HUMAN RESOURCES SERVICES
The Right Career, Right Here

FLEXIBLE STAFFING GUIDELINES

DEFINITION AND AUTHORITY

The Flexible Staffing Program allows an appointing authority to fill a budgeted position at any class level in the budget. The flexibly staffed class series are determined by the Assistant CAO/Human Resources, or his/her designee, and a current listing is maintained by the Central Human Resources Division.

OBJECTIVE

The flexible staffing program provides the appointing authority latitude in using different levels of classes appropriate to meet staffing needs, and facilitates the training and retention of employees hired at lower class levels within flexibly staffed class series. The department head is responsible for: a) maintaining the proper balance between duties and class level; b) providing training and supervision appropriate to the incumbent’s classification; c) establishing and documenting performance expectations and promotional criteria; and d) promoting employees based on achievement of promotional performance standards rather than merely upon time spent in the lower class level.

GENERAL APPLICATION

Under the flexible staffing program, an employee hired at any class level within a flexibly staffed series may be promoted, without examination, to a higher class level designated in that series, subject to the Administrative Guidelines of this program and the following: a) the incumbent meets the promotional performance standards and level of proficiency required for the higher class (including verification of required typing speed and/or other certification/licensing requirements); b) the incumbent has been employed in the lower level class for a minimum of ninety days; c) the department head certifies on the Personnel Action Form that the incumbent is performing satisfactorily in his/her current position and is recommended for promotion to the higher class; d) a position allocated and funded at the higher level is available; e) the department has a need for the duties performed at the level of the higher classification; and, f) the recruitment from which the employee was hired into the lower level class announced that incumbents may be promoted to a higher level of that flexibly staffed class series, subject to meeting the employment standards of the higher class and approval of the appointing authority.

The Assistant CAO-Human Resources shall maintain appropriate guidelines necessary to administer the flexible staffing program.

SPECIAL APPLICATION

Employees hired at any level of a flexibly staffed class series may be promoted to a higher level in that series subject to the Administrative Guidelines of this program and under the following circumstances:

1. Employees who laterally transfer into any level of a flexibly staffed class series pursuant to Section B.11 of the County’s Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution, or employees who demote into any level of a flexibly staffed class series.


2. Employees who are re-employed into any level of a flexibly staffed class series pursuant to Section B.5.2 of the County’s Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution.


3. Employees who are reappointed, as defined in Section B.5.6 of the County’s Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution into any level of a flexibly staffed class series.


4. Employees who were subject to layoff and were subsequently recalled or re-employed; employees who exercised their bumping rights under layoff, or who were involuntarily demoted in lieu of layoff. For these employees, prior time served in the series may be applied toward the 90-day minimum for promotion in the series.


5. Employees reclassified into any level of a flexibly staffed class series.


6. Employees who were certified on an eligible list at a higher level, but hired into a lower classification in the flexibly staffed class series

MAINTENANCE OF DESIGNATED FLEXIBLE STAFFING CLASS SERIES LIST

The Flexible Staffing Class Series List is maintained by the Assistant CAO/Human Resources or his/her designee.

To request amendment of the designated flexible staffing class series list, departments submit a memo to the Assistant CAO/Human Resources or his/her designee. The memo should include the justification for the request, and a description of:

• Employees who laterally transfer into any level of a flexibly staffed class series pursuant to Section B.11 of the County’s Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution, or employees who demote into any level of a flexibly staffed class series.


• The class concepts and the amount and type of on-the-job training required to advance through the various levels of the series.


• Promotional standards that will be used to evaluate incumbents for advancement.

The Assistant CAO/Human Resources or his/her designee is responsible for evaluating requests to amend the flexible staffing list and for publishing new listings whenever changes are made.

CRITERIA FOR REQUESTS TO AMEND FLEXIBLE STAFFING CLASS SERIES LIST

It is the philosophy of the County of Monterey that flexible staffing is appropriate where it allows movement from entry to journey level and/or movement from unlicensed to licensed without the requirement of a competitive recruitment process where all employees in the lower class are expected and able to promote to the journey level.

Flexible staffing to advanced-journey or lead level may be appropriate in certain class series and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

It is the intention of the County of Monterey that flexible staffing shall support the County’s diversity efforts and fair, open, and competitive recruitment processes, in conjunction with the County’s desire to grow and promote from within the current employee population.

The following questions should be considered when preparing the memorandum requesting the addition of a classification to the flexible staffing class series list.

1. Do departments typically block budget at the top level in the proposed flexible staffing class series? If the answer to this question is no, why is it appropriate to add this class to the list?


2. Do all employees progress to the top level based on performance? If the answer to this question is no, why is it appropriate to add this class to the list?


