Budget Amendment Two Additional Positions in Human ResourcesCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
Action Items # 7.
Copyrighted
December 20, 2021
ITEM TITLE: Budget Amendment Two Additional Positions in Human Resources
Department
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending two additional positions in the Human
Resources Department to complete the volume of work and to provide
the level of customer service that is needed.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Budget Amendment Two Additional Positions in Human City Manager Memo
Resources Department-MVM Memo
Staff Memo Staff Memo
THE CITY
DUOF
B TEE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Dubuque
All -America City
IN
2007.2012.2013
2017*2019
SUBJECT: Budget Amendment Two Additional Positions in Human Resources
Department
DATE: December 17, 2021
Human Resources Director Shelley Stickfort has completed review of the staffing needs
of the Human Resources Department. She is recommending two additional positions to
complete the volume of work and to provide the level of customer service that is
needed.
In the current fiscal year, FY2022, the two positions will be funded from remaining
balance from closing out Fiscal Year 2021. For Fiscal Year 2023 and beyond the
positions will be incorporated into the general fund operating budget, including
administrating overhead payments from the enterprise funds. With the performance of
the local option sales tax and the Dubuque Racing Association amended lease there
will be adequate funds for these new positions.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Shelley Stickfort, Human Resource Director
Jennifer Larson, Budget & Finance Director
THE CITY OF
DUJBWE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager
Dubuque
Human Resources Department
City Hall
50 West 13th Street
All ME�Ipf�gt
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Dubuque, IA 52001-4805
Office (563) 589-4125
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Fax (563) 690-6025
TTY (563) 690-6678
2007*2012*2013
humanresources@cityofdubuque.org
2017*2019
www.cityofdubuque.org
FROM: Shelley M. Stickfort, Director of Human Resources
DATE: December 17, 2021
RE: Human Resources Staffing Plan
INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this memorandum is to explain the need for and request
approval for additional Human Resources department staffing to best perform a more full -service
scope of Human Resources services.
BACKGROUND:
Depending upon which professional source is referenced, the usual number of Human Resources
staff for an organization ranges from 1.5 to 2.57 per 100 employees within an organization. The
City employs close to 750 regular employees and that number balloons to over 1,100 employees
from April through November of each year for temporary, seasonal positions. According to and
using the generally accepted ratio of human resources staff to employee numbers, the City should
have somewhere between nine and fourteen full-time human resources staff carrying out human
resources scope roles. The City currently has five staff within Human Resources. Four are full-
time and one is roughly half-time.
The roles that are performed by human resources staff depend in large part on whether the
organization is a "people operation" or a "product operation." People organizations such as the
City, where what we do is provide services and not make widgets, require their human resources
team to be have highly skilled staff members with a focus on the employee experience. The idea
being that the more highly skilled, engaged, and competent, in both technical and soft skills, our
employees are, the more efficient and highly performing those employees will be in providing high
quality services to the residents. The main job/role of human resources is to improve human
resources' processes, functions, and services to better the quality of work of our employees. While
recruiting or fair and equitable hiring (talent acquisition) is the most commonly thought of role for
a human resources department, an organization involved in people operations needs significantly
more than just staff skilled in recruiting. The City also needs human resources staff skilled in
cohesive onboarding, employee training and development programs, employee experience roles
(e.g., creating compelling and engaging experiences for employees to improve engagement,
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
retention, and productivity, managing and resolving employee concerns to support initiatives
regarding culture organizational change, and organizational effectives), and benefits,
compensation and labor/union knowledge and skill sets.
The City's Human Resources department transitioned a full-time "talent acquisition specialist"
(titled "Strategic Workforce Equity Coordinator/SWEC) previously "housed" within the Human
Rights department to the Human Resources department on December 1, 2019, and has a full-time
Director, a full-time benefits transaction position (title is Human Resources Assistant), a full-time
secretary/receptionist, and a part-time secretary. The City's Human Resources Department has had
significant gaps in the provision of all the basic functional areas identified in the previous
paragraph. The creation and hiring of the Development and Training Coordinator position in
October 2021 was the first of multiple steps in addressing the identified missing roles and service
gaps. The Development and Training Coordinator position is responsible for improving the
productivity of the City's employees by 1) identifying training needs/skill gaps; 2) developing an
efficient, coordinated, and consistent employee development process; 3) re -centralizing
compliance, training, and development activities while continuing to use efficient and effective
internal resources; 4) coordinating non -redundant, equitable training opportunities across the City;
and 5) implementing a performance appraisal and employee growth and development goal process.
One of the charges given to me after I began work as the Human Resource Director in October
2019 was to review the staff complement of the Human Resources Department against a desire to
provide a full -service scope of Human Resources services that addresses issues and identified
needs and develops a structure of best practices and flexibility well into the future. During the
roughly two-year time frame that I have been in the position and based upon my analysis of unmet
needs, service gaps, current state of services and best practice service -scope, along with thirty -
years of human resources services delivery experience, I propose a Human Resources structure as
follows:
FUTURE STATE/STRUCTURE FOR HR
Human Resources Director: Handles the strategic vision of the department and approves all
high-level decisions while handling communications with C-suite.
Talent Acquisition Manager: Works with hiring managers to facilitate the recruitment process
and procedures, assists with creating and provides oversight of job postings, assures diversity
and equitable representation on search/hire committees, objectively review and filter applicant
materials to move to next level of hiring process, assure compliant posting, pre -hire and hiring
processes that fully embrace DEI, coordinates and/or conducts interviews and extend offers
while managing the applicant tracking system (ATS). Applies best practices in reclassification
request processing.
Development and Learning Manager: Works with department managers to develop effective
training plan and courses that enhance employee skills, creates materials and assessments, and
manages any learning management platforms. Ensures that the company is up to date with all
health, employee, and safety regulations, while managing necessary employee certifications and
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
compliances. Develops and implements employee performance feedback process and tools.
Manages and coordinates New Employee Orientation and updates onboarding processes in
collaboration with ER Manager to meet Development and Learning needs.
*Human Resources Benefits and Payroll Specialist: (GE-28) A benefits and compensation
manager is primarily responsible for designing, overseeing, and implementing an organization's
benefits and compensation programs. Researches and makes recommendations on retirement and
insurance plans and managing HR third -party vendor resources such as brokers and consultants.
Consults with internal business partners, such as department heads and leadership, to assess
benefits, compensation, and compliance needs. Educates, mentors, and trains human resources
staff and employees on processes and professional practices within these areas. Understands the
evolving federal and state employee benefits regulations, and the shifting needs of an
organization's workforce. Evaluates competitor compensation and benefits packages, creating
policies and procedures and monitoring the payroll interface to ensure compliance and data
integrity. Monitor salary structures, balance staffing needs with cost controls, and helps ensure
that policies, procedures, and programs are in alignment with the organization's overall strategic
objectives and HR vision.
*Employee and Labor Relations Manager: (GE-34) Handles onboarding needs, coordinates
performance management efforts and manages employee disputes while recommending policy
changes for approval. This position is responsible for facilitating employee relations ad resolving
human resources issues and deals with everything related to employee and management relations
to help employees and management understand each other. Working collaboratively with the
Talent Acquisition (Recruitment) Manager, Benefits and Compensation Manager, and
Development and Training Manager, the Employee Relations Manager advises, guides, and
trains managers and supervisors in best employee relations practices and strategies for managing
supervisor problems and employee grievances, disputes, and complaints, uses surveys,
interviews, and other studies to research human resources polies and employment issues and
makes recommendations accordingly. Oversees peer support specialists and intersects with
ACT, EQServices, etc.
*Additional staffing.
COST AND FUNDING
Employee and Labor Relations Manager &
HR Benefits & Payroll Specialist
Employee and Labor Relations Manager
HR Benefits & Payroll Specialist
Salary/Benefits Equipment
FY22 $65,830 $14,502
FY23 $92,706 $0
FY23 $65,286 $0
As you directed the cost for FY22 will come out of FY21 budget savings and FY23 and beyond
the positions will included in the City budget.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
RECOMMENDATIONS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVAL
Improvement Package for Employee and Labor Relations Manager (GE-34) and Human Resources
Benefits and Payroll Specialist (GE-28). Both are new positions.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork