Shapiro Administration Achieves Fastest Hiring Pace in Six Years; Continues Working to Ensure State Government Can Deliver for Pennsylvanians

​The Shapiro Administration is making the Commonwealth's hiring process more efficient to support the workforce, compete for talent in the job market, and better serve the people of Pennsylvania.

Harrisburg, PA - Today, Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver announced that ongoing efforts by the Shapiro Administration to reduce the length of time positions are vacant across state agencies achieved an historic milestone with the lowest average time to hire since 2018 when the Office of Administration assumed responsibility for recruitment and hiring for state agencies.

The average time to hire for Commonwealth employees was 62 days as of June 30, 2024. This is the lowest rate since 2018, and a 31 percent decrease from 90 days at the beginning of the Shapiro Administration.

"Most people want to find a job as quickly as possible. A faster hiring process gives our managers a competitive edge and lowers the chances of top candidates accepting offers from other employers," said Secretary Weaver. "Since the start of the Shapiro Administration, OA has worked hand-in-hand with all Commonwealth agencies to fill positions efficiently with the best possible talent in order to best serve Pennsylvania, and we will continue working together on this shared goal to make the Commonwealth the best place to work."

In addition to increasing the ability to attract top talent, an efficient hiring process helps to minimize productivity loss caused by vacancies, as well as increasing morale for existing employees who may need to take on extra work while positions are unfilled.

In January 2023, OA began piloting measures to streamline hiring, including expedited hiring for vacancies that process licenses, permits, and certifications and rearranging the selection process sequence for maximum efficiency. OA also began collaborating with hiring managers at Commonwealth facilities to host events where job seekers can apply on-the-spot and receive immediate interviews and conditional job offers.

OA continues to monitor time to hire data and work with agencies to identify and address specific areas for improvement. Conducting interviews is typically the longest step of the hiring process for most vacancies.

Reducing the vacancy rate for Commonwealth positions and filling job openings quickly is part of the Administration's commitment to deliver results by building a strong and diverse workforce to meet the evolving needs of Pennsylvanians. In May, Governor Shapiro signed Executive Order 2024-01Opens In A New Window establishing the Hire, Improve, Recruit, Empower (HIRE) CommitteeOpens In A New Window to focus on attracting the next generation of public servants, increasing the Commonwealth's competitiveness in the labor market, recruiting and hiring for historically hard to fill jobs, and ensuring the Commonwealth's workforce is representative of the diverse backgrounds and beliefs of Pennsylvania's residents.

In 2023, the Commonwealth was ranked among the top employers in the state by Pennsylvania workersOpens In A New Window and ranked among the top employers in the nation by recent college graduatesOpens In A New Window in surveys conducted by Forbes.

Under Governor Shapiro's leadership, the Commonwealth has taken coordinated actions to make itself more attractive to job seekers. They include Governor Shapiro's Executive Order to emphasize skills and experience in state hiringOpens In A New Window, as well as:

• Creating new internships and apprenticeshipsOpens In A New Window for non-degree students pursuing careers in a variety of fields.

• Establishing the Governor's Science and Technology FellowshipOpens In A New Window for individuals with advanced degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

• Offering the William and Hannah Penn FellowshipOpens In A New Window for advanced degree holders.

• Establishing a Commonwealth Chief Diversity OfficerOpens In A New Window to lead diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion initiatives across Commonwealth agencies.

• Enhancing medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision benefitsOpens In A New Window to reduce wait times and costs for new hires to enroll in individual and family coverage and an expanded dental network effective August 1, 2024, and increasing the annual maximums for dental and vision benefits beginning in 2025.

• Supporting overall health and wellbeingOpens In A New Window by increasing the number of free counseling sessions for employees and family members under the State Employee Assistance Program, adding work-life and caregiver support services, and increasing paid parental leave from six weeks to eight weeks.

• Offering scholarships and discounts on tuition and student loansOpens In A New Window for employees and families through collaborations with Pennsylvania colleges and universities.

Job seekers can visit Employment.pa.govOpens In A New Window to view and apply to current job openings, receive notifications about new vacancies in their field, and learn more about the Commonwealth's comprehensive benefits for employees. You can also visit Careers.employment.pa.govOpens In A New Window to view all Commonwealth job titles, descriptions, salaries, and other details for all positions, including those that do not require a college degree.

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