Application & Selection Procedures

The purpose of this page is to help people interested in obtaining employment with Shasta County get information about potential employment opportunities, and understand how the County typically goes about recruiting and selecting individuals for employment.

Information About Job Opportunities

The following are sources of information about current employment opportunities with Shasta County:

The Personnel Office - 1450 Court St., Room 348, Redding, CA 96001-1676. Job bulletins and application forms are available in the reception area.

All of the current job openings are listed with links to complete job bulletins using the previous link or under the Job Opportunities page.

Shasta County's jobs may also be listed on the following websites: CalJOBs, Indeed.com, ZipRecruiter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others.

Ads may be placed in newspapers or printed publications within the County or in other regions as well.

The Smart Business Resource Center, located in Redding, and local College Placement offices may also have County jobs posted.

The Job Bulletin and Application Form

Generally, when a department has a need to fill a position, names from an eligible list for that position are referred from Personnel to the hiring department. If an eligible list is not in place, has expired, or is no longer viable (five or less names remaining on the list), then Personnel may start a recruitment to obtain qualified applicants for the position, and establish an eligible list.

When a recruitment for a position is initiated, a job bulletin is developed that provides a broad summary of information about the position. The official title of the job, the salary range, typical duties and responsibilities, expected knowledge and abilities, basic (and sometimes ideal) qualifications, and the closing date for the recruitment are described in the bulletin. Specific information about the application process, like the need to attach certificates or complete supplemental questions, is also outlined. The most comprehensive information is available on our Employment Information and Job Opportunities page or by visiting the Government Jobs website and we highly encourage people to apply online.

Applications are only accepted for positions that are currently open. It is important that applications be received by Personnel by the closing date and time posted for the job (postmarks and faxes are not accepted). Always use the official County title to describe the position for which you are applying. Applications must be fully completed even if a cover letter and/or resume is attached. Applications will not be considered as complete, and will be subject to rejection, if the Experience section is filled out with remarks such as "See Resume" or if they are not signed and dated. If you have been with the same employer for an extended period and held more than one position during that time, it may be helpful for you to list those jobs separately. A current resume may be a helpful addition. Due to the changing needs of a department or other significant circumstances, a recruitment may be abandoned or modified. Applicants will be notified should such occur.

Note: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision or procedure described herein may be modified or revoked at any time without notice.

Selection Procedures

Application Screening. A committee, usually consisting of a Personnel Assistant and one or two Subject Matter Experts from the hiring department(s), screens all the applications received by the closing deadline. Applications are screened for completeness, and the education, training, and experiences listed are judged against the qualifications specified in the job bulletin. If a large number of applications are received and comparatively few positions are expected to be available within a year's time, applications may be screened according to training and experience standards more specific than just the minimum qualifications for the job. Many job bulletins include ideal candidate statements that provide information about preferable qualifications beyond the minimum that may be used as a basis for screening applications. Therefore, meeting the stated minimum qualifications does not guarantee advancement in the selection process. Letters are sent to those persons whose applications are screened out. Individuals who pass the application screening are notified as to the next phase of the selection process.

Veteran's Preference Points. Veterans (as defined by California Government Code section 18973) who have been discharged from military service under conditions other than dishonorable and who receive a passing score on all components of the employment examinations (up to and including oral examinations) shall receive credit for an additional five points to be added to their final examination score. To be considered for this credit, a veteran MUST provide a copy of his or her discharge document (DD-214 or equivalent) and information as to the type of discharge (honorable, dishonorable, etc.) with the Employment Application on or before the final filing date.

Further Examination of Qualifications. Those applicants who pass the application screening undergo an examination process to further assess their qualifications for the position. This process may include written and/or oral examinations. The County uses a professional testing service to design written examinations that contain questions based on job content. These examinations serve as a valid measurement of an individual's knowledge and understanding of factors associated with successful job performance. The County determines the passing score for each examination and may change this mark from one test administration to another based on previous experience with result trends, the number of applicants taking the exam, or the distribution of scores for a particular exam.

Sometimes an eligible list is based on the outcome of a written exam. Other times, a written exam is followed by an oral exam or only an oral exam is given. In these cases, the eligible list may be based on the oral exam scores or a combination of the written and oral exam scores.

