HR director: county turnover high; Workday and new policies aim to improve hiring and retention

Donna Kinsey, the county’s HR director, introduced her HR team and summarized recent operational changes intended to modernize hiring and employee services, including broader use of Workday, new standard operating procedures and wellness offerings.

"We hired about 105 people in 2024," Kinsey said, and HR reported separations in 2024 totaled about 110. Kinsey told commissioners that HR’s 2024 turnover rate was about 19 percent and that year-to-date separations for 2025 were roughly 54. She said the county is "definitely above average" compared with other municipalities and emphasized exit interviews and Workday reporting as tools to identify problem areas and target retention efforts.

HR staff described three strategic objectives for the coming budget cycle: planning for sustainable growth, investing in learning and development (including tuition reimbursement) and retaining qualified staff through targeted recruiting and training. HR also said some hard-to-fill positions — correction officers, public health nurses and deputy road patrol — remain priorities.

In response to commissioner questions, Kinsey said separation interviews are treated confidentially and HR provides cumulative feedback to department heads so persistent issues can be identified and addressed. She confirmed Workday can produce department-level turnover reports and offered to bring workforce-planning dashboards to a future meeting.

Commissioners asked about annual performance evaluations and whether a formal process exists countywide. Kinsey said the county does not have a formal, uniform annual review process across all departments; evaluations and goals are often handled at the manager level.

The board did not adopt new HR policy at the study session but asked staff to return with workforce-planning materials and additional detail on retention strategies ahead of the 2026 budget process.