Title
Human Resources Department recommending the Board:
1) Authorize the amendment of perpetual Agreement 471-S1211 (Fenix #886) with GovernmentJobs.com, Inc., doing business as NEOGOV, in order to utilize the application programming interface (API) integration allowing the County to purchase, monitor status of, and collect data on their background checks through close technical integration with Employment Screening Resources (ESR), and
2) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to sign the amended contract.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Human Resources recommending the Board authorize the amendment of perpetual Agreement 471-S1211 (Fenix #886) with GovernmentJobs.com, Inc., doing business as NEOGOV, and authorize the Purchasing Agent to sign the amended contract.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Human Resources Department (HR) contracted with NEOGOV in January 2012 for a County-wide job applicant tracking system. NEOGOV is in partnership with a background check provider named Employment Screening Resources, Inc. (ESR). HR is seeking to utilize the application programming interface (API) integration with ESR, provided by NEOGOV, which requires an amendment to our current perpetual agreement.
AB1008, which went into effect January 1, 2018, prohibits an employer, with certain exceptions, from inquiring about or considering a job applicant’s conviction history prior to a conditional offer of employment, and sets requirements regarding the consideration of conviction histories in employment decisions.
While the County is currently in compliance with AB1008 by utilizing another background check provider, Employee Resources, the current provider is not a NEOGOV Partnered background check provider. Switching to a NEOGOV Partnered background check provider (ESR) and purchasing NEOGOV’s API integration will realize significant process/time efficiencies for both the County and potential new hires. Currently, County departments send an email to the potential new hire, with a conditional offer letter and a background authorization attached. The potential new hire signs and sends back the authorization and HR manually enters all of the potential new hire’s information on his/her NEOGOV application into Employee Resources’ online system. The API integration between NEOGOV and ESR will allow HR to pre-populate the potential new hire’s background check forms with first name, last name, and email address, and automatically send a notification to the potential new hire for further information needed for the background check (Social Security Number, Date of Birth, consent signatures, etc.). NEOGOV, through ESR, will automatically start the background check process after the information is gathered. When results are provided by ESR, NEOGOV will automatically display statuses for review and further hiring steps. With the NEOGOV API Integration, potential hires will be directly contacted by Employee Resources and the manual entry by HR will be eliminated. Additionally, all conditional offer letters and official offer letters will be sent out through NEOGOV, which will provide for better recordkeeping and fewer delays due to the current email process. Authorization of the amendment to the perpetual agreement with GovernmentJobs.com, Inc. will reduce staff time required for completing the background check process and will reduce the time between the conditional offer of employment and the new hire’s first date of employment; thereby benefiting both the County and the potential new hire.
The NEOGOV API Integration will also meet a key requirement of the County’s Fenix System by providing a method for population of Social Security Number and date of birth information into Fenix’s Payroll Module. The implementation of this integration is critical in order to meet the planned “go live” date for Fenix’s Payroll Module.
Following Board approval, the HR Department will work with Procurement and Contracts to execute the amended contract.
ALTERNATIVES
Utilize a background investigation vendor without integration with NEOGOV, with the current process of manually entering information and using email communication.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Procurement and Contracts
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Current Annual Cost
$16,800 Insight Enterprise (Recruitment module)
$3,100 GovernmentJobs.com subscription (Online job posting module)
$19,900
Proposed Annual Cost
$16,800 Insight Enterprise (Recruitment module)
$3,100 GovernmentJobs.com subscription (Online job posting module)
$1,500 Application programming interface (API)
$21,400
There will be an annual increase of $1,500 per year. Approval of the item would not result in substantial changes to the department budget for the current fiscal year, as the contract amendment would be funded through budget salary savings. Indirectly, cost savings will be realized in staff time.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
None
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance
CONTACT
Jill Engelmann, Assistant Director of Human Resources