What are State Personnel?

State personnel are individuals who are in the employ of a state entity. In the broadest sense, the state can be defined as a national, regional, or state level government. State personnel encompasses both full-time and part-time employees that are associated with any agency or department that is directly part of the government structure.

In many jurisdictions, state personnel are selected from a register that contains the names and contact information of individuals who have applied for employment with some agency within the government structure. It is not unusual for these applicants to be qualified in advance through a series of tests that help determine the level of proficiency they demonstrate in different areas that may be key to the positions open in any given department. Many personnel departments within a state structure rate the results of those tests and classify candidates accordingly.

For people who have the proper educational credentials and high test scores, the chances of joining the ranks of state personnel are usually higher. Even so, it is not unusual for applicants to remain on the register for a number of years before securing a position. During that period, they may be offered interviews for different positions. A failure to respond to those interview requests may lead to removal from the active register. This further diminishes the chances of securing employment, as many department heads do no look at inactive listings when seeking qualified applicants.

Once employed with the state, employees normally enjoy a number of benefits. These include excellent health care plans, a choice of retirement plans, and a number of paid holidays. In addition, state personnel normally have some type of plan that allows them to accrue vacation and sick time as well. The wide range of benefits helps to offset the sometimes low pay that entry level personnel begin with, making it possible for state agencies to still attract qualified applicants. In the interim, these applicants enjoy benefits that many in the private sector must pay for out of pocket, while also enjoying gradual increases in salary through periodic merit raises and cost of living increases.

State personnel involve anyone of any position that is employed with a government entity. Cleaning crews, administrators, clerical support, information technology personnel, and instructors at state-operated institutions of higher learning are all generally included among the ranks of state personnel. Many of these employees will remain with the government for the majority of their working years, although it is not unusual for qualified personnel to make lateral moves to other agencies, or even leave one agency in order to achieve a higher position that offers an increased amount of salary and other benefits.