ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 2561 COMPLIANCE:
CITY OF SAN JOSÉ VACANCY REPORT
March 25, 2025
Aram Kouyoumdjian
Director of Human Resources
and City Manager’s
Office of Employee Relations
ASSEMBLY BILL 2561:
FINDINGS
(1) Job vacancies in local government
are a widespread and significant
problem for the public sector.
(2) High job vacancies impact public
service delivery and subject
workers to heavier workloads.
(3) There is a statewide interest in
appropriate staffing for public
agency operations.
2 ASSEMBLY BILL 2561:
MANDATES
(1) Hold a public hearing at least once
per fiscal year to present the status
of vacancies, recruitment and
retention efforts, and obstacles in
the hiring process.
(2) Present additional information if
the vacancy rate in a bargaining
unit is at least 20%.
(3) Allow recognized employee
organizations for bargaining units
to make presentations at the
hearing.
3 CITYWIDE VACANCY RATE: 9.95%
* All Data as of December 31, 2024. *
7/29/20XX 4
CITYWIDE VACANCY RATE:
SUCCESS STRATEGIES
Comprehensive Campaign Directed by City Manager
• Coordination: Human Resources Department,
City Manager’s Office of Communications,
and Stakeholder Departments
• Focus: Hiring Goals and Outcomes by Department
• Approach: Multi-Pronged Outreach
• digital and social media
• radio/print advertising
• partnerships with professional groups,
educational institutions, and trade
associations
• in-person recruitment at career fairs
7/29/20XX 5
VACANCY
RATES BY
BARGAINING
UNIT
• 10 of 12 bargaining units
have vacancy rates below
11%; five are below 9%
• ALP has a vacancy rate of
6.25% and AMSP 5.63%
VACANCY
RATES OVER
20%
Park Ranger Classifications by FTE
IBEW Classifications by FTE
• Only two bargaining units, IBEW
(79 FTE) and POPRA (16.25 FTE),
have vacancy rates over 20%
• In these smaller bargaining units,
a few vacancies can account for
high vacancy rates
Employee orientation
11 2.25 33
0.75 1
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
Park Ranger Park Ranger Assistant Senior Park Ranger
Budgeted FTEs Vacant FTEs
IBEW Classification Titles
Vacant
FTEs
Budgeted
FTEs
Electrician 12.00 23.00
Industrial Electrician 4.00 11.00
Senior Electrician 1.00 12.00
VACANCY
RATES OVER
20%
Electricians
• Positions Filled at Airport
• Active Recruitments in Progress
for Public Works and
Transportation
• Longer-Term Pipeline:
Apprenticeship Program
Park Ranger (Series)
• Multiple Recruitments Completed
Over Past Two Years for Park
Ranger, Senior Park Ranger, and
Park Ranger Assistant
• New Recruitments for Park
Ranger, Senior Park Ranger,
Supervising Ranger, and Chief
Park Ranger – All Due to Open in
March
HIRING
EFFORTS
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
(1) MARKETING AND OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS
Digital and
Social Media
(e.g., LinkedIn
Recruiter,
Facebook,
Instagram)
Print and Radio Advertising
Partnerships with
Professional
Organizations,
Educational
Institutions, and
Trade
Associations
In-Person Events (Career and College Fairs)
9 RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
(2) COMPETITIVE WAGES AND BENEFITS
Recent Cost-of-Living
Adjustments (COLA)
~~~~~
6.0% in Year 1
5.0% in Year 2
3.5% in Year 3
~~~~~
Salary Adjustments
to 56 Classifications
to Mitigate
Recruitment /
Retention Challenges
and Salary
Compaction
Benefits Package
~~~~~
15 Holidays
Medical, Dental, Vision
Vacation and Sick Leave
Paid Parental Leave
Commuter Benefits
Employee Assistance
Program
Wellness Program
Retirement Plans
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
(3) HIRING PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS
New Hiring System – NeoGov – to Ease the Application Process Updates of Class Specifications and Reassessment of Minimum Qualifications to Align with Operational Needs
Reduction of “Clearance Points” with Central HR – e.g., Modifying Reference and Fingerprinting Processes
Five Temporary HR Positions to Support Hiring in Departments with High Vacancy Rates
OBSTACLES IN THE HIRING PROCESS
Shifts in the Labor Market
Emergence of the Gig Economy and Impacts of the Pandemic (“The Great Resignation”)
A Shrinking Labor Pool
Increasing Number of Jobs (Due to New Industries) and Decreasing Number of Employees (Due to Lower Birth Rates, Higher Retirements During COVID, and Reduced Immigration)
Fiscal Challenges
Status of City Budget, Slowdowns in Hiring, and Impact on Pipelines HR Staffing Levels
Demands of (1) Seasonal / Part-Time Hiring and (2) Filling Vacancies Created by Promotions
Competition with Private Sector
7/29/20XX 12
L
OOKING
F
ORWARD
(1) Broadening Digital Recruitment Infrastructure
(2) Revising Job Specifications to Update Relevant
Criteria and Eliminate Outdated Requirements
(3) Launching New Learning Management System
to Align Training Plans with Career Paths and
Prepare Employees for Promotional
Opportunities
(4) Meeting Employees’ Wellness and Safety
Needs in the Post-Pandemic Era
(5) Amplifying “One Team” Values, Employee
Engagement, and Championing Employees
13