Moving Cities Forward: Connecting Hiring and Onboarding for Lasting Impact

In every city government, people are the most valuable asset. From the public works teams maintaining our infrastructure to the policy professionals shaping the city’s future, success depends on hiring the right individuals and helping them thrive from the very beginning. While recruitment often gets the spotlight, onboarding is just as important in making sure new employees feel supported, engaged, and committed to serving their community.

Hiring and onboarding aren't just separate checkboxes - they're parts of a connected strategy to build a strong, mission-driven workforce. Good recruitment brings in talent, but effective onboarding helps keep that talent and allows it to grow. When these processes work hand-in-hand, they create the foundation for a workplace culture based on excellence, service, and teamwork.

Modern Challenges in Public Sector Hiring

City governments today face growing challenges in hiring - from competing with the private sector for skilled professionals to ensuring diversity and inclusion across departments. These pressures are pushing cities to rethink traditional hiring methods and adjust to a changing workforce.

To meet these challenges, many forward-thinking city agencies are changing how they evaluate candidates. Instead of focusing only on past experience, they're now looking at skills, flexibility, and a strong connection to public service values. This shift helps ensure that new hires not only bring the right expertise but also care deeply about making a difference in their communities.

Innovative Hiring Approaches in Action

Some cities are stepping up and leading the way in updating their hiring practices. Take Colorado’s Department of Transportation, for example. They recently launched a hiring model that puts more emphasis on key skills and qualities like teamwork and problem-solving, rather than just traditional qualifications. This fresh approach has helped the city attract professionals with new ideas who are genuinely excited to support community-focused projects.

When hiring focuses on both ability and purpose, cities can build more flexible, mission-driven teams. These teams are