2017-2022 

Vision: To serve the people of California by preserving merit within an innovative personnel system that builds a talented, dedicated, responsive, and diverse workforce in the 21st century.  
Strategic Plan 
 
Mission: To become California’s “Employer of Choice.” 
 
Core Values 
Fairness 
 We administer the civil service system in a fair and impartial manner.   
 
Transparency 
 We operate with transparency and accept responsibility for our actions. 
 
Clarity and Consistency 
 We seek to provide clear and consistent guidance to departments.   
 
Communication 
 We value our relationships with those we serve and encourage their collaboration. 
 
Integrity  
 We protect the merit principle in state employment to ensure that it is free from political patronage, bias, and personal gain.  
 
Quality Customer Service 
 We strive to effectively meet the needs of state job applicants, employees, departments, employee organizations, and the people of California. 
 
Effectiveness and Efficiency 
 We constantly pursue opportunities to ensure an efficient and effective civil service process. 
 
Partnership 
 We maximize opportunities to work with Stakeholders in order to benefit from external perspectives and combine resources to reach common goals. 
 
High Quality People, Service, and Results 
 We value the state workforce and the services that employees provide to the people of California. 

Goal A 
 Goal B 
 Goal C 
 
Merit System Integrity is Preserved 
 Enhanced Effectiveness of the Civil Service System Through Staff and Stakeholder Engagement 
 Strong Organization 

Objectives/Strategies 
. An impartial and expeditious resolution of appeals from disciplinary actions, merit-related examination and appointment matters, and personal services contract challenges, requests to file charges against state employees, and whistleblower retaliation and disability discrimination complaints 

. Resolve actions, matters, charges and complaints within statutory timeframes 

. Preservation of the integrity of the merit system through regular compliance reviews 

. Complete one third of compliance reviews annually 

. Hire staff and identify audit activity, procedures, and protocols that SPB will be managing for CalHR 

. Implement new CalHR audit functions 

. Prompt and thorough investigation of suspected merit system violations to remedy noncompliance 

. Complete special investigations within 90 days 

  
Objectives/Strategies 
. Accessible civil service classification system through fewer and broader classes more in alignment with private sector jobs 

. Review class specification proposals to ensure alignment with the Board’s vision 

. Redesign the classification specification format and job bulletin to enhance recruitment 

. Streamlined hiring administered through clear laws and rules and efficient and effective processes 

. Identify and amend/repeal laws and rules in the selection process to make the system more nimble and efficient 

 
  
Objectives/Strategies 
. An engaged and empowered staff through communication, training, and recognition 

. Champion organizational culture 

. Invest in employee development 

. Reward talent 

. Operational excellence through optimized processes, products, and services 

. Seek operational efficiencies 

. Optimal use of resources through budget monitoring, leveraging IT solutions, and performance and risk management 

. Improve automated systems to keep them optimally functional 

. Increase performance through metric monitoring 

. Identify and mitigate threats to reduce risk 

 

 
Objectives/Strategies continued 
. Effective approaches to address areas of noncompliance and egregious areas of abuse 

. Identify repeat offenders and departments with severe violations  

. Improved education and tools available to stakeholders 

. Issue annual letter to departments summarizing audit findings and reinforcing strategies to avoid noncompliance 

. Identify and profile best practices on the CRU webpage 

. Continuously improve the toolkit available to departments on the CRU webpage 

 

  

 

Goal A – Merit System Integrity is Preserved 
Outcome:  Hiring is fair and impartial.  Discipline is fair. 
Key Performance Indicator:  The State of California is an employer of choice. 
 
Goal B – Enhanced Effectiveness of the Civil Service System through Staff and Stakeholder Engagement 
Outcome:  A streamlined civil service system. 
Key Performance Indicator:  Efficient and effective utilization of resources. 
 
Goal C – Strong Organization 
Outcome:  A high-performing, risk-intelligent, and innovative organization.  
Key Performance Indicator:  Reputation.