Benton County reports faster hiring, plans AFSCME market study and a pharmacy benefit carve‑out
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Summary
County HR said time-to-hire fell 16% to 55 days and that an AFSCME‑mandated market study and an RFP will be launched; staff also detailed a pharmacy benefit manager change projected to save roughly $655,000 in the first year of implementation.
Benton County human resources staff reported July 16 that the county’s average time from job posting to hire has declined 16% to 55 days, and outlined steps intended to keep that trend moving.
The HR presentation, introduced by Tammy of the HR team, showed the 55‑day average and offered 45 days as a plausible internal target if recruitment processes run smoothly. “Our average time to hire has gone down, by 16% to 55 days,” Tammy said, adding that some specialized roles — notably deputy district attorneys and law‑enforcement positions — remain difficult to fill and will require targeted advertising or incentives.
HR also described the next steps under the county’s contract with AFSCME. The contract requires a market study; HR said it will solicit an RFP to hire a provider, review benchmark positions and coordinate with AFSCME leadership on any positions the union wishes to include. Staff said the study must begin earlier than November and no later than March so any adjustments could be implemented at the start of the next fiscal year.
On employee benefits, HR described a plan to carve out the county’s pharmacy benefit to a consortium pharmacy benefit manager, National Cooperative RX. Staff projected first‑year savings of about $655,000 beginning in 2026 and said the change could reduce claims costs and reserves over time while offering additional employee services such as a pharmacy concierge and a larger formulary.
Commissioners and finance staff pressed on how the projected pharmacy savings would affect FY27 rate‑setting. HR and finance said the benefit would be factored into rate calculations, though full realization of savings will phase in as claims from the old benefit run off in 2025 and savings become more evident in 2026.
HR closed with operational updates: two business‑specialist vacancies, a positive report on recent online benefits enrollment led by Joe Missler, and ongoing efforts to improve recruitment and reporting. Staff offered to provide further breakdowns (by department and position) on vacancy factors and processing costs if commissioners request them.
The board moved on to finance items after the HR briefing.