California Fast-Tracks Hiring State Workers!

“Governor Newsom has made efficiency a top priority since the start of his Administration,” a July statement from Gov. Newsom says. Newsom issued “a new executive order to help further integrate efficiency, engagement, and effectiveness into state operations.”

“The governor’s executive order “directs the state agencies to further modernize processes around hiring, procurement, contracts, and strive for faster and better public-facing service deliveries to Californians.”

Friday, Cal HR issued an email proudly proclaiming that the state of California is hiring because it is now so much more efficient: “California Fast-Tracks Hiring: Class Consolidation Aims to Retain and Attract Top Talent to the State Workforce.”

Aren’t other big employers unloading employees in anticipation of AI?

According to the California State Controller, the total number of active California State employees is… drumroll please… 247,451. With only 247,451 state employees, it’s obvious that the State of CA is running low on paid government workers.

The State’s monthly payroll is $217,183,871 – that’s $217 million every month. And Gavin Newsom wants to increase that number.

These numbers include State government, California State Universities, and the Judicial Council. It does not include the California Legislature, which has roughly 2,764 employees.

CalHR says:

California is rolling out a series of hiring reforms aimed at streamlining the upward mobility process and making it easier for applicants to join the state workforce. These changes are designed to reduce delays, cut red tape, and help departments attract top talent more efficiently. This latest efficiency follows Governor Newsom’s Executive Order to further integrate efficiency, engagement, and effectiveness into state operations.

The state is making it easier to apply for and move between government jobs by combining similar job titles, removing outdated requirements and updating eligibility rules like longstanding college credit requirements. These changes are intended to help applicants find the right job faster, give current employees more flexibility to grow their careers and ultimately reduce state costs by cutting down the number of hours hiring managers spend during the recruitment process.

The California State Personnel Board (SPB), the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) and the California Government Operations Agency worked together to develop a new hiring guide to streamline and reinforce civil service hiring procedures, continuing the state’s commitment to retain and recruit talent based on merit, while cutting down unnecessary complexities in the hiring process. The goal is to empower hiring managers to tailor their interview approach so applicants can highlight their strengths more effectively.

“To increase engagement with the state workforce, the Governor is announcing that the state will begin providing California’s innovative deliberative democracy platform, Engaged California, to help the state workforce generate new ideas to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and engagement across state agencies. Last, the order creates a new Innovation Fellows Program comprising state staff with a mission of collaborating to address unique statewide challenges through innovative ideas.”

“The Governor’s Innovation Fellows are state employees solving real public sector challenges.”

“The Golden State continues to lead in efficiency, strategically implementing technologies and practices that make Californians’ lives better,” Gov. Newsom said. “As the birthplace of modern tech, our state is uniquely positioned to bring the best and the brightest together to advance our work. We will not shy away from progress, but embrace it for the benefit of all Californians, including our state workforce.”

What’s really going on? Thoughts?