to assume the post at the end of her two-year maximum contract, an arrangement that she also recently completed with another Governmental agency, where she mentored a Caymanian who has since assumed the role of Manager, Human Resources.

“The CIAA is committed to making this exceptional opportunity available to a Caymanian who will be developed to assume this role under the guidance of a qualified and experienced Chief Human Resources Officer.”

However, a group of Caymanians has circulated a letter of complaint concerning the appointment.

They said:

There was no need to hire a foreign worker to train a local when there were people already qualified for the position.

The former HR colleague of Peters at the department of tourism should not have been on the interview panel because of the perception of bias.

The local candidates were not informed they had been unsuccessful until the authority had made an application for a work permit for Peters.

“We are concerned,” they said, “this recruitment process is part of a wider problem in government where local workers are overlooked, mistreated and discriminated against on a daily basis and where civil service management in general is not prioritising the recruitment or promotion of Caymanians.

“The CIAA’s decision to seemingly disregard the opportunity to promote the hiring of qualified Caymanians comes when the Authority is under scrutiny for apparent mismanagement by the past CFO (a permit holder) and former Director.

“Everywhere Caymanians turn they are bypassed by a system designed to be more advantageous for foreigners, to the extent that we, the people of these islands have become the true visitors to our own country.

“We urge the community to stand up against the decision.”

However, the CIAA said a Caymanian currently holds the position of human resources manager and the new Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) duties are:

“The CHRO’s responsibilities will include oversight of all programmes, policies, processes and services that support the CIAA’s goal to attract, develop and retain a high-performing and diverse workforce.

“While the CIAA Board of Directors was not involved in the recruitment process, it nevertheless supports the Ministry’s interview panel’s decision to hire Mrs Peters and the CIAA’s submission for a work permit to be considered. The CIAA is proud of its current track record of having achieved a 100% Caymanian staff complement and will only recruit non-Caymanians when no suitably qualified Caymanians are available and the roles are considered essential to the achievement of the Authority’s strategic objectives.

“The CIAA, however, will remain committed to ensuring that Caymanians are given the mentoring necessary to assume those positions.”