June 14, 2023 – In January 2023, the California Government Operations Agency (GovOps) led a groundbreaking recruitment initiative called Work for California to attract talented individuals from the private IT sector to join public service. The 8-week sprint was a collaborative effort involving 21 departments and yielded impressive results. Over 8,000 individuals declared they were interested in working for the State of California.
CDT eagerly joined the efforts by focusing on promoting 21 IT job opportunities. Through social media, recruitment events, and targeted outreach campaigns, we received over 340 applications for these positions. We also interviewed current employees who transitioned from the private sector to share what they most enjoyed about working at CDT.
GovOps organized several in-person and virtual career fairs that were attended by over 2,100 individuals who were interested in pursuing opportunities with the state. These events extended our reach and provided candidates with clear guidance and support to help navigate the recruitment process more effectively. The events were highly successful, resulting in a 44.5% increase in our candidate pool, including individuals who were new to applying for state positions.
The Work for California campaign showcased the power of collaboration. By joining forces, CDT developed effective hiring practices, such as sharing classification matrixes with private sector candidates to make state jobs more accessible, writing more engaging job opportunities, and using QR codes and videos to connect with potential applicants. The campaign fostered collaboration and innovation in recruitment strategies. As California continues to evolve, the Work for California campaign has laid a solid foundation for a dynamic and skilled IT recruitment strategy.