FROM THE EDITOR, February 2023

HR News has big news.

Starting with our next issue, slated to appear online in April, the publication previously known as HR News will be titled Public Eye.

Why now?

With IPMA-HR officially becoming The Public Sector HR Association—PSHRA, for short—at the start of the new year, the editorial team thought the time was perfect to rebrand the association’s flagship publication, which will now be published on a bimonthly basis.

Why Public Eye?

Public because we want to make clear our commitment to covering the public sector-specific HR issues that matter most to you. And Eye because we want to keep the focus on the positive, change-effecting work that you and your HR peers in American government—an entity that, frankly, isn’t always perceived in the most positive light—are doing on a daily basis.

This issue’s cover story is a perfect example of the good that HR leaders are doing in government.

In “Forging a New Path: The City of Los Angeles Builds an Alternative Job Pipeline,” Dana Brown and Vincent Cordero offer an overview of L.A. Local Hire.

The City of Los Angeles initiative consists of two programs, Targeted Local Hire (TLH) and Bridge to Jobs (BRIDGE). TLH provides individuals an opportunity to be randomly selected for referral to city departments for hiring consideration into entry-level jobs. The program’s aim is to develop alternative pathways for underserved populations such as veterans, individuals with disabilities, transgender individuals, older workers and former gang members, wrote Brown and Cordero, the City’s general manager of personnel and chief personnel analyst, respectively.

Since launching TLH in February 2017, Los Angeles city departments have hired nearly 1,500 individuals from such populations.

BRIDGE provides individuals an opportunity to be directly referred to a city department for hiring consideration into a “semi-skilled job.” These are slightly higher-level positions than those in TLH, so candidates must show proof of a high school diploma or equivalent, have an approved certification, or pass a basic math and reading aptitude test to apply.

According to Brown and Cordero, the City of Los Angeles plans to expand the programs by adding more classifications and strengthening them by improving applicant, employee and department experiences, and “hopes that the success of L.A. Local Hire will inspire other municipalities to start their own targeted employment programs.”

Cheryl Lewis-Smith is hoping to inspire her contemporaries, too, in her new role as PSHRA president.

In her first letter to PSHRA members, appearing on page 8, Lewis-Smith makes clear that she can’t wait to get started serving the members of this organization as its president.

“I am eager to lead, while building upon the intrinsic leadership legacy of those who have previously served in this capacity,” Lewis-Smith wrote. “I stand ready, willing and fully equipped to serve. It is my desire to make an impactful difference in the human resources profession across the globe.”

We’re sure that Cheryl will continue to do just that. And it’s our hope that Public Eye picks up where HR News left off, continuing to highlight the sizable impact that she and all of our members are making on the HR profession.