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Richmond HR reports lower turnover, expanded tuition assistance and next steps after 2025 engagement survey
Summary
City Human Resources Director Tyrone Alexander told the Governmental Operations Committee the department's efforts since 2023 have raised pay floors, expanded training and returned staff, while a 2025 engagement survey identified culture and communication issues that will be addressed in an action plan with the mayor's office and CAO.
Tyrone Alexander, Richmond's director of human resources, told the Governmental Operations Standing Committee that the city has reduced turnover and expanded career supports while preparing an action plan based on a new engagement survey.
Alexander said the city has pushed a number of personnel initiatives since a 2023 review led by former Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders and Deputy CAO Sabrina Dreyhott and conducted with the Southeastern Institute of Research (SIR). Those steps include a minimum wage of $20 per hour, participation in the Richmond Retirement System, an employee wellness clinic, and a tuition-assistance program in partnership with Reynolds Community College.
The HR director reported 129 employees had used tuition-assistance programs as of June 30, with 109 in the tuition-assistance stream (66 of those in public safety: 54 fire, 12 police). He also listed workforce-training outcomes: 10 employees received commercial driver's license training and seven completed HVAC training. Alexander said 537 people who had previously left city employment returned since January 2024, which he attributed to cultural and pay changes.
On staffing metrics, Alexander gave a projected turnover rate of 10.3% for the year, a separation rate excluding for-cause terminations near 8.1%, and a third-quarter vacancy rate around 15.3% (he said final aggregation may place it near 14.9%). He compared the current turnover figure favorably to pandemic-era highs, noting a decline from 15.7% in 2020'22 to the current projection.
Alexander summarized the April 14'29, 2025 SIR engagement survey, which drew about 810 respondents. He said SIR found employees "are deeply committed to serving their community," but that perceptions of leadership, workplace culture and trust vary by role; middle managers want more growth and support; and transparency and communications remain areas for improvement. Alexander said the mayor's office, the CAO and HR will develop an action plan based on the survey findings.
On training and development, Alexander described changes to onboarding, a new learning curriculum for leaders (covering interpersonal communication, performance management and unconscious bias), a switch of the learning management system to NEOGOV Learn, cohort-based new-leader orientation and a pilot electronic performance-management module (NEOGOV Perform) slated for beta testing in select departments.
Alexander also reported progress on audit items: he said he inherited 36 outstanding audit issues and has reduced them to six, with internal audit collaborating on items such as vehicle-utilization reviews. He said many of the remaining items have draft resolutions submitted to the auditor for further review.
Committee members asked for further details on the vacancy report and timing; Alexander said the HR team expects to finalize the quarterly vacancy report within roughly one to two weeks to meet a July 31 council ordinance timeline. He also said more focused follow-up (focus groups and targeted outreach) will be needed to understand the differences in trust and culture reported by frontline versus senior staff.
The director framed the department's next steps as implementing training and engagement activities already underway, completing the NEOGOV Perform pilot and working with the mayor's office and CAO to convert survey findings into a coordinated action plan.
