Human Resources

Mary Goodale, Human Resources
City Hall (2nd Floor)
21 West First Avenue
Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-5959 Office
(509) 865-1950 Fax

Business Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Human Resources manages the recruitment, selection, and record keeping of City employees, coordinates payroll adjustments, salary increases, and benefit programs; assists in the administration of various employee committees, programs, and policies related to personnel and labor relations activities.

Initial Processing

All applications for positions with the City of Toppenish shall be received by Human Resources unless other arrangements are approved by the City Manager for recruitment and screening.

In order to be considered in the selection process, all applicants must complete a City of Toppenish employment application, related supplemental questionnaire and/or resume, as required. If an applicant only submits a resume, Human Resources shall forward a City application to the applicant with instructions that it is to be returned by the designated deadline. Following the closing date, Human Resources will review all the applications for the position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the position description will be sent on to the Department Director (or Civil Service Commission for uniform Police and Fire positions) for consideration. The Department Director or their designee shall review and evaluate the applications to determine which individuals will continue in the recruitment and selection process and will identify only the most competitive candidates to participate in the interview and selection process. Applicants not meeting the minimum qualifications shall be notified by letter of their application status by Human Resources.

Testing

Job testing is a valuable method for further evaluating applicants and may be utilized for filling some City positions. The type of testing, if any, in the employee selection process, shall be developed by the City (or Civil Service Commission) and the results will be utilized solely to determine the applicant’s ability to perform one or more of the essential functions for the position for which they are being considered. In all cases, only validated testing instruments or procedures shall be utilized that conform to Equal Employment Opportunities Council guidelines.

Structured Job Interview

Like job testing, a structured job interview will be used and conducted solely for the purpose of determining the applicant’s competence to do the job, and not to elicit information which has no bearing on the job, or to exclude certain individuals or groups of individuals from further job consideration. Careful consideration is given to make sure that the interview questions are strictly job-related. In the interest of achieving consistency in the City interview process, Human Resources shall participate in the interview. At no time shall an employment interview be conducted by a sole City representative. Professionals from other organizations or members of resident advisory committees may be part of a City of Toppenish interview panel process.

For positions requiring the operation of City vehicles or vehicular equipment, the applicant shall provide a copy of their current driver’s record obtained from the Department of Motor Vehicles or their insurance agent. The driver’s record shall be presented prior to or at the applicant’s panel interview. Applicant driving records will be evaluated for any liability concerns based on City Risk Management Program criteria.

Pre-Employment Drug Testing/Physical/Psychological Examinations

Following a conditional offer of employment, applicants for public safety (uniform Fire and Police positions), positions requiring CDL’s, or any position that requires the use of a firearm will be scheduled for a pre-employment drug screening by Human Resources. In addition, applicants for positions requiring physical and/or psychological examination or other examinations which relate directly to the position they are being appointed will be scheduled. The subsequent appointment is contingent upon passing the testing/exam(s) and receiving a favorable recommendation from the examining authority. Applicants for positions that have unsupervised access to children less than 16 years of age or to developmentally disabled persons must also complete a public disclosure statement that will be submitted to the Washington State Patrol for confirmation.

Reference Checks

Employer reference checks (and/or background investigations for uniformed Police and Fire personnel) shall be conducted on the finalist(s) under consideration for appointment to a City position. At least three (3) reference checks (current/previous employers) will be made for each person under consideration. Under no circumstance shall employer reference checks be conducted without the knowledge and permission of the applicant.

Selection

Following a review of the applications, panel interview(s), testing results, and necessary reference checks, the Department Director or their designee will identify the applicant they feel is most qualified to fill the vacancy. The candidate will be contacted either by the Department Director or Human Resources and given a conditional offer of employment, including the proposed date of hire and entry salary. The Department Director will forward its recommendation through Human Resources to the City Manager for review and approval.

All applicants not selected for the position shall be notified in writing by Human Resources within two weeks after the City Manager has approved the appointment.

Temporary Personnel

A temporary employee is a person appointed to a temporary position or temporarily appointed to a regular position. A temporary position refers to a position budgeted for a set period of time on an hourly, daily, weekly, seasonal, or call-in basis. This period of time will not exceed six (6) consecutive months of continuous employment.

City of Toppenish Employee Information

City Policies

Contracts

Family Medical Leave Act Information:

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Forms

Employee Benefit Forms

Employee Benefit Information

Job Descriptions

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