Grand Jury Report: San Francisco Hiring is in "Crisis"

2022-2023 Civil Grand Jury Publishes "Time to Get to Work: San Francisco's Hiring Crisis"

SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2022–2023 San Francisco Civil Grand Jury released a report describing how the City of San Francisco is in the midst of an unprecedented hiring crisis, noting that the number of vacant permanent City jobs has more than doubled from pre-pandemic levels.

The Jury's investigation found that the increasing number of vacant City jobs is due to the City's long hiring timeline and challenges in recruiting and retaining an adequate workforce, which were exacerbated by COVID.

"Critical City services are suffering. The City's highest priority should be to fill vacant positions in departments such as Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and the San Francisco Police Department," said Karen Kennard, Jury Foreperson.

The Jury's report additionally describes how the City's efforts to speed up hiring and improve retention have been hampered by a lack of hiring data, including key measurements like "time-to-hire."

"Current hiring initiatives aren't doing enough to fill critical vacant jobs," said Kennard. "Further action must be taken to address the root causes of this crisis."

To shorten the hiring timeline and achieve better results in recruiting and retaining employees, the Jury recommends that the City invest in significant, long-term improvements to the hiring process and also commit to efforts to improve employee retention.

To read the full report, please visit Time to Get to Work: San Francisco's Hiring Crisis (sfgov.org).

The Superior Court selects 19 San Franciscans to serve year-long terms as Civil Grand Jurors. The Jury has the authority to investigate City and County government by reviewing documents and interviewing public officials and private individuals. At the end of its inquiries, the Jury issues reports of its findings and recommendations. Agencies identified in the report must respond to these findings and recommendations within either 60 or 90 days, and the Board of Supervisors conducts a public hearing on each Civil Grand Jury report after those responses are submitted. For more information, visit the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury website: https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org.

SOURCE San Francisco Civil Grand Jury