Koff & Associates is a full-service human resources consulting firm specializing in the areas of consultation and custom services in strategic planning for the management of human resources.  We help our clients address the people side of their business.  This includes classification and compensation studies, human resource management system design, labor/management issues and productivity improvement.  We work in a collaborative straightforward manner, offering our client’s sound analysis and practical solutions to organizational challenges.  Our clients’ repeated use of our services for over 22 years demonstrates their confidence in our ability to provide sound, cost-effective and legally defensible recommendations and solutions to their workforce issues.

To accomplish desired organizational change, we take a unique approach that encourages management, employee and bargaining unit participation through two-way, open communication and education in each phase of every project.  This emphasis on client involvement coupled with our expertise in implementing recommendations is critical to bringing each undertaking to a successful conclusion in both union and non-union environments.

We provide professional assistance to cities, counties, special districts, non-profit organizations and private firms in a wide variety of areas, including:

Click on an area of expertise below to learn more about what we do:

JOB ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION

An accurate and up-to-date classification system provides an organization with the necessary tools to make administrative, fiscal control and human resources decisions.  Accurate, current and ADA-compliant class descriptions provide the fundamental and essential building blocks for successfully administering recruitment, performance management, compensation and succession planning human resource processes.  Our staff has successfully classified more than 15,000 jobs in California alone! 

Our unique approach to completing classification studies, that includes a balanced, unbiased approach, with many review steps and significant communication with all participating parties, has been the key to our 100% success rate in the implementation of all of our recommendations.

COMPENSATION STUDIES AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT

The art of compensating employees in a competitive, yet equitable, manner is one of the most challenging roles of management.  We provide you with customized tools to assist in developing and implementing a total compensation policy that will convey the organization's philosophy while allowing you to recruit and retain a qualified work force.  Our studies have a high degree of validity and credibility because of the thoroughness of our data collection process, which includes on-site data collection. 

Each compensation study can include any or all of the following elements:

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Coupled with a sound compensation policy, we work with clients to design a comprehensive and objective performance management plan.  This may include documenting performance, counseling employees and developing strategies for encouraging and recognizing exemplary service in an equitable and cost-effective manner.

ORGANIZATIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Koff & Associates can assist with strategic planning, board/council/management facilitation, organizational audits and restructuring, staffing optimization, corporate downsizing, workflow/productivity measurement and mission/value statement development.  To support these efforts, we provide the full-range of technical infrastructure development, including creating and implementing administrative policies, procedures and employee handbooks.

SEARCH AND SELECTION

Most high quality candidates are not actively looking for new opportunities, so our sourcing network becomes your advantage in finding people who fit your organization and who have the track record to prove it.

Our experienced, capable professionals offer one of the most comprehensive approaches to candidate recruitment and selection.  The process we use to source applicants entails the use of comprehensive assessment and profiling tools, ensuring quality placements that meet all equal employment opportunity requirements.  Our effective candidate evaluation process involves a combination of pre-employment assessments, face-to-face structured interviews, assessment centers and background and reference investigations.

Successful searches have included such varied jobs as General Manager/Chief Engineer, District Manager, Director of Public Works, City Engineer, and various professional engineering and administrative positions.

EMPLOYEE/LABOR RELATIONS

Our firm offers meet-and-confer assistance to ensure compliance with both the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) and the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).  We are experienced in the art of grievance and dispute resolution and can assist your organization with fact-finding investigations and conflict resolution.  Add performance evaluation systems, team building, employee opinion surveys, counseling, documentation and coaching techniques and you have a full-service employee relations support team to call upon.  We also have extensive experience conducting investigations, providing pinpoint training and creating systems for record keeping and reporting to meet state and federal legal requirements in such areas as equal employment, racial or sexual harassment and wrongful discharge.

HUMAN RESOURCE AUDIT

Our firm is recognized as an authority in the development of creative and comprehensive human resource management programs.  We have the technical knowledge to provide a complete review of existing systems as well as the expertise to create a new human resource management program.  We provide a valuable resource to ensure that your human resources management program is effective, comprehensive, cost-effective and legally defensible.