SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL

 Topic:

FREQUENCY OF EXAMINATIONS

Section:

RECRUITMENT AND EXAMINATIONS

Number:

IV.3. 

Date Issued:

April 18, 1991

Date Revised:

March 8, 1994

February 17, 2010

PURPOSE:

To describe the policy on the frequency that an examination may be given for a particular job class.

LEGAL BASIS:

Civil Service Rules, Section V.H. Frequency of Examinations

CROSS REFERENCE:

IV.1.   Recruitment/Examination Process: Elements and Timelines
V.2.D. Life of Eligible Lists
V.2.E. Co-mingling Eligible Lists
V.2.F. Abolishing Eligible Lists

POLICY:

  1. The Civil Service Rules state that "Examinations may be given as frequently as the needs of County Government may require or justify."
  2. The Civil Service Rules state that an eligible list will remain in effect for a minimum of 6 months (see Section V.2.D. Life of Eligible Lists).
  3. When the need for an examination is identified by Personnel or the department, existing eligible lists are reviewed and a consideration is made to either abolish the list (see Section V.2.F. Abolishing Eligible Lists) or co-mingle a new group of applicants into the existing eligible list (see Section V.2.E. Co-mingling Eligible Lists).
  4. The goal of the Personnel Department is to have lists of qualified candidates available for the departments to interview to make selections. However, since some needs cannot be anticipated, the Employment Services Division will conduct examinations as frequently as required to attain this goal, while attempting to be efficient with resources required for the recruitment/examination activities.
  5. Departments will communicate regularly their anticipated hiring needs to their assigned recruiting analyst to facilitate timely examinations.
  6. The Employment Services Division may survey candidates on eligible lists in order to update availability and contact information.
  7. Recruitment/Examinations are conducted on a broad-class basis rather than on a position by position basis. When an examination need is identified, all positions in the job class or series are reviewed to determine current and projected needs. The current vacancy may be highlighted on the job announcement.
  8. Continuous Examinations
    1. Difficult to recruit for job classes may be placed on continuous examination. When identified as a difficult to recruit for class, applications will be processed upon receipt and qualified candidates will be referred in a timely manner to the department for hiring consideration.
    2. A continuous exam may also be used when there will be a known series of hires for a job class. When opened on a continuous basis, the job announcement will state that there is no final filing date and all applications on file in the Personnel Department as of any given Friday may be reviewed and scheduled for testing.

PROCEDURE:

  1. The need for an examination is communicated to the Personnel Department through:
    1. Recruiting analysts or his/her designee consulting with their assigned departments;
    2. A memo directed to the recruiting analyst or his/her designee assigned to the department; or
    3. A request for certification where there is no eligible list or the list does not contain available candidates.

  2. The recruiting analyst or his/her designee will contact the department and discuss the vacancy need and establish a timeline for conducting the recruitment and establishing the new eligible list (see Section IV.1. Recruitment/Examination Process: Elements and Timelines).