Outcomes

The County has added a community engagement manager and language services manager to the County Communications Office to ensure all departments and programs are embedding engagement into their operations, communicating in a way that is easy to understand for all.

Our new Engage San Diego County online tool is a Community Engagement “hub” where interested citizens can become aware, informed, and engaged on a wide variety of projects and programs. Opportunities include everything from forums to surveys, spaces to give ideas and feedback, FAQs, project information, and polls. People can register to get notifications and updates, allowing residents to engage when it is most convenient for them on the topics they care about. 

The Department of Human Resources (DHR) is continuously seeking opportunities to enhance the County’s recruiting and hiring processes. Beginning July 1, 2023 the County started applying blind applicant screening to all new recruitments, which blocks a job candidate’s personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race.

Bias presents itself in many ways, both conscious and unconscious, and research has shown that bias can occur as early as the initial application screening phase.

This new process helps contribute to a fair and equitable recruitment process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.  

The County has a wide spectrum of work environments, schedules, and services. Therefore, we need to be intentional in our efforts to create spaces for employees to connect. Virtual engagement opportunities were not just a pandemic necessity but have become a lasting connectivity solution. Quarterly offerings by our employee resource groups and D&I Executive Council are two examples of our virtual connection efforts.

In February 2022, the County of San Diego’s Employee Resource Group Council launched Fireside Chats, a quarterly informal mentorship series with leaders. Our 11 employee resource groups alternate moderating these virtual conversations in partnership with the County’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion team.

To model a culture of belonging, the D&I Executive Council introduced a quarterly townhall series. These virtual events create a bridging space that facilitates informative conversations on topics that affect the organization and employees. Employees embrace hearing about current matters and the opportunity to engage with leaders.

In January 2022, the County rolled out reimagined versions of our fundamental guides for the County. This included our reframed vision of a "just, sustainable, resilient future for all" and an updated set of six values - integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. These values create a path to examine all our policies and programs with fresh eyes to improve the lives of every San Diegan.

Our General Management System is our operating manual, the how of our organization. It is represented by a wheel to reflect the ongoing, cyclical nature of our business. While the management principles of planning (strategic and operational) remain, they’re now followed by Evaluation and Accountability, reflecting our emphasis on data and performance measures, Continuous Collaboration, taking the place of Functional Threading, and Employee Investment and Satisfaction. To the hub of the wheel has been added Community Engagement, reflecting the essential partnership with our residents in all that we do.

The Strategic Plan is the what of our enterprise. In its refreshed state, it lays out the overarching initiatives for the County. The incredible variety of services we provide all feed up into these common themes: sustainability, equity, empower, community, justice. Each of these breaks down into more specific areas of activities where our diverse County duties and individual and collaborative work of our employees are reflected. The continuing work we do with Live Well San Diego is also woven into these themes.

As the GMS cycles forward, part of the process involves engaging with employees to help shape the goals that support the initiatives.