2000-01-24                     House Journal                      Page 1991
HB 317                                                                       
HOUSE BILL NO. 317 by the House Rules Committee by request of                  
the Governor, entitled:                                                        
                                                                               
"An Act relating to recruitment, selection, appointment, and                  
promotion of state employees and the duties of the Department of               
Administration concerning those and other related functions; and               
providing for an effective date."                                              
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the House Special Committee            
on Military & Veterans' Affairs and the State Affairs and Finance              
Committees.                                                                    
                                                                               
The following fiscal note applies:                                             
                                                                               
Zero fiscal note, Dept. of Administration/All Depts., 1/24/00                  
                                                                               
The Governor's transmittal letter dated January 21, 2000, appears              
below:                                                                         
                                                                               
"Dear Speaker Porter:                                                          
                                                                               
Workplace Alaska, the state's new, highly successful system for hiring,        
has won national awards for outstanding innovation.  It is time to put         
this pilot program into state law.                                             
                                                                               

2000-01-24                     House Journal                      Page 1992
HB 317                                                                       
This bill I transmit today amends various sections of the State                
Personnel Act to integrate Workplace Alaska as an on-line recruitment,         
application, and hiring process for positions in the classified service.       
                                                                               
                                                                               
Workplace Alaska replaces the time-consuming old system of                     
eligibility lists and examinations, which could cause a single hire to         
take as much as several months to complete.  Under this new program,           
an applicant maintains a single resume on-line that can be used for any        
vacancy advertised.                                                            
                                                                               
                                                                               
The new hiring process follows these steps:                                    
                                                                               
Hiring manager completes an on-line vacancy announcement;                     
Agency reviews and approves the job announcement;                             
Division of Personnel posts the announcement on the Internet;                 
Job seekers complete a one-time applicant profile (resume);                   
Job seekers access job postings over the Internet and view                    
individual vacancies;                                                          
Job seekers file a job qualification summary form for each vacancy            
of interest, attaching the applicant profile;                                  
Hiring manager reviews all submitted job qualification summaries              
and profiles, conducts interviews, reference checks, and selects an            
individual for the position;                                                   
Agency approves the appointment.                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
Workplace Alaska is an advantage to hiring managers as well as to              
applicants.  It results in faster hires, a better-qualified pool of            
candidates who are interested in specific vacancies, and up-to-date            
applicant and vacancy information.                                             
                                                                               
                                                                               
The bill establishes a system to continue honoring preference for              
veterans, prisoners of war and members of the Alaska National Guard.           
It also provides authority for the personnel board to adopt necessary          
implementing regulation changes.                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               

2000-01-24                     House Journal                      Page 1993
HB 317                                                                       
Workplace Alaska has proven to be a vast improvement in the state's            
hiring process.  I urge your prompt and favorable action on this               
measure.                                                                       
                                                                               
							Sincerely,                                                              
							/s/                                                                     
							Tony Knowles                                                            
							Governor"