Develop and implement a City-wide Talent Development Plan  

Our organization is expecting a high number of retirements in the coming years, particularly in senior positions in areas of the City with specialized or technical services, such as law enforcement, utilities, engineering, finance, and administration.  A  comprehensive  Talent Development Plan identifies strategies and targets to attract, develop and support top professionals to fill critical vacancies throughout the organization. This plan will identify future needs in managing our talent pipeline while remaining one of the best places to work in our community. The City’s Talent Development Plan will address the following elements: 

• Assessment of external challenges and opportunities (e.g., automation) 

• Departmental assessment (e.g., employees eligible for retirement, talent gaps) 

• Talent acquisition 

• Talent development  

• Talent retention and employee satisfaction 

• Diversity and inclusion 

• Performance evaluation and recognition 

The City already carries out different initiatives that target the various elements above. However, a City-wide Talent Development Plan will bring all initiatives, existing and new, under one plan to ensure consistency and cohesiveness across areas. Staff from multiple departments are working to develop the plan. Staff is developing a comprehensive assessment of internal talent and diversity gaps throughout the organization, as well as external trends that could impact the composition of our workforce, such as automation.

The development of this plan is taking place parallel to the implementation of new initiatives, such as the employee satisfaction survey, and the continuation of current professional development efforts, including the New Public Servant Initiative (NPSI), and the Certified Public Manager (CPM) programs.  Another example of a parallel effort is the implementation of a career progression program for mechanics in our Fleet Department. This new program allows employees to increase their earnings and advance in position by furthering their education.

In September 2021, a Pilot Talent Development Program was initiated with Underground Utilities & Public Infrastructure, Electric & Gas, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs, and Customer Services. These departments have 41% of the City’s employees who are eligible for DROP and 32% of the City’s employees who are currently in drop. The final Talent Development Program will focus on hard-to-fill positions and critical positions. To date, critical positions have been identified across a total of six departments.

Diversity & Inclusion Office; Human Resources & Workforce Development. Last Updated: December 2022.