A Note From the Director
Greetings! As we wrap up another impactful year, we want to wish you a joyful and relaxing holiday season. We encourage you to take time to rest, recharge, and enjoy meaningful moments with your family and friends.
I’m incredibly proud of all we’ve accomplished together in 2025. Your dedication and collaboration continue to strengthen our HR Community, and I look forward to the great work we’ll achieve in the year ahead.
Thank you and happy holidays!
Janet L. Lawson, DHRM Director
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This is a reminder that the Virginia state minimum wage will increase from $12.41 to $12.77 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. DOLI announced this adjustment in July following the annual review conducted in accordance with § 40.1-28.10 of the Code of Virginia. Click on the link above to learn more.
As agencies across the Commonwealth continue to seek creative ways to attract top-tier talent, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is piloting a promising recruitment strategy that may be of interest to other HR teams.
DHCD has begun engaging with the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to building a more effective government. Through their platform, OurPublicService.org, DHCD has participated in career fairs specifically designed to connect with federal government employees—a highly skilled and mission-driven talent pool. Click on the link above to learn more.
Thanks to the many recruiters across the Commonwealth who took the time to complete the recent PageUp survey, your voices have been heard! Your thoughtful feedback is helping shape the future of the Offer Card and Onboarding experience in PageUp. The RMS Team is actively working behind the scenes to refresh and streamline these critical components of the hiring process—making it easier for agencies to welcome new hires and ensure a smooth transition into state service. Click on the link above to learn more.
Here are a few COV Learning Center items we thought would be helpful! Feel free to share them with others in your agency that may benefit from these newly added trainings to the COV Learning Center! Click on the link above to learn more.
Cardinal Corner
DHRM has been partnering with Cardinal on enhancements to HCM reports to make them more effective. The following Cardinal HR Report improvements are underway to assist HR and Payroll Administrators with reviewing HR Data entries and changes:
- Employee (Job) Data Change Audit (RHR002) – adding Employee Type, Tax Location Code, and enhancing the CSV version spreadsheet formatting.
- COVA Personnel Actions History (RHR086) – adding Business Unit, Company, Employment Record, Effective Sequence, Employment Status, and Position Number to improve traceability of actions. This report will also include enhanced CSV version spreadsheet formatting.
Stay Tuned and watch for your Cardinal Communications email when these improvements are complete!
Engagement
Learn the Strategies of Changing the Game of Talent Competition in DHRM’s inaugural HR Publication. The best way to read DHRM’s State of the Commonwealth HR Publication is the method that works best for you!
You can read the publication in one sitting or explore it at your leisure. You can follow the contents or read the articles out of order. But whichever method you prefer, we encourage you to keep an open mind. The publication will provide you not only with strategies to address some of the points discussed, but we hope it will also spark new conversations within your teams and with DHRM. Remember, DHRM is your trusted partner and resource for all HR matters.
Help us improve future issues! Be sure to share your feedback about the State of the Commonwealth HR publication in this brief survey here.
Virginia Voices | The New Employee Experience Magazine: Winter 2025 Edition
As the winter holidays approach, we’re excited to share the revamped edition of our Employee Experience Magazine – Virginia Voices: Past, Present, and Future, which features submissions from 2024 to now. Click on the link here to read more!
CommonHealth’s 2025 Turkey Trot Challenge took place in November. A total of 1500 employees accepted the challenge to be active for 20 minutes or more on at least 25 days during the month of November. Kudos to all participants, and congratulations to all who completed the challenge!
Virginia Management Fellows Cohort 7- Hiring Opportunity
The Virginia Management Fellows Program is dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders in the Commonwealth’s state agencies. By providing Fellows with a unique blend of real-world experience and professional development, we prepare them for long-term, impactful careers in public service. Throughout the two-year program, Fellows complete three eight-month rotations across various state agencies, gaining hands-on expertise in policy, program and project management, IT/ Cyber Security, and more.
Cohort 7 is currently completing their third, and final, rotation. Does your agency have talent needs? Would you like to hire a highly skilled individual with a demonstrated dedication to public service? To learn more about our Cohort 7 Fellows and our expedited hiring process, please reach out to Program Manager, Jasmine Walker.
Commonwealth Leadership Academy | Cohort 4
Congrats to the 4th cohort of the Commonwealth Leadership Academy (CLA) as they presented their final strategic projects and received their certificates of completion in November 2025. The class was made up of 29 leaders from 23 different agencies across the Commonwealth. The seven-week program for senior leaders emphasized building skills in creating strategy, shaping organization culture, driving innovation and leading change and featured a mix of academic experts and internal success stories.
To apply their learning, the class formed five project teams to address needs from their agencies. The teams presented their recommendations in the session last month. The five project topics were: The Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Preparedness Fund, FOIA Compass, DPOR: Right License, Right Now, Measuring ROI on Technology Modernization Projects, and the Commonwealth Connector.
The 2025 Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC) is in its final sprint! With only 9 days left until the campaign closes, you have time to make a difference this year. Your generosity fuels vital services across our communities. If you haven't yet contributed, or if you'd like to increase your impact, now is the time to act! Donations don’t have to end with payroll deductions! State employees can continue to give using a credit card until December 31, 2025, or by reporting direct donations to a charity by January 31, 2026. For questions regarding the CVC, please reach out to cvcsupport@dhrm.virginia.gov.
In Case You Missed...
As mentioned at the HR Conference and on several HRD calls this fall, DHRM will be working with the new administration over inaugural weekend (January 17-19) and may need to contact agency HR staff. In order to ensure that we have the most current contact information, please complete this survey by December 31. Click on the link above for more information.
DHRM is excited to pilot a new professional development opportunity designed to elevate how your teams create and deliver learning. Click on the link above to learn more.
Enhancement to Statewide HR Dashboard
DHRM has implemented an enhancement to the Statewide HR Dashboard as part of the ongoing commitment to improve data accessibility and transparency. The Turnover Dashboard has been added to reflect both statewide and agency turnover by fiscal year. The data displays separation trends across state agencies and distinguishes between employees who transferred within the Commonwealth and those who have fully left state service. HRDs with access to the Statewide Dashboard have already been granted access to the Turnover Dashboard and will see the new tab when logged in. At this time, access to the dashboards will remain limited to HRDs.
The holiday season is often painted as a time of uninterrupted joy, but for many, it can also bring a significant amount of stress, anxiety, and pressure. The demands of shopping, financial strain, packed schedules, and complex family dynamics can easily overshadow the festive spirit. Click on the link above to learn more information about how to effectively manage stress.
Comings & Goings....
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We are excited to welcome our newest member of the Policy and Talent Management team, Brenda Hornsby, who serves as our Legislative and Policy Analyst. Brenda most recently served as a Legislative and Policy Manager at the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). Her prior state and local government positions include serving as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Virginia Department of Education, a Regional Licensing Administrator, Licensing Consultant, and Licensing Inspector for VDSS, a Community Support Supervisor for Henrico County Mental Health and Developmental Services, and an adjunct faculty member at both J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and Germanna Community College. Brenda also has prior private sector experience as an Assisted Living Facility Administrator and Social Worker. Brenda is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Old Dominion University, a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and a Master of Public Administration from VCU. |
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