PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach has announced the merger of the Civil Service Department with the Human Resources (HR) Department to form one unified hiring department following the voter approved passing of charter amendment Measure JB in November 2024. This merge, which officially went into effect on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, streamlines and modernizes the City’s hiring processes to create a more efficient, community-centered, and responsible city government that is committed to merit-based hiring practices to attract, retain and develop high quality and diverse talent and in turn continue to improve the quality of public services to the community it serves.

“We’re closer than ever to becoming the first big city in California with a 90-day hiring standard,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “By bringing Civil Service and Human Resources together, we’re cutting red tape, making it easier to get hired, and staying true to our Long Beach Jobs Promise. This is about building a strong, committed workforce that truly reflects the community we serve.”

The new singular and restructured HR Department will manage all employee recruitment and hiring processes, implement local preferences in the classified service, and achieve a goal of hiring most positions within 90 business days. Additionally, as part of Measure JB, an independent Civil Service Employee Rights and Appeals Commission was established. This new commission, which will be in effect beginning July 1, 2025, will adjudicate classified employee disciplinary appeals and resolve complaints regarding the Civil Service rules. More information about this commission will be announced by the City at a later date.

“Long Beach is growing and evolving, and our workforce systems need to keep pace," said City Manager Tom Modica. "This merge is a forward-thinking approach to public service—one that is responsive, efficient and built to attract the best talent and continue meeting the needs of our community. By removing barriers and reducing bureaucracy, we are ensuring every employee—present and future—has the tools and support they need to thrive."

As part of this merge, the City also established a new Talent Management Bureau within the HR Department to include both classified and unclassified positions and further streamline and strengthen its recruitment efforts. The majority of transferred employees and resources were strategically placed in the Talent Management Bureau to enhance collaboration and better serve departments’ hiring needs. All former Civil Service employees employed at the time of the merger remain employed in the City and were offered jobs either in Human Resources or other departments, as agreed to during the implementation plan.

“This merge is about aligning our resources to better serve both the community and our employees and ensuring that we remain a destination for top and diverse talent,” said Director of Human Resources Bryce M. Tyler. “By uniting our Civil Service and HR Departments, we’re not only able to onboard our incoming workforce more quickly—we're modernizing our processes and creating more consistent support for our existing workforce. Our City teams are doing incredible work, and this merge will better allow us to build on that momentum to meet the future with even greater purpose.”

The City employs over 6,100 full and part-time personnel in 23 departments and offices. The City’s Human Resources Department has made significant strides in modernizing and centralizing its processes by streamlining workflows and enhancing service delivery across the organization. These reform efforts have transformed how the Department supports the City’s workforce by creating a more efficient and effective operational framework.

The City of Long Beach was recently recognized as a Certified Age-Friendly Employer by the Age-Friendly Institute. This distinction recognizes the City for its commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment for people ages 50 and older.

For more information about the HR Department, visit longbeach.gov/hr.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.