Abstract
Fundamental problems in California’s civil service processes result in increased costs and places California at risk to address future workforce needs given the increased number of retiring state employees. This study examines various reports issued over a fifteen year period by the Little Hoover Commission, the Legislative Analyst's Office, California Bureau of State Audits, and the California Performance Review, to gain a better understanding of the challenges that surround civil service practices in California. This study also explored reform trends in other states to determine how other governmental entities resolved similar challenges. Using the challenges framed in this thesis, I reassessed California’s current civil service practices to determine if the state addressed the initial challenges identified. The results of my study found the civil service practices of classification, recruitment and selection, workforce planning, and employee performance management to be the greatest challenges to improving inefficient and ineffective processes. Specifically, the governance structure of the State Personnel Board and the Department of Personnel Administration, and the relationship between labor and management in California hinder efforts to improve the civil service. This study suggests several approaches to addressing civil service challenges through the restructuring the governance of statewide human resource functions, adopting a collaborative approach for labor-management negotiations around classifications and employee performance, expanding testing methods, establishing mandated workforce plans, and ensuring leadership development.