Promotion (and Promotion in Place)

The Department of General Services (DGS) encourages promotional advancement of employees demonstrating willingness and ability to perform services efficiently. Employees are permitted to advance according to the merit system principals and list eligibility.

It is the policy of DGS to fill a position at a lower level for recruitment and/or training and development, until the employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities (job performance) support upgrade of the position to the higher level.

Note: Some entry level classifications within a series are permanently allocated to the lower level due to the duties and responsibilities, as determined by DGS Office of Human Resources (OHR).

definition

A promotion is the appointment of an employee to a different classification with a higher salary range, unless the appointment is by transfer (see Government Code section 18525.3). Promotions can occur when any of the following occur:

  • An appointment from a list
  • An increase in salary of 10% or greater
  • Movement between non-supervisory to supervisory/managerial classes

Promotions result from the competitive hiring process, and follow the Request for Personnel Action (RPA) process. The following information and procedure pertains solely to the promotion in place process, which is distinct from RPA recruitments and is approved at the discretion of the Department.

Promotion in Place (PIP) is permissible for certain classes where a journeyman level position is filled at an entry level for recruitment, training, and development, and when the employee’s job performance and skill development support upgrading the incumbent and the position to the higher level.

For example, movement from Staff Services Analyst to the Associate Governmental Program Analyst, and Administrative Law Judge I to Administrative Law Judge II is permitted when there is no change in unit, location, or supervisory relationship. This does not apply to movement to, from, or between rank & file and supervisory/managerial classes. For example, movement from Associate Governmental Program Analyst to Staff Services Manager I, and Staff Services Manager I to Staff Services Manager II do not constitute a PIP. Similarly, movement to, from, and between Staff Services Manager classes and CEA levels are not considered a PIP.

PIP may be permitted for employees who currently have permanent civil service status, regardless of time base, and when all of the following apply:

  1. The employee has demonstrated satisfactory or higher job performance in his or her current position, and has shown the ability and willingness to succeed at the higher level classification;
  2. The position currently occupied by the employee is reallocated to the “to” class without a change of unit or location;
  3. The employee competed in and passed an examination for the “to” class and is currently placed on the employment list for that examination in one of the top three ranks; and
  4. The appointing power documents the reasons why the selected employee was chosen for the promotion in place (see PIP Documentation form DGS OHR 75).*

*If some, but not all eligible employees from the unit (defined as reporting to that supervisor) are selected for a PIP, the appointing power shall ensure that those eligible employees not selected are informed in person and in writing of the reasons for the decision and provided the opportunity to obtain the competencies necessary for a promotion in the future. In addition to documenting the reasons for the decision, the appointing power shall document the date and time and any other relevant information regarding the meeting with the employee. The DGS OHR 75 form shall be placed in the supervisor’s working file.

Note: Training and Development assignments (T&D) do not qualify as promotions in place.

Procedure for promotion in place

The table below provides the steps and action required to process a promotion in place (see PIP process Flow Chart).

Step  Role Action
1 Employee Resource Liaison (ERL)
  1. Submits eSheet by email to Exams Unit with all potential PIP candidates within the unit and cc to the C&P Analyst.
    • An asterisk should be placed next to the primary PIP candidate’s name.
2 Exams Analyst
  1. Verifies MQs and list eligibility for all candidates and orders a preliminary commitment cert for each potential PIP candidate.
3 Exams Manager
  1. Verifies MQs and list eligibility, and
  2. Sends results back to the ERL, and cc to the C&P Analyst.
4 Program/ERL
  1. Determines candidate(s) for PIP based on results;
  2. Informs eligible/non-selected candidates in person and in writing of reasons for not being selected for PIP and opportunities to obtain competencies (OHR Form 75).
5 Program/ERL
  1. ERL creates RPA(s) for PIP(s) and submits with all supporting documentation to C&P Analyst, including:
    • Completed eSheet with an asterisk next to the PIP candidate’s name
    • Documentation from Program of meeting with eligible/non-selected candidates within the Unit to discuss reasons for not promoting at this time
    • Justification Memorandum
    • Budget Approval (DGS OHR 37)
    • Current and proposed organizational charts
    • Current and proposed duty statements
6 C&P Analyst
  1. Ensures all eligible candidates within unit (based on the organizational chart) were included on MQ sheet;
    • If not, route back to program;
    • If yes, completes review of all documents and writes position analysis.
7 C&P Management
  1. Approves or denies the PIP, and establishes effective date.
  2. Informs C&P Analyst of outcome.
8 C&P Analyst
  1. Informs the ERL of the outcome;
    • If no, cancels RPA.
    • If yes, replies to Exam’s eligibility email with effective date.
      • If DOF required, sends request to Position Control Analyst in Personnel Transactions Unit (PTU), and no effective date is established.
9 Exams Unit
  1. Cert Unit processes the hire in ABMS and ECOS, then routes back to C&P Analyst.
10 C&P Analyst
  1. Ensures all documents are attached in ABMS, then routes the RPA to PTU to be keyed.

Resources

Responsible Control Agency

  • California Department of Human Resources
  • State Personnel Board

Laws and Regulations

  • CalHR rule 599.676, 599.854.4
  • SPB rule 66.1, 231, 234, 241, 242
  • Government Code section 18525.1, 18525.3, 18950-18955, 19775-19776

Other Resource Materials

Contact

Classification and Pay Unit

Department of General Services
Office of Human Resources

707 3rd Street, 7th Floor
West Sacramento, CA 95605
Contact your assigned Classification and Pay Analyst.