Police, fire candidate-hiring process strengthened

Police, fire candidate-hiring process strengthened

Published on November 05, 2026

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DENVER - The Civil Service Commission is in a better position to process police, fire, and Public Safety candidates consistently and securely, according to a follow-up report from Denver Auditor Timothy M. O'Brien, CPA.

"We want the best talent applying for City and County of Denver jobs. Strong hiring processes decrease the likelihood candidates drop out. I applaud the Civil Service Commission for adopting our recommendations, which can lead to the city employing more highly skilled candidates," said Auditor O'Brien.

The Civil Service Commission oversees testing entry-level police and fire applicants to find the best qualified candidates to hire. It fully implemented 12 of our 14 recommendations and partially implemented the two others from our original audit.

Workday tasks

The commission uses Workday, the city's system of record, to help manage the various steps in the hiring processes. It created a guide defining and connecting each hiring step to its associated Workday step. This synchronization led to the commission removing excess Workday steps, reducing the likelihood of data errors.

A risk remains that information about candidates' progress in the hiring process is inaccurate in Workday because this information is also in external spreadsheets. This may create redundancies or missing data in Workday. Without accurate data, the commission may not be able to improve the hiring process.

Communications

The Civil Service Commission worked with the police, fire, and Public Safety departments to create a plan for regular, quality communication and data sharing. Improved communication helps the city better decide how to improve the hiring process and recognize inefficiencies.

Background investigators

Increased guardrails exist for background investigators who investigate candidates. Previously, the commission allowed background investigators to use personal devices to conduct investigations involving sensitive personal candidate information. A new policy requires background investigators to use city-issued laptops for this work, which all 17 investigators have received.

The commission also developed new guidance to oversee and monitor staff work. And it has new policies to avoid future compliance issues with third party vendors.

"The Civil Service Commission began addressing issues while our original audit was underway. It showed their commitment and proactivity in strengthening the hiring process. Now that it is has followed through on its improvements, we can anticipate candidates engaging longer in the process and more talented people working for the city," Auditor O'Brien said.

AUDITOR TIMOTHY O'BRIEN, CPA
Denver Auditor

Denver Auditor's Office

201 W. Colfax Ave. #705 Denver, CO 80202
Email: [email protected]
Call: 720-913-5000
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