In recent months, a record 9.3 million jobs have gone unfilled nationwide as the economy starts to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this highly competitive job market, the City of Paramount finds itself in pursuit of qualified candidates predominantly for part-time vacancies.
Unlike the private sector, where profits can be used to quickly increase wages or offer attractive incentives to lure talent, local governments must deliver public services with limited resources. Not surprisingly, public sector pay traditionally lags behind that of their private sector counterparts.
But Paramount is taking a cue from these private employers who use inventive methods to entice employees. The City has launched an innovative, multi-pronged motivational program for new hires.
Bonuses
The City has instituted hiring bonuses for new part-time employees of up to $500 per individual after six months on the job.
Baby Bonding
Paramount has launched a work-from-home incentive that includes child bonding as a benefit for both future and current employees who are new parents.
Vacation Accruals
New employees may transfer their current active rate of vacation accruals from their previous employer. For example, someone who earns 160 hours per year of vacation time at their current job may not find a new job that tops out at 80 hours per year that attractive.
Salary Placement
New employees commonly start at the first step of a salary pay range. City officials now have the ability to place highly qualified employees at a higher pay rate based on their experience and qualifications.
Executive Leave
The City currently offers 40 hours of executive leave for executive positions. As an incentive, an additional 20 hours can be awarded for the first year of employment.
“In the face of the current labor market challenges, we decided to take an ‘out of the box’ approach to finding new folks for our staff,” said City Manager John Moreno. “These are steps that cities rarely, if ever, attempt.
“Paramount has a reputation as a great place to work serving a wonderful community,” he continued. “But we’re a small organization that struggles to compete with larger ones. This new program is a creative way to counter that.”
Paramount, California is nationally known for its successful transformation from blighted suburb to a well-run city with an attractive business climate and quality of life. Located at the gateway to the Los Angeles metropolis, the municipality has earned numerous state and federal awards for its innovative strategic planning and investment in capital improvements. Today, Paramount is a business-friendly, growing community of landscaped boulevards, enhanced police service, parks, recreation programs, affordable housing, public art, and tree-lined neighborhoods with white picket fences. For more information, visit www.paramountcity.com.