Riverside County Human Resources Recruitment Process

In some departments, there appears to be a breakdown in communication between management and line staff regarding the recruitment process, particularly employees hired prior to the installation of the Resumix System. Many of these employees are unaware that they are required to update their resumes annually to be placed on a certified candidate list in order to compete for open positions either intra- departmentally or inter-departmentally.

Unknown to HR Recruiters, some hiring managers encourage “favored” employees to modify their resumes to mirror the CRF’s job requirements to ensure a higher position on the candidate list.

In some cases, management will forego the open recruitment process by filling promotional positions with inter-departmental transfers and/or Temporary Assistance Pool (TAP) employees. This is contrary to County Ordinance 440, Section 6(a) entitled Employment Procedures and the Riverside County Human Resources Department New Employee Handbook (Merit System). Grand Jury interviews indicate that these practices have significantly lowered employee morale.

The Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) recruitment process for social workers may take up to two (2) months from requisition to hire. Due to the prolonged process many applicants may accept employment elsewhere.

Based on information furnished to the Grand Jury from the Auditor-Controller’s Office, the cost of utilizing the QWIZ assessment testing for fiscal year 2002-03, including a $99 training fee for one employee, was $510,699. In fiscal year 2003-04, the cost was $250,000 making the total cost for both years $760,699. 2

The County of Riverside Board of Supervisors Policy A-18 5(a) Procedures states: “Subject to the availability of funds, the department head shall prepare a request for proposal which shall include specifications, conditions and any other requirements deemed necessary for the provision of such services.” PROCEDURES FOR CONTRACTING FOR PROFESSIONAL OR PERSONAL SERVICES (f) “Pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 25502.5(a), the County Purchasing Agent may process and execute contracts for personal and professional services which do not exceed, in aggregate, the appropriate statutory limit, currently $100,000. This policy, however, shall limit such contracting authority of the Purchasing Agent to $25,000 without prior Board approval if the contract was not competitively bid.” The Grand Jury could find no evidence that a Request For Proposal (RFP) or a request for purchase had been submitted on a **Form 11 to the Board of Supervisors for approval. **A Form 11 is a standard request form used for all requests for Board of Supervisors action. 3