Q&A
Effectiveness and evolution of hiring halls in addressing city vacancies
1:57:41
·
5 min
Council Member Restler inquires about the effectiveness of hiring halls and their current status. DCAS officials explain the evolution of the hiring hall model and its current implementation.
- From February to August 2023, DCAS hosted 16 hiring hall events, resulting in 2,100 same-day job offers
- The hiring hall model was paused due to a hiring freeze in September 2023
- The current model, resumed in March 2024, includes both public and private sector employers
- DCAS's role now includes encouraging agency participation and providing support for the events
- Over 1,200 job offers have been made in the new model, which is fewer than the previous DCAS-led model
Lincoln Restler
1:57:41
I mean, I I yeah.
1:57:42
I there are probably different ways to to approach it.
1:57:44
But I did wanna jump in on hiring halls and maybe 1 or 2 other things, and and, and we'll let you enjoy the rest of your day.
1:57:54
The, so February 2023, DCAS started hosting hiring halls to fast track filling vacancies across city government.
1:58:05
And from February to August, DCAS hosted 16 events, yielding 22100 same day job offers for critical roles.
1:58:12
We heard from, from mister Garrido that OMB intervened on some of those and prevented them from actually, from those positions being filled.
1:58:21
But, more problematic even more problematically, in September of 2023, Mayor Adams put a freeze on hiring halls, as a result of his hiring freeze.
1:58:31
In March 2024, after the hiring freeze was lifted, instead of restarting DCAS's hiring halls, the mayor announced a resumption of hiring halls that would include both public and private sector, employers.
1:58:43
What's DCAS's role in these events?
Katrina Porter
1:58:46
Thank you.
1:58:47
I'll hand it over to Kadian for response.
Kadian Outar
1:58:54
Thank you.
1:58:56
The initial versions of the hiring hall was to address our the vacancy challenges that we had.
1:59:02
So these were specific to agencies in, ensuring that candidates had access to interview and get, hired on the spot and offered on the spot, so which was very successful in terms of the evolution of the hiring halls, which now allows not only, candidates to have access to positions that are available within city government, but also for the private sector.
1:59:24
They also have the opportunity to, learn more about resources that are available because sometimes folks are not job ready, but they're interested in the different resources that are available.
1:59:34
So DCAS's role in these is 1, engaging agencies and encouraging participation, at these hiring halls.
1:59:42
We also play a support role in, providing drivers to, the development of the events.
1:59:47
But, also, we ourselves participate in in those events to not only recruit, but make sure that folks are getting information about the civil service process and how to apply for examinations.
Lincoln Restler
1:59:57
Right.
1:59:58
So all of that's positive.
2:00:02
My background outside of my time as a bureaucrat is in workforce development.
2:00:06
I certainly appreciate the to training and skills development to help people attain the jobs that, you know, will help them support their families.
2:00:14
But when we were doing the first round of hiring halls that DCAS was leading, we made over 2,000 job offers, 22100 job offers to city workers who to potential city workers that really needed those position where we needed those positions filled.
2:00:26
Since we've shifted this model, how many job offers have we made, same day job offers have we made to to to potential city workers?
Kadian Outar
2:00:34
So these, this is being operated by, the NYC NYC, Office of Workforce Development.
2:00:40
But from awareness, I know that there were over 1200, job offers that were made.
Lincoln Restler
2:00:45
Okay.
2:00:45
So in a twice as long a period of time, practically half as many job offers were made.
2:00:53
I think DCAS was doing a very good job at this.
2:00:56
I mean, I wanna give you all credit.
2:00:58
I thought the hiring halls was a smart innovation, and they were well executed, and they were, effective.
2:01:04
And I just don't understand why we're not continuing with them, why we develop a model that works.
2:01:11
It's making a difference, and then we just ignore it and have a different agency involved.
2:01:16
It is focused more on private sector jobs than public sector jobs.
2:01:21
My understanding, and please correct me if I don't have this right, is that DCAS's involvement leading these efforts was discontinued because DCAS didn't have the staff to continue to operate the hiring halls.
2:01:34
Is that right?
Katrina Porter
2:01:39
So I think that it was a combination of the, hiring freeze that that kinda paused the, the New York City government hiring halls as we, as we call them.
Lincoln Restler
2:01:50
Right.
Katrina Porter
2:01:51
And I think that the the administration's goal was to expand these efforts to to not to the not for profit agencies.
2:01:58
So I think it was a combination of of those two things.
Lincoln Restler
2:02:01
It so It was
Katrina Porter
2:02:02
an all hands on deck, effort for DCAS for sure.
Lincoln Restler
2:02:06
In the in the in when it was last year from February to August of 2023 over those 5 or 6 months, it was an all hands on decker, 16 events, 22100 same day job offers, successful model.
2:02:18
Mayor puts in a hiring freeze.
2:02:20
And when it's time to lift the hiring freeze, and there's a return of some hiring hall model, although quite a very different model.
2:02:26
Right?
Carmen De La Rosa
2:02:27
It's a different model.
Lincoln Restler
2:02:28
The reason DCAS is no longer leading this model, despite your success and efficacy, is because you don't have the capacity, you don't have the head count to be able to do it.
2:02:37
Is that is that am I
Katrina Porter
2:02:38
It was a hiring sprint, and we were, you know, involved specifically to support, you know, the it was it was the vacancy sprint.
2:02:45
So it was we were involved directly to help reduce the vacancy rate.
Lincoln Restler
2:02:49
Right.
2:02:49
But to to be clear, the headcount in city government has budged this much since mayor Adams came into office.
2:02:56
Less than half of a percent.
2:02:58
Right?
2:02:58
So despite the hiring sprees and the focus and the effort, we're not actually filling.
2:03:03
Targeting.
2:03:04
And we cut 10,000 jobs.
2:03:06
Right?
2:03:07
And we have 22,000 vacancies today according to Henry Garrido.
2:03:11
So why are we not in a sprint anymore?
Katrina Porter
2:03:16
That's a good question.
