Hermosa Beach approves up-to-$500,000 agreement with Robert Half for temporary staffing

The Hermosa Beach City Council on Jan. 13 approved an agreement with Robert Half to provide as-needed temporary staffing citywide, authorizing expenditures not to exceed $500,000.

Staff said the contract addresses immediate gaps in the city clerk, community development and human resources departments and is intended to supply on-call short-term staff while recruitments continue. The agreement was procured through cooperative purchasing and Robert Half was the only responsive, qualified bidder; staff said it has already placed temporary workers in city roles successfully.

Council members pressed staff on oversight, whether the city should seek a lower ceiling, and how the expenditure will be monitored. Staff said the $500,000 ceiling is an upper bound and that spending will be funded from salary-savings associated with vacancies; staff offered to provide monthly reports on temporary-staff expenditures. The motion to approve the agreement carried unanimously.

What’s next: Staff will execute the agreement and use temporary placements as needed, prioritize recruitment for permanent hires, and return periodic spending reports to council.