Transcript No Slide Title

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
2 Coral Circle, Monterey Park, CA 91755 (323) 890-7001 www.lacdc.org
Background - Los Angeles Urban
County
 Largest Urban County Program at $29.6M
 Staffing – Currently at 42 staff for program
administration down from a high of 60 in
2003-04.
 Function like a state program with 42 small
cities and 5 Supervisor’s Districts
 Subrecipient management is our main thrust
“All’s Fair in Love, War and
Recruitment”
 Recruit “happy people” to avoid the PITA
 People will be people so depersonalize it
 A “happy” with CDBG/HOME experience is
the ultimate!
 Next best is someone with other federal or
state grant experience – Section 8, CSBG.
Where to Hunt?
 Poach from thy neighbor!
 Network through trainings, meetings,
etc.
 Maintain contacts with previous staff
 Even HUD is fair game!
 Maximize your advertising buck and use
the technology
What’s in Your Bait Box?
 Can you out-bid your competitors with
salary and benefits?
 If not, focus on flexible work schedules,
part-time work, 9/80 or 4/10 plans,
casual dress, free parking etc.
 Potluck Quotient – sell your culture and
try to emulate that in the interview.
Keeper or Throw Back?
 Maximize info collection – at least 2 interviews,
supplemental questionnaire, reference checks,
writing exercise
 “Happy” Factors – good eye contact, sense of humor,
comfort level, good communication skills
 Beyond minimum qualification thresholds
 “Uh-ohs” will be amplified on the job
Training- It’s an investment!

Start with a strong performance plan
 ID essential job functions and weights
 Include measureable objectives
 Review with new employee, quarterly for first
year
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Strong and knowledgeable supervisor – if they
need training get it!
Current unit procedures manuals – ease your
training.
Training (cont’d)

Peer to peer with several if possible
 To acquire different perspectives
 Strengthen the peer trainer
 Cross train with in-house specialists in labor
compliance, relocation, financial
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Use staff meetings for case studies from
field
External training – NCDA’s CDBG Basics
course, HUD, Nat’l Development Council,
for profit training, online courses.
Retention – more than just about the money
 But sometimes it is…
 Keep salaries/benefits current through
regular compensation reviews
 Have clear jobs classifications and
associated salary levels
 Defined levels of responsibility within
classification
 Regular staff evaluations with goal
setting for advancement
Retention (cont’d)
 Effective discipline = morale
maintenance
 Safety net – support within team and at
relevant levels of management…”open
door
 Practice employee recognition
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At staff meetings
Employee achievement award/certificate
Team recognition
Thank you lunches
Retention (cont’)
 Provide opportunities for
creativity/learning
 Objective oriented management – give
parameters and let staff solve the problem
 Create ownership through committee
participation, strategic planning
 Provide cross training and special
assignments
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