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Sunnyvale council accepts annual vacancy report; HR outlines hiring tools and compensation study
Summary
City human resources staff briefed the council on the annual vacancy, recruitment and retention report required by Assembly Bill 2561; council voted 7‑0 to accept the report and staff described steps including remote testing, a classification/compensation study and employee engagement work.
The Sunnyvale City Council on April 8 accepted the city’s annual report on vacancies, recruitment and retention — a presentation required by Assembly Bill 2561 — and directed staff to continue recruitment and classification work intended to improve hiring and retention.
HR presentation highlights Human Resources Director Tina Murphy told the council the city’s current authorized full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) count is 956.68 and reviewed bargaining units and vacancy rates by group. Murphy said no bargaining unit had a vacancy rate above the 20% threshold that would trigger additional bargaining‑unit presentations under AB 2561; the largest represented group, the Sunnyvale Employees Association (IFPTE Local 21), showed an 8.7% vacancy rate in the presentation. The Communication Officers Association (dispatch) showed a filled staffing level with a 0% vacancy rate in the pay‑period snapshot presented.
Tools and steps underway Murphy and HR staff described multiple initiatives to shorten recruitment timelines and improve candidate experience: updated civil‑service rules and a refreshed recruitment and classification policy (in meet‑and‑confer), a “how‑to-apply” video on the city website, remote exam capability using a TestGenius platform, and a forthcoming management classification and compensation study that is the first such review for management positions since the early 2000s.
Other details: HR said the city added 21.5 FTE last July, explained that vacancy percentages can fluctuate with new positions, and noted planned work on onboarding and an employee engagement survey launched the week of the meeting.
Council action Councilmember Richard Mellinger moved and the council unanimously approved accepting the vacancy report (7‑0). The motion was procedural acceptance of the AB 2561 report; no additional budget action was taken.
Ending Councilmembers asked follow‑up questions about hard‑to‑fill classifications such as environmental services, engineers and certain public‑safety roles, and staff said they are using targeted outreach, occasional executive recruiters for senior roles and new platforms to improve recruitment success.
