New Castle County executive committee hears workforce diversity report; HR recommends recruitment pipelines and tech upgrades

New Castle County’s Executive Committee heard a countywide workforce diversity presentation from Chief Human Resources Officer Dr. Dustin Blakey on April 8, 2025, outlining demographic trends from 2019–2024 and recommending recruitment partnerships, an upgraded applicant-tracking system, updated job descriptions and a salary study.

The presentation, led by Dr. Blakey and data lead Yanni Floropoulos, provided a department-by-department snapshot of the county workforce. Floropoulos said total nonwhite representation rose to 33.98% in 2024 from roughly 27.2% in 2019—an increase of about 6.8 percentage points—and that males represented about 61.5% of employees (928 employees reported). He also said part-time roles skewed toward women, with about 60.58% of part‑time employees female, while large departments such as public works and public safety remained majority male.

Why it matters: Council members said workforce composition affects public service delivery and representation. Several asked for clearer benchmarks comparing county hires to working‑age residents and for data that distinguishes hires, applicants and promotions, not just head counts. Council members also raised concerns about recruitment and internal promotion pipelines in public works and public safety.

Major findings and context - Countywide trends: Floropoulos said the county recovered to and slightly exceeded pre‑COVID staffing levels, with an overall increase in hires…