Human Resources
County Administration Building
300 Monroe Avenue, NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2222
Phone: (616) 632-7440
Toll-Free: (800) 386-4484
Fax: (616) 632-7445
Email: jobs@kentcountymi.gov
Mission Statement
To develop, establish and maintain policies and programs that ensure the successful recruitment, employment and retention of a diverse, well qualified workforce to serve the citizens of Kent County.
Overview
The Human Resources Department is responsible for the recruitment, selection, classification, compensation, benefits, professional development, employee relations, legal compliance and record keeping for approximately 1,800 employees.
The department directs and monitors the County's efforts to build and sustain a diverse work force.
Human Resources is the primary resource for supervisors and employees concerning employment and management issues related to the administration of policies, procedures and collective bargaining agreements. The staff is the principal contact point with union representatives and is accountable for labor contract negotiations with 13 bargaining units.
The County invests in the development of the work force through several training and development programs administered by the Human Resources Department.
Strategic Goals
- Grow/enhance a participative employee culture
- Be an employer of choice
Operational Goals
- To retain and develop our employees by providing competitive and equitable compensation and by offering skill enhancement and leadership development training opportunities
- To retain and develop our employees by providing competitive and equitable compensation and by offering skill enhancement and leadership development training opportunities
2011 Adopted Uses: $1,768,194
2011 Revenues Uses: $936,332
Selected Performance Measures
Performance Measure |
2008 Actual |
2009 Actual |
2010 Actual |
2011 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of Voluntary Turnover (less retirements) | 3.30% |
2.58% |
1.82% |
<5.00% |
| Percent of employees completing annual physical | 45.00% |
75.00% |
75.00% |
80.00% |
| Percent of annual medical benefit cost increase (benchmark 11%) | 11.19% |
-11.61%% |
-0.72%% |
11.00% |
| Percent of training program evaluations with a rating of 4 or higher | 97.00% |
95.00% |
96.00% |
95.00% |
| Rating quality of service provided (from Administrator's Office Survey) |
3.21 |
3.15 |
NA |
3.2 |
| Number of participants attending HR sponsored training sessions | 619 |
753 |
1,081 |
NA |
Department Budget History
| Uses | 2008 Actual |
2009 Adopted |
2010 Adopted |
2011 Adopted |
| Personnel | $1,573,110 | $1,565,148 | $1,389,652 | $1,402,090 |
| Commodities | 60,494 | 65,128 | 72,000 | 54,000 |
| Contractual | 278,767 | 275,071 | 335,438 | 312,104 |
| Operating Capital | - | 13,563 | 6,000 | - |
| Total Uses | $1,912,372 | $1,918,909 | $1,803,090 | $1,768,194 |
| Personnel FTE | 20 | 20 | 16.1 | 15.8 |
Significant Budget Issues
For the 2011 Budget Year, a part-time Senior Human Resources Specialist was eliminated and a part-time Human Resources Specialist was converted to full-time for a net decrease of 0.3 FTEs.
Significant Budget Accomplishments
Negotiated concession package with eight of thirteen bargaining units that included: one year contract extension; spreading scheduled 2011 wage increases through 2012; establishing minimum ages for normal retirements; increasing cap on employee pension contributions; and offering 2010 retirement incentive.
Conducted dependent eligibility audit for County healthcare plans. The audit process resulted in removal of 142 ineligible dependents with an estimated annual savings of over $300,000.
Implemented final phase of three year annual adjustments to health insurance plan design that included increases in point of service and prescription co-pays and an increase in employee coinsurance percentage.
Conducted programs and events to support diversity awareness and inclusion within the Kent County employment environments and the community.