In an oral exam, candidates are interviewed by a Qualification Appraisal Panel (QAP). Usually, the panels consist of three members, often with representation from Personnel, supervisors or managers from the hiring department(s), or others with particular expertise in the field. The panel asks questions designed to get more information about candidates' knowledge, skills and abilities, and related experiences associated with the job. Candidates' understanding of the position, their communication skills, and demonstrated interest and motivation are also taken into consideration. Each panel member rates the interviewee in these qualifications areas, and the candidate's score on the oral examination is the average of the panel members' ratings.

The Eligible List. After the examination process is completed, candidates are ranked on an eligible list according to their scores. If a person does not pass an examination, he or she is notified by mail by the hiring department. For any single position available, Personnel refers the top ten names (or more if there are ties in ranking with the tenth name) on the eligible list to the hiring department. The list will remain valid as long as it is viable (more than 5 names on the list) or for up to one year (two years in some instances). Candidates will advance in ranking as the list is used to fill other positions in the classification during that time.

Candidate Selection. After Personnel makes the referral of names from the eligible list, the hiring department has discretion as to how to proceed with selecting a candidate. The department may choose to make an offer of employment directly to any of those referrals, or decide to interview up to all ten of the referrals. At this stage of the process, the department, not Personnel, is responsible for informing candidates as to decisions made regarding their potential employment.

Post-Job Offer Considerations

The County has a legal obligation to administer pre-employment and random drug testing for specified positions. The County also has a pre-employment physical exam program that includes drug and alcohol testing for all persons who accept a conditional offer of employment. Reference checks and background investigations may also be required for those persons who accept a conditional offer of employment.

Most positions are subject to a one-year probationary period. During this time, either the employee or the County may terminate the employment relationship without cause.

Many positions are represented by a union or employee association. Comprehensive Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) that describe wages, hours of work, and other terms and conditions are developed as a result of negotiations with these groups. Terms of an MOU may require employees to pay dues or a fee. Additionally, the County has rules, policies, and procedures that address a number of matters pertinent to employment.

New employees take part in a general orientation to County employment, and many departments have orientations specific to their operations. Training for new employees is handled in a variety of ways, some formal and others more informal. The goal is to have well informed and trained employees, committed to quality public service, with an understanding of their relationship to the County as a whole, as well as to their departments.

Special Circumstances

The "Five or Fewer" Rule. Sometimes, five or fewer applicants are determined to be qualified as a result of the application screening process or written exam process. Under these circumstances, the recruitment may be extended or the qualified candidates referred directly to the hiring department for consideration. After evaluating one or more of the candidates, the department may make a decision to hire or request an additional recruitment. An Eligible List is not established in these cases.

Continuous Recruitments. In some cases, applications for specific positions may be accepted on a continuous basis. Job bulletins and advertisements will indicate when this is the case. Under these circumstances, applicants will be evaluated according to standard procedures and candidates will be ranked on an on-going eligible listed based on their examination scores. An individual placed on a continuous list may not reapply for a period six months. Individuals will be removed from a continuous list after one year from their last placement on the list. A continuous recruitment may be terminated at any time.

Note: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision or procedure described herein may be modified or revoked at any time without notice.

Pre-Employment Considerations

Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified job candidates who are disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other laws, to allow for participation in the selection process.

After interviewing for a position, and if the department is interested in hiring a candidate, there is a two-step process. The first step is a preliminary offer of employment conditioned on the results of a background investigation. (Note: An individual will be required to pass a background investigation relevant to working in a law enforcement office or facility prior to being hired.) After successfully completing the background investigation, a second offer of employment may be provided that will be conditioned solely on the results of the medical examination.

Some positions will require a valid California driver's license and an acceptable driving record according to County policy. All employees are enrolled in the California Department of Motor Vehicles mandatory reporting program.

In accordance with Government Code Section 3100, in the event of a disaster, County employees are considered disaster workers and may be asked to respond accordingly.

Prior to starting work, individuals must participate in a new hire meeting where information about benefits, policies and procedures is provided and discussed. The new employee meetings are scheduled based on availability and may last approximately 2 hours. Attendees are not compensated for this meeting time.

All new employees must make arrangements to have their pay deposited directly into a bank account via electronic transfer from the Auditor's Office.

Typing Certificate

For current job openings that require a typing certificate, Shasta County is now offering a free typing test!

The test is available by appointment only. Space is limited and appointment times are not guaranteed.

The typing certificate is valid only for Shasta County jobs.

The test takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is administered at:

1450 Court Street, Room 348
Redding, CA 96001
(530) 225-5515

Please call to make an appointment.