3. Is there a limited number of positions allocated at the higher level? If the answer to this question is yes, why is it appropriate to add this class to the list?


4. Does the top level of the proposed flexible staffing class series require skills that were not tested in the recruitment process at the lower level? If the answer to this question is yes, why is it appropriate to add this class to the list?


5. Does the proposed flexible staffing class series flex across bargaining units? If the answer to this question is yes, why is it appropriate to add this class to the list? (Note, this would be appropriate only in limited, highly unique circumstances.)

MONTEREY COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES

The following guidelines establish a consistent approach for applying the County’s flexible staffing program.

RECRUITMENT

Analysts may recruit and establish eligibility list(s) at one, any, or all levels of a designated flexible staffing class series. Analysts may use a single, or multiple recruitment flyer(s) and questionnaire(s) when recruiting at more than one class level. Analysts shall assign separate exam numbers for each class level, require applicants to submit separate application packets for each class level for which they wish to be considered, and utilize separate testing procedures.

Note: Candidates may not be hired at class levels higher than the class for which they have been certified.

“Incumbents appointed at this level of the career series may be promoted up to the next level of this career series subject to their meeting the employment standards for the [higher class] and a recommendation for their promotion by the appointing authority.”

Eligibility lists established through flexible staffing recruitment are subject to the “life-of-list” administrative guideline.

REFERRALS

Departments may request referral of candidates for consideration from one, any, or all levels of the flexible staffing class series. It is the responsibility of the analyst issuing the referral to make clear to the hiring authority the level(s) for which each candidate is certified and to inform him/her that candidates may not be hired at class levels higher than the class for which they have been certified. (In accordance with Monterey County policies and guidelines, candidates referred at a higher level may be appointed at a lower level in the class series with approval of the analyst provided there is no active eligible list for the lower level classification).

PROMOTIONS

1. Vacant Position Block Budgeted* Within Individual Department

*Employees progress to the top level based on performance Example – Deputy County Counsel I/II/III/IV

Under this scenario, there is no requirement to check utilization or announce the flex opportunity. The department shall submit a personnel action form (PA) to the Central Human Resources Division with the following statement in the Remarks field:

I, [manager or appointing authority name], certify that [employee’s name] is currently performing satisfactorily and recommend s/he be flexibly promoted to the class of [class title]

The Personnel Action Form processing clerk will verify the following:

1. That the appointing authority or his/her designee has certified on the PA that the employee is performing in a satisfactory manner and that the employee is being recommended for promotion;


2. That the employee was hired from a recruitment that announced the flexible staffing opportunity or that the employee fits into one of the special application provisions outlined in the flexible staffing program; and


3. That the employee has served in his/her current classification for a minimum of 90 days.

2. Vacant Position Not Block Budgeted* Within Individual Department

*More positions are budgeted at lower level in the series than at the level of the vacant position in the flex series

Example: Building Inspector I/II, Senior Building Inspector

Utilization and Availability:

The HR Analyst shall check Equal Opportunity report EEO 813 Job Groups Within Organizational Units to determine whether the vacant position is subject to selective certification.

a. Vacant position subject to selective certification

1. If utilization in the feeder class(es) is at or above availability within the department, the department may notify eligible employees of the flex opportunity as provided in this guideline.


2. If utilization in the feeder class(es) is below availability within the department, but County-wide utilization in the feeder class(es) is at or above availability, the department may open a competitive Promotional Only recruitment (open to current County employees and former County employees on a recall list) to fill the position.


3. If utilization in the feeder class(es) is below availability both within the department and County-wide, the department must open a competitive open recruitment to fill the position.


4. The Analyst may request a waiver from these requirements for special circumstances by submitting a memorandum to CAO/HR for concurrence. Requests which are supported by CAO/HR are then forwarded to the Equal Opportunity Officer for consideration and/or approval.

b. Vacant position not subject to selective certification

1. The department may notify eligible employees of the flex opportunity as provided in this guideline.

NOTIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES

Where selective certification does not apply, where utilization in the feeder class(es) is at or above availability within the department, or where the Equal Opportunity Officer has granted a waiver, all incumbents in the feeder class(es) in that department shall be made aware of the opportunity to flex to the higher position. The Notice must provide interested employees a minimum of five (5) business days to register their interest. The Notice must include:

1. A listing of materials that must be submitted in order to be considered for the promotional flex opportunity


2. The deadline by which employees must submit the required materials


3. The location and person to whom the employee must submit the required materials

Dissemination of the Notice must include, at a minimum, an email to all incumbents and physical posting of the promotional flex opportunity in a designated location(s) in the department’s work space(s).