Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
Subject
SUBJECT: OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT ON METRO PERSONNEL HIRING PROCESS STUDY
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) report on Metro Personnel Hiring Practices Study
Issue
ISSUE
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) serves as the planner, coordinator, and operator of the public transportation system for the Los Angeles region. Metro is undertaking one of the largest construction programs in the country, and seeks to expediate the study, planning and building of its ambitious programs to address the current needs of the community. Accomplishment of its objective requires the prompt filling of every vacancy with staff prepared to act with a sense of urgency.
Background
BACKGROUND
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, the Metro Board authorized 1,680 non-contract positions. Metro has two tracks for hiring people: one is posting and hiring of new applicants and the other is interviewing and selecting from an existing qualified candidate pool from a former posting. The hiring process is a little faster when there is already a qualified pool. The purpose of this review is to determine if Metro’s hiring policies, procedures, and process are efficient and effective to satisfy the needs of the departments to proceed on an expedited basis to carry out the Board’s directives.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
To fully analyze the process and compare it to industry practices, the OIG engaged the services of a well qualified team of human resources specialists. Our review found that Metro’s hiring process consists of both industry-leading strengths and opportunities for improvement. The organization’s commitment to equity is integrated in its value system through clear communication from Executive Leadership, its policies, and its hiring process. Metro values and promotes diversity and inclusion from the start of the hiring process to the end, and that message is clear throughout the organization. The relationship between stakeholders in the hiring process (e.g., Talent Acquisition [TA] staff, candidates, Hiring Managers) is, with few exceptions, symbiotic and positive. At the conclusion of the hiring process, the individual filling the vacancy is qualified and is someone with whom the hiring manager is pleased. Although Metro’s hiring process accomplishes its organizational goals, the process is found to be inefficient, consisting of lengthy times-to-hire, manual and paper-based activities, and numerous and redundant steps that is frustrating to hiring managers and sometimes results in the loss of desirable candidates.
This review was focused on analyzing the hiring processes for the 315 non-contract, full-time employees who were hired, externally or internally, from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 (Metro’s Fiscal Year 2019). This study did not cover contract employees, which comprise the majority of Metro’s 10,219 full time employees (FTEs), nor did it cover employees hired prior to, or after, FY 2019.
On May 15, 2020, Human Capital and Development (HCD) submitted their response to the recommendations on the draft report dated April 28, 2020. Our consultant’s reply to their comments is shown on the following pages (please see the paragraphs highlighted in yellow and described as “Project Team Response”). We took some of HCD comments into consideration and updated our report in certain respects.
This report made a total of 28 recommendations to improve the Metro personnel hiring process. We believe these improvements are appropriate to achieve notwithstanding the impacts that the Covid-19 period may have had on the hiring activity of the agency.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of the recommendations in this report does not increase the financial impact on the agency. However, by acting on these recommendations, Metro can expect to obtain the following benefits: (1) decreased time-to-hire, (2) increased effectiveness, (3) improved candidate experience, and (4) decreased risk / liability
Impact to Budget
None
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendations in this report support Metro’s 28 by 28 Strategic Plan Goal 5, “Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization”.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Metro management should consider adoption of the recommendations proposed in this report
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Personnel Hiring Process Study
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Asuncion Dimaculangan, Senior Auditor, (213) 244-7311
Yvonne Zheng, Senior Manager, Audit, (213) 244-7301
George Maycott, Interim Senior Director, Inspector General Audit
(213) 244-7310
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Karen Gorman, Inspector General, (213) 922-2975