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Kent County HR reports improved onboarding scores, flags succession risk
Summary
Human resources staff told the Kent County Operations and Policy Committee that onboarding satisfaction and applicant numbers rose in 2024, while the department warned of near-term retirements among HR managers and upcoming union wage reopeners.
Amy, a human resources presenter for Kent County, delivered the department's annual performance measurement review to the Board of Commissioners' Operations and Policy Committee on April 15, saying the HR team of 16 people (two vacancies) supports about 2,000 active employees and a similar number of retirees.
"We have a small but mighty team," Amy said, adding the department organizes its work in five areas: employment, labor and employee relations, benefits, retirement services and one position in learning and development. She told commissioners HR tracks four strategic goals: improve efficiency and effectiveness, provide balanced pay and benefits, recruit quality staff for county services and sustain a culture consistent with county values.
The presentation highlighted several measurable improvements and initiatives. Amy said the onboarding average score has risen over time and reported a county values score of 3.52 on a 4.0 scale from onboarding surveys. About 80 people completed the 2024 onboarding survey, she said. The department also replaced its learning management system with Meridian in fall 2024 and added targeted benefits such as Maven (a virtual maternal and family-care app) and voluntary pet insurance.
Amy described a recent retiree health-care plan transition for Medicare-eligible retirees that aimed to match previous coverage while improving efficiency. Michelle Belkom (referenced by Amy) led the replacement; Amy said the county aligned plan design and provider networks to minimize disruption for retirees.
Jeff, a county staff member, addressed the funding status of the county's retiree health vehicle. "If I had to guess, I think we're almost 70% funded," Jeff told commissioners, and added that Kent County is not considered underfunded under the state's process.
Commissioners used the discussion to press for details on survey timing, benchmarking and recruitment tactics. Commissioner Faber asked when onboarding surveys are administered; Amy said the county shifted timing in about 2023 from three months after hire to roughly one month after hire with the new system. Commissioner Paclaw asked whether applicant counts per posting are tracked; Amy said the county saw a marked increase in average applicants per posting in 2024 compared with 2023 and cited employee referral bonuses and networking as top recruitment successes.
Amy also flagged succession planning as a major concern: four HR managers are nearing retirement eligibility — three are immediately eligible and a fourth within two years — and the department is pursuing knowledge transfer and cross-functional planning. She said wage reopeners for the county's nine union contracts will begin in 2026.
On pet insurance, Amy said the benefit was offered after a conversation with the animal shelter director about people surrendering pets because of unaffordable veterinary care; adoption of the voluntary benefit has been slow and staff plan to promote it more actively.
The presentation concluded with a brief outline of upcoming HR priorities: leadership development, onboarding improvements using the new LMS, succession planning, updating the county's total rewards philosophy and continued IT partnerships to streamline HR processes.
Ending: Commissioners thanked HR staff for the report and asked staff to return with follow-up details on benchmarking and recruitment metrics as requested during the meeting.
