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County HR audit finds inconsistent practices, recommends contracted HR director and standardized onboarding
Summary
An independent HR review for Curry County identified eight themes — from succession and payroll risk to inconsistent onboarding and discipline documentation — and recommended an off-site contracted HR director supported by an on-site coordinator, an employee handbook, SOP library, wage analysis and department-head training.
Consultants presenting the Curry County human-resources review told commissioners the county’s HR operations show common rural-county weaknesses and several legally relevant gaps that should be addressed through prioritized reforms.
Amanda, the consultant who led the audit, said the report identified eight top themes, beginning with structure and capacity: two staff currently shoulder most HR duties, there is unclear role ownership and no clear succession or backup for payroll and other critical functions. “There is a recommendation to consider a dedicated standalone and contracted HR role that does not sit in Curry County, be complemented by an HR coordinator,” Amanda told the board.
The review recommended standardizing countywide policies and replacing the dated ‘‘personnel rules’’ with an accessible employee handbook and a centralized SOP library to cover the employee lifecycle: hiring, onboarding, performance management, discipline and separation. Amanda said recruiting is difficult in Curry County and recommended clearer job descriptions, interview tools tailored to specific roles and a compensation analysis to address pay equity and Oregon Equal Pay Act compliance.
Emily Frell, LGPS chief of operations and managing attorney on the project, emphasized the legal risks tied to inconsistent hiring, discipline and documentation. “These are legal risk factors as well,” she said, citing possible claims under state rules if veterans’ preference, equal-pay requirements or progressive-discipline protections are not applied consistently.
On onboarding, presenters recommended a short-term standardized program and 30/60/90-day milestones to make countywide expectations consistent across departments. For performance management they urged a formal annual review process, standardized criteria and progressive-discipline documentation aligned to collective bargaining agreements when applicable.
Other recommendations included mandatory department-head training on CBA administration and supervision, a secondary payroll-approval process, and a formal employee-concern reporting pathway with timelines and follow-up. Presenters asked the board to prioritize the recommendations and identify the most “leverable” steps to include in the upcoming budget cycle.
Commissioners said they expect to review priorities as part of upcoming budget work and asked staff and the consultants to identify short-term actions with the largest impact that could be started quickly.
