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City staff reports stable hiring: Sunnyvale vacancy rate ~7.6%; HR outlines recruitment tactics
Summary
Human Resources reported a mid‑April city vacancy rate of 7.6% (71.7 positions) with continued hiring, promotions and targeted recruitment; staff highlighted challenges in IT and dispatcher positions and steps to improve candidate participation.
As required by Assembly Bill 2561, Sunnyvale’s Human Resources Director Heather Ruiz presented an annual vacancy, recruitment and retention report at the May 19 council meeting. Using a mid‑April data snapshot, staff reported 978.02 authorized FTEs and 71.7 vacancies, a 7.6% vacancy rate. HR noted anything under about 10% is a healthy benchmark for an organization of Sunnyvale’s size.
HR described recruitment activity over the past year (roughly 148 hires/promotions in 2025, and 113 hires/promotions year‑to‑date through April 14) and highlighted key challenges in hiring for specialized Information Technology roles and communications/dispatcher positions, which are difficult statewide. Ruiz emphasized steps to improve recruitment and candidate experience: updated civil-service rules (2025), virtual interviews to increase participation, TestGenius for remote written testing, periodic review of minimum qualifications, and robust exit surveys.
Council members asked for additional follow-up data on turnover and the absolute numbers who left year-to-date; staff agreed to provide more details. Council unanimously accepted the vacancy report.
Outcome: Council accepted the AB2561-required vacancy and recruitment report; HR will provide supplemental turnover/exit data and continue recruitment work.
