A Note From the Director
Greetings! We are excited for the 2025 DHRM HR Conference: HR Navigating the Winds of Change, Building a Resilient Workforce. The Conference will be held in person October 28-30, 2025, at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
We will be providing keynote/general sessions as well as concurrent sessions, and are currently seeking dynamic speakers for both types of sessions. If you or a team member are interested in speaking, please submit a proposal. To submit your proposal, please refer to the Call for Proposals guidelines. All proposals must be submitted by Friday, June 27, 2025 via email to hrevents@dhrm.virginia.gov.
We hope all state employees had a fun and exciting time during Virginia Public Service Week this month! Don't forget to share photos with us! We would love to feature your Public Service Week photos in the next issue of the Employee Experience magazine that will be published soon. Submit photos here!
As a reminder, Employment Opportunities Plans are due by June 30th and Workforce Plans are due by September 30th each year. The metrics from these plans are valuable resources that will help us assess the effectiveness of our employee engagement efforts.
Thank you!
Janet L. Lawson, DHRM Director
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The Code of Virginia mandates agencies submit an annual Employment Opportunities Plan by June 30. To assist agencies in fulfilling this requirement, please find the instructions, tools and templates that are readily available on the DHRM website.
Happening Now! Health Benefits Open Enrollment May 16- 30, 2025!
The annual Open Enrollment period is happening now until Friday, May 30, 2025, for benefit eligible employees to make changes to their health plan, enroll in a flexible spending account (FSA), change health plan, or add or remove eligible family members or waive state health coverage. Visit the DHRM Open Enrollment 2025-26 webpage for more information.
Please encourage all benefit eligible employees to enroll or make changes if they haven't done so already! Remember, participants in a flexible spending account (FSA) must re-enroll every year! The enrollment deadline is Friday, May 30, 2025. For questions, please have employees contact the agency’s Benefits Administrator.
If you were unable to attend our workforce planning upskilling webinar series, you can view the recordings on the DHRM GoToMeeting Channel. We encourage anyone who is interested in elevating their agency’s workforce planning efforts to review the recordings.
To meet Library of Virginia data retention schedules and improve system performance, we have begun deleting accounts in the COV Learning Center (COVLC) learning management system. Please click on the link above for additional information.
The Virginia Office of Data Governance and Analytics provides free training and resources for Commonwealth agencies to improve their data governance and management programs. Click above to learn more.
Agencies can access national compensation survey data from the Mercer Compensation Benchmarking Platform (iMercer) at a discounted rate through a partnership with DHRM. The cost for FY25 is $725 per user, which is based on the number of users from the prior year. While the cost per user for FY26 has not yet been finalized, DHRM anticipates the cost will remain relatively the same.
Coming Soon on June 1st! New Share Point Site!
The HR Share Point Site will be live June 1st and available for HR Directors to connect and as a resource tool. The Share Point site is a visual analytics site designed to provide HR Directors with a way to obtain information from DHRM.
Building HR Expertise: SHRM Learning System Course Concludes
DHRM recently wrapped-up the SHRM Learning System course for 2025, with 33 students from 24 different agencies participating—making it one of the largest classes in recent years. Over 10 weeks, students received expert preparation for the SHRM CP and SHRM SCP exams, helping them take the next step in their HR careers. If you missed this round, don’t worry! DHRM will offer the course again in Spring 2026. Please contact John Carpenter for information about the course and to join the wait list for next year.
Engagement
This month the third cohort of the Commonwealth Leadership Academy (CLA), a DHRM program in partnership with VCU, designed to support the development of senior level leaders in state government, concluded on May 14 with a remarkable showcase of strategic projects and a celebratory graduation at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
Congratulations to all graduates for their dedication and impact! For more information about the CLA, reach out to the Workforce Development mailbox. More details in the link above.
The Commonwealth Mentorship Program (CMP) is gearing up to help state employees who are looking to advance their careers in state government. The CMP is currently recruiting mentors and mentees for the 2025-2026 Cohort, which starts on September 3, 2025. Applications are open until July 31. Please share the information with others who might be interested.
 CommonHealth Wellness Champions Nominations Request
Think about employees who are always present at workplace events with a positive attitude. Who encourages others to perform at their best while leading by example? These individuals are your CommonHealth Wellness Champions. Please share their stories with our CommonHealth team!
Visit http://www.commonhealth.virginia.gov/wellnesschampions.html to nominate the Wellness Champion in your agency.
Coming Soon! Cardinal Training in COVLC
Cardinal Training will be available directly within COVLC for all users in August! Users may have already seen the Cardinal domain appear as we prepare for this transition. No action is required from users or training administrators at this time. The Cardinal team will be sharing more information in the coming months to ensure a smooth and effective transition. In the meantime, please continue to access Cardinal Web-Based Training on the Cardinal Project website and request Instructor-Led Training using the Cardinal Training Request form. If you have further questions concerning the Cardinal project, please contact Elizabeth Desenberg with DOA.
In Case You Missed...
Will Your Agency Support the Next Generation of Talent this Summer?
The COVA Internship Connection is here to ensure that interns have an enriching and unforgettable experience this summer! We’re excited to launch our 2025 Summer events, featuring engaging opportunities for interns to connect, learn and grow. Spots are limited! Please share our COVA Internship Connection webpage and encourage interns to register for an event today. Please contact Program Manager, Jasmine Walker for questions.
We were excited to share our progress and updates on the HR Capabilities Center & Innovation Lab initiative at DHRM’s HR Innovation Summit earlier this month. We asked attendees to complete a brief survey to answer the question “What skills are essential to success in HR?”, which will be a foundational aspect of the COMPASS Human Resources Academy, the development component of the capabilities center. Learn more now.
May 25 and FY26 Authorizations and Compensation Activities Memo
The May 25 and FY26 Authorization and Compensation Activities Memo regarding compensation activities and authorizations was approved by the General Assembly and Governor and is now available. The Fiscal Year 2026 - FAQs for June 10, 2025 compensation changes can be found here.
Comings & Goings....
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Congratulations! Tasmiya Mujawar joined the Chief Information office and brings over 11 years of experience working with data to help organizations make better decisions. Her background includes areas like analyzing trends, building dashboards, using artificial intelligence, and helping teams understand and manage data more effectively. She holds a MS in Information Technology and several certifications in tools such as Microsoft Azure, Power BI, and Snowflake.
Tasmiya previously worked with DHRM as a contractor. In her new role, she will lead the Data Analysis team and help improve how we organize, use, and protect our information.
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Congratulations! Akram Mohammed joined the Chief Information Office as a Software Application Developer. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the team and genuinely enjoys building software that solves real-world problems, improves everyday processes, and adds a little creative twist. |
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