Richmond HR reports turnover down to 10.3%; details training, tuition-assistance and onboarding plans

Tyrone Alexander, Richmond’s director of human resources, told the Governmental Operations Standing Committee that the city’s projected turnover rate is 10.3% and that the department is expanding training, tuition assistance and onboarding to retain and develop staff.

The report, delivered by Alexander to the committee, said the Human Resources department has pursued recommendations from a 2023 review led by former CAO Lincoln Saunders and Deputy CAO Sabrina Dreyhalt with support from the Southeastern Institute of Research (SIR). Alexander said the 2023 review centered on six pillars: culture and employee engagement, recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits, professional development and performance accountability.

Alexander listed recent outcomes tied to that strategy: a city-wide minimum wage increase to $20 an hour, participation in the Richmond Retirement System, the opening of an employee wellness and health clinic, tuition-assistance partnerships with Reynolds Community College, a language-access program, and an employee-referral program. He said 537 former city employees have returned since January 2024 following changes to benefits and pay structures, and that 129 employees have participated in tuition-assistance and related college programs as of June 30; 109 of those used the tuition-assistance program, including 66 in public-safety roles (54 in fire, 12 in police).

On training, Alexander said the department revamped new-leader orientation, launched a learning curriculum to address gaps for leaders and aspiring leaders, moved its learning management system to NEOGOV Learn, and is beta-testing the NEOGOV Perform electronic performance-management module with several departments (HR, Planning/Development/Review, Parks and Recreation, the Office of the Mayor and the council chief of staff). He described a new leader cohort program, a four-month blended-learning “summer boot camp” for supervisors, CDL and HVAC training for skilled trades, and a mayor’s 10-week fellow program that this year employs 10 college students.

Alexander also summarized engagement and retention metrics: a projected 10.3% turnover rate for the year, a separation rate (excluding terminations for cause) near 8.1%, and a third-quarter vacancy rate around 15.3% while final data are aggregated. He described the April engagement survey fielded April 14–29 with about 810 respondents and the headline themes SIR identified: strong commitment to community service, variable perceptions of leadership and trust by role, workplace culture challenges in some departments, managers seeking growth and support, and a need for improved transparency and communication. "Employees are deeply committed to serving their community," Alexander said when summarizing a key survey theme.

Alexander said the HR office inherited 36 outstanding audit items when he arrived and has reduced that backlog to six, and he told the committee the department expects to finalize outstanding vacancy and turnover reports in the coming week to meet an ordinance-driven July 31 reporting timeline for council. He also said the department plans to provide updated vacancy reporting to the committee in October.

Committee members asked about how the city compares to national public-sector turnover norms and how staff will elicit candid feedback from frontline employees; Alexander said the city’s turnover sits near the low end of a 10–15% national range for local government and that focus groups and follow-up work with the CAO’s office will be used to deepen the survey findings.

The presentation did not include committee action; it was an informational update to the Governmental Operations Standing Committee.