Hyattsville Interviewing for HR Spot Beginning This Week

After five months of advertising, the City of Hyattsville likely will begin interviewing candidates for the newly created this week.

A director is expected to start next summer.

“The city of Hyattsville is growing and there’s a need that has to be filled,” said Abby Sandel, Hyattsville’s communication manager.

In 2009, the city commissioned a , and according to Sandel, human resources—the management and administration of personnel—was the area identified for the most improvement.

The position was originally advertised at the manager level, but after some changes in circumstances the job description was promoted to director.

After the city council appointed resident Bill Tierney—the former councilman has professional experience in the human resources field—to chair the Human Resources Manager Search Committee in late August, Tierney to add more responsibility.

Mayor Marc Tartaro proposed that the city council at an Oct. 24 council meeting, citing the city’s “need for daily, ongoing, high level services.”

Additionally, former resigned his position earlier this year, adding a need for more authority in the position. According to Sandel, the human resources official would have worked with Jones, but since his departure the position has been elevated to that of director.

The HR director will be responsible to the city administrator. Police Chief Douglas Holland is serving as acting city administrator until the city administrator position is filled. In this capacity, Holland carries the same authority as would a permantent administrator, Sandel said.

The director’s projected salary range was consequently raised from $52,000 to $75,000. It’s now slated for $70,000 to $90,000, according to Tartaro’s proposal. The salary was budgeted in —July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012—so the city is not projected to take a financial hit when the director is brought on.  

Hiring a human resources official has been a priority for a long time, Sandel said.

“The council has made it very clear this is their number one vacancy to fill,” she said, adding that the director’s main responsibility will be to “ensure the best possible operation of the city” regarding personnel.

Among other things, the director will be responsible for recruiting new employees for summer programs, ensuring the city has appropriate training, hiring employees to fill other vacancies and act as a part of the management team to consider the impacts of council decisions on city employees.

“Our [city] employees are great—hardworking and dedicated—but our bench isn't very deep,” said . “It's hard on the employees to have to work around the existing vacancies and [the vacancies] have repercussions for our residents.”

More than 50 percent of city employees are members of the , as identified in Tierney’s Aug. 31 report. According to Sgt. Chris Purvis, the police are excited for the new director.

“It’s a position that’s definitely been needed for a long time,” Purvis said. “[The police department] is welcoming them with open arms.”

With an increasing need to fill the position, Sandel confirmed expectations are high for the coming interviews. She said the city is hoping to fill the position in the beginning of the new year.

Correction: This article has been corrected to reflect that the person in the human resources position was initially intended to work with former assistant city administrator Vincent Jones. We regret the error.