Public service is a calling. Surveys find that government employees are energized by the work they do and the difference they make in their communities. A recent survey found that over half of respondents reported feeling “very or extremely satisfied with their current employer” and 66% percent said morale at work was high. When asked about what initially attracted them to their job, respondents reported job security, work satisfaction, and retirement benefits as the top factors.
Even with meaningful work, government agencies are routinely and chronically understaffed. Government employment is below pre-pandemic levels by about 376,000 jobs. Add to that an aging workforce approaching (or passing) retirement age and recruitment and retention are understandably a major focus of federal, state, and local agencies.
State of the Public Sector Workforce
Despite focusing on strengthening and growing the workforce, the total permanent federal workforce has grown by just 0.9% under President Biden according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The administration is looking to add 82,000 employees in fiscal year 2024, a 3.6% increase, bringing civilian federal employment to their highest levels since World War II. To do so, 26 agencies have stood up “talent teams” to expand hiring capacity through shared, interagency recruiting efforts.
OPM quickly mobilized to recruit technology talent going through layoffs in the private sector, creating a hiring event