Report 2015-132 Recommendation 7 Responses

Report 2015-132: County Pay Practices: Although the Counties We Visited Have Rules in Place to Ensure Fairness, Data Show That a Gender Wage Gap Still Exists (Release Date: May 2016)

Recommendation #7 To: Los Angeles County

To ensure that they consistently demonstrate that candidates are hired for permanent civil service positions based on valid and job-related criteria, regardless of their sex, each county should develop policies requiring hiring managers to document the reasons why they chose the selected candidate over others from the certified eligibility list.

1-Year Agency Response

Los Angeles County disagrees with the recommendation to require hiring managers to document final hiring decisions. In consideration of adopting this recommendation, we reviewed the practices of many other counties in California and found that most do not require documentation of final hiring decisions. Los Angeles County does not intend to implement this practice.

The County believes that the documents and process currently required in hiring decisions provide sufficient evidence that selections are based on valid and job-related criteria and collectively, they provide our appointing authorities with sufficient information to articulate the reason for the selection of a particular candidate.

Additionally, the County affords candidates with an appeal process to ensure that the hiring selections are fair and merit-based.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Will Not Implement

We disagree with the County's response and stand by our recommendation. As we stated on page 35 of our report, the Los Angeles County's merit system rules do not require that hiring managers document their rationale for selecting a particular individual over other eligible candidates from a certified eligibility list and thus, we could not evaluate 41 of the 51 hiring decisions we reviewed at the county. As we stated on the same page, understanding each county's hiring rationale is critical to evaluating whether county employers are treating men and women equally based on objective and job-related criteria.

6-Month Agency Response

Los Angeles County disagrees with the recommendation to require hiring managers to document final hiring decisions. In consideration of adopting this recommendation, we reviewed the practices of many other counties in California and found that most do not require documentation of final hiring decisions. Los Angeles County does not intend to implement this practice.

The County believes that the documents and process currently required in hiring decisions provide sufficient evidence that selections are based on valid and job-related criteria and collectively, they provide our appointing authorities with sufficient information to articulate the reason for the selection of a particular candidate.

Additionally, the County affords candidates with an appeal process to ensure that the hiring selections are fair and merit-based.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Will Not Implement

We disagree with the County's response and stand by our recommendation. As we stated on page 35 of our report, the Los Angeles County's merit system rules do not require that hiring managers document their rationale for selecting a particular individual over other eligible candidates from a certified eligibility list and thus, we could not evaluate 41 of the 51 hiring decisions we reviewed at the county. As we stated on the same page, understanding each county's hiring rationale is critical to evaluating whether county employers are treating men and women equally based on objective and job-related criteria.

60-Day Agency Response

Los Angeles County disagrees with the recommendation to require hiring managers to document final hiring decisions. In consideration of adopting this recommendation, the Department of Human Resources reviewed the practices of many other counties in California and found that most do not require documentation of final hiring decisions. Los Angeles County will not implement this practice at this time.

The County believes that the documents and process currently required in hiring decisions provide sufficient evidence that selections are based on valid and job-related criteria and collectively, they provide our appointing authorities with sufficient information to articulate the reason for the selection of a particular candidate. Additionally, the County affords candidates with an appeal process to ensure that the hiring selections are fair and merit-based.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Will Not Implement

We disagree with the County's response and stand by our recommendation. As we stated on page 35 of our report, the Los Angeles County's merit system rules do not require that hiring managers document their rationale for selecting a particular individual over other eligible candidates from a certified eligibility list and thus we could not evaluate 41 of the 51 hiring decisions we reviewed at the county. As we stated on the same page, understanding each county's hiring rationale is critical to evaluating whether county employers are treating men and women equally based on objective and job-related criteria.

All Recommendations in 2015-132

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.