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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 08b - Recruitment Efforts Report STAFF REPORT HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT DATE: January 20, 2026 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Anely Williams, Human Resources Director By: Sairy Stepanian, Human Resources Manager SUBJECT: REPORT ON VACANCIES, RECRUITMENT, AND RETENTION EFFORTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH ASSEMBLY BILL 2561 CEQA: Not a Project Recommendation: Receive and File SUMMARY In accordance with California Assembly Bill 2561 (“AB 2561”), public agencies are required to hold at least one public hearing each fiscal year to discuss efforts related to retention, vacancies, and recruitment. In compliance with AB 2561, this report discusses and provides an overview of the City’s efforts as it pertains to vacancies, recruitment, retention initiatives, and any identified impediments to the recruitment process for the preceding 2025 Calendar Year. There is no fiscal impact associated with this item, and it is recommended that the City Council receive and file the report. BACKGROUND An amendment to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (“MMBA”), AB 2561, effectuated on January 1, 2025, has created obligations for public agencies to report and present to the agency’s governing body on the status of vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts during a public hearing at least once per fiscal year, prior to the adoption of the agency’s budget. AB 2561 requires that the City present information regarding the status of vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts, as well as identify any internal practices or procedural issues that may hinder the timely filling of vacancies. During the public hearing, each of the recognized employee organizations representing the five Report on Vacancies, Recruitment, and Retention Efforts January 20, 2026 Page 2 of 5 bargaining units is afforded the opportunity to make a presentation concerning vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts. DISCUSSION The following chart reflects the City’s vacancy data as of January 1, 2026, across the five bargaining units as well as the unrepresented employees’ fringe benefits resolution, identified by the category marked as “Other.” Vacancies as of January 1, 2026 Group Budgeted Full- Time Positions Number of Vacancies Vacancy Rate ACEA 67 1 2% AFFA 49 3 6% APOA 63 7 11% APCEA 21 3 14% APWEA 46 5 11% OTHER 68 7 10% Total 314 26 8% To ensure a successful recruitment processes and to address the unique needs of each department, the Human Resources Department collaborates and engages in active partnership with all City Departments throughout each recruitment. This includes, but is not limited to, discussions related to timelines, examination components, appropriate test materials, and marketing and promotional efforts. In order to maximize available resources and increase success throughout the recruitment and hiring process, the Human Resources Department periodically reviews and refines its efforts in the following areas: Recruitment Process • Improving the application process and recruitment timelines to ensure a timely production of eligibility lists; • Refinement of the pre-employment processes to ensure a swift and compliant process for the timely onboarding of selected candidates; • Refinement of job flyers to promote and highlight the organization’s culture and benefit offerings; Report on Vacancies, Recruitment, and Retention Efforts January 20, 2026 Page 3 of 5 • Strengthening of marketing and outreach strategies and continued presence at local and relevant career fairs to promote the City. Retention Efforts • Promotion of employee engagement through the City’s Wellness Program to encourage physical, mental, and financial wellness; • Organization and coordination of new employee introduction sessions to introduce newly hired employees to all City Departments to expand their knowledge of various City operations for a successful and comprehensive onboarding process; • Whenever possible, the City supports employee growth through promotional opportunities, either through the promotional examination process or the flexible staffing procedure, in compliance with presiding Personnel Rules and Regulations. As part of the City’s obligations under AB 2561, the Human Resources Department has identified the following areas that may pose obstacles in the hiring process. Measures have been implemented to mitigate and/or reduce the impact of these obstacles: • Candidate absenteeism: It is somewhat common for candidates to not show up to their interview appointment. This creates gaps in the interview schedule, leading to inefficiencies, and also decreases the candidate pool. o Implemented measure: The recruitment team reaches out to candidates by phone to coordinate interview appointments and sends a follow-up email reminder. This supports a stronger relationship with candidates and enables them to notify the City if they are withdrawing from the process, which allows the City to contact other qualified candidates to coordinate an appointment to fill the gaps in the interview schedule. • Examination turnaround time: When a recruitment process includes an interview component and a written/practical component, the examination process tends to be longer to allow for the completion of all test parts. o Implemented measure: To conduct an efficient examination process whenever possible, the Human Resources Department administers both components of an examination process on the same day. This Report on Vacancies, Recruitment, and Retention Efforts January 20, 2026 Page 4 of 5 allows for a condensed timeline that results in the swift establishment of eligibility lists. • Impending vacancies: When a long-tenured employee separates or retires from the City, the resulting vacancy can be challenging to fill due to the loss of institutional knowledge. o Implemented measure: Whenever operationally feasible and when adequate notice is provided by the outgoing employee, the Human Resources Department collaborates with the impacted Department to conduct proactive recruitments. This ensures that an eligibility list is established by the time the employee retires, which ensures a timely filling of the resulting vacancy. • Perceived lack of flexibility: Employment in the public sector is often perceived as rigid and lacking flexibility. o Implemented measure: As part of promotional and marketing efforts and whenever operationally feasible, access to telework opportunities are highlighted. AB 2561 requires that when vacancies within a single bargaining unit reach or exceed 20% of the unit’s total authorized full-time positions, the City must, upon request from the recognized employee organization, present additional information at the public hearing. This information includes the total number of vacancies, the number of applicants, the average time required to fill positions, and potential strategies to improve employee compensation and working conditions within the bargaining unit. No bargaining unit within the City of Arcadia met the 20% vacancy threshold, therefore, the additional information is not included in this report. The City will continue to review recruitment and retention practices and implement feasible improvements to fulfill its commitment to filling vacancies as efficiently as possible. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), based on Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, as it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Report on Vacancies, Recruitment, and Retention Efforts January 20, 2026 Page 5 of 5 FISCAL IMPACT There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the report on vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and receive and file this report in compliance with Assembly Bill 2561. Attachment: Assembly Bill 2561 Text SHARE THIS:Date Published: 09/23/2024 09:00 PM AB-2561 Local public employees: vacant positions.(2023-2024) Assembly Bill No. 2561 CHAPTER 409 An act to add Section 3502.3 to the Government Code, relating to public employment. [ Approved by Governor September 22, 2024. Filed with Secretary of State September 22, 2024. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2561, McKinnor. Local public employees: vacant positions. Existing law, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (act), authorizes local public employees, as defined, to form, join, and participate in the activities of employee organizations of their own choosing for the purpose of representation on matters of labor relations. The act requires the governing body of a public agency to meet and confer in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment with representatives of recognized employee organizations and to consider fully presentations that are made by the employee organization on behalf of its members before arriving at a determination of policy or course of action. This bill would, as specified, require a public agency to present the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts at a public hearing at least once per fiscal year, and would entitle the recognized employee organization to present at the hearing. If the number of job vacancies within a single bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized full-time positions, the bill would require the public agency, upon request of the recognized employee organization, to include specified information during the public hearing. By imposing new duties on local public agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also include related legislative findings. The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions for costs mandated by the state pursuant to this act, but would recognize that a local agency or school district may pursue any available remedies to seek reimbursement for these costs. Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: yes Home Bill Information California Law Publications Other Resources My Subscriptions My Favorites THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares as follows: (a) Job vacancies in local government are a widespread and significant problem for the public sector affecting occupations across wage levels and educational requirements. (b) High job vacancies impact public service delivery and the workers who are forced to handle heavier workloads, with understaffing leading to burnout and increased turnover that further exacerbate staffing challenges. (c) There is a statewide interest in ensuring that public agency operations are appropriately staffed and that high vacancy rates do not undermine public employee labor relations. SEC. 2. Section 3502.3 is added to the Government Code, to read: 3502.3. (a) (1) A public agency shall present the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts during a public hearing before the governing board at least once per fiscal year. (2) If the governing board will be adopting an annual or multiyear budget during the fiscal year, the presentation shall be made prior to the adoption of the final budget. (3) During the hearing, the public agency shall identify any necessary changes to policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process. (b) The recognized employee organization for a bargaining unit shall be entitled to make a presentation at the public hearing at which the public agency presents the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts for positions within that bargaining unit. (c) If the number of job vacancies within a single bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20 percent of the total number of authorized full-time positions, the public agency shall, upon request of the recognized employee organization, include all of the following information during the public hearing: (1) The total number of job vacancies within the bargaining unit. (2) The total number of applicants for vacant positions within the bargaining unit. (3) The average number of days to complete the hiring process from when a position is posted. (4) Opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions. (d) This section shall not prevent the governing board from holding additional public hearings about vacancies. (e) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of this section or its application is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. (f ) For purposes of this section, “recognized employee organization” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 3501. SEC. 3. The Legislature finds and declares that Section 2 of this act, which adds Section 3502.3 to the Government Code, furthers, within the meaning of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the purposes of that constitutional section as it relates to the right of public access to the meetings of local public bodies or the writings of local public officials and local agencies. Pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the Legislature makes the following findings: It is in the public interest, and it furthers the purposes of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section (3) of Article I of the California Constitution, to ensure that information concerning public agency employment is available to the public. SEC. 4. No reimbursement shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code for costs mandated by the state pursuant to this act. It is recognized, however, that a local agency or school district may pursue any remedies to obtain reimbursement available to it under Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) and any other law.