Davidson County weighs recruiters and fingerprinting delays as DSS seeks dozens of hires
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Human Resources and DSS told Davidson County commissioners Nov. 6 that external recruiters have supplied dozens of candidates for hard‑to‑fill social‑service roles but that a new state fingerprinting requirement is lengthening the pre‑employment timeline.
County human resources and DSS leaders updated the board on recruitment efforts and hiring barriers at the Nov. 6 meeting, focusing on the Department of Social Services’ need to fill child‑welfare posts and the operational impact of a new state fingerprinting requirement.
Tony (Human Resources) summarized vendor activity: HireHealth, a subscription‑based talent‑acquisition service, reported 19 hires into county positions and 4 subsequent separations (about 15 current employees attributable to the vendor during the contract period). Goodwin, a contingency‑fee recruiter previously used by the county, had produced eight hires earlier in the year but showed a lower current yield; commissioners instructed staff to consider ending the Goodwin arrangement and limiting or reducing scope if it is not producing placements.
DSS Director Trish Baker said the most critical vacancies are in CPS (child protective services); the department reported roughly 33 vacancies county‑wide, with about 15 in CPS. Baker and HR staff emphasized that much of the county applicant‑tracking and interview scheduling burden falls on DSS leadership and that the recruiters supplement activity by actively searching candidate pools, contacting applicants and returning candidates who applied earlier but were not immediately processed.
HR and DSS staff highlighted a new state fingerprinting requirement effective Oct. 1 that requires FBI/State checks for anyone with contact with minors. That process can add roughly two weeks (or longer) to the pre‑employment timeline and, in some cases, delay starting dates for critical positions.
Commissioners asked whether the county should hire an in‑house talent acquisition specialist instead of using contractors. Staff said an in‑house recruiter would likely cost a comparable amount annually (salary + benefits) to the current subscription but that recruiters currently provide technology and outreach the county lacks. Commissioners instructed staff to negotiate with HireHealth to reduce the number of concurrent open positions covered (for example, from 10 to 5) and to return with a six‑month performance update and cost‑benefit analysis. No change to contracts was approved at the meeting.