Franklin County Commissioners implement merit hire system

June 30, 2015 – CHAMBERSBURG, PA – Franklin County will begin using a merit hire system for its human services positions effective today.  Franklin County Commissioners voted this morning to formally acknowledge state approval to leave the state civil service system and implement a local merit hire system in its place. 

This change will impact about 100 positions in the following departments:  Area Agency on Aging; Children and Youth Services; Drug and Alcohol; and Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities.

The transition to a merit hire system is expected to reduce delays in filling positions, give the County more flexibility in the hiring process, allow the County to give preference to qualified County residents, and improve the timing and efficiency of hiring.

The Civil Service test score will no longer be used as the main criteria for hiring.  Instead, the County will be able to give equal weight to the interview and experience level of the applicant.  This will allow Franklin County to have a larger selection of candidates to choose from when filling vacancies.  

The original intent of the civil service system was to ensure the hiring of qualified individuals.  Tiffany Bloyer, Human Resources Director for Franklin County, emphasized that “the new merit hire process will assure that the County is hiring qualified individuals based on experience and testing.”

“Moving away from the state civil service system to a locally run merit hire system is a Best Management Practice that several Pennsylvania counties have recently implemented.  The county’s new system has the approval of the PA Department of Human Services,” said Dave Keller, Board Chairman.

"Merit hire will provide the same protections now provided by state Civil Service.  However, the new program will be more efficient for the county and our present and future employees," said Commissioner Bob Thomas.

"I am confident the rights of applicants and employees will be protected.  Employing veterans will remain a county priority," said Commissioner Bob Ziobrowski.

The merit hire system has six components that cover the following areas:  recruitment and selection, position classification and compensation, training and employee development, separations and employee evaluations, equal employment opportunity and employee/employer relations, and political activity. Although the County has many of these processes in place currently, it will be different for those employees who will fall under the merit hire system as it relates to hiring and issue resolution matters, as this will now be handled locally rather than in Harrisburg.  The County’s Human Resources Department will oversee the new process for merit hire.

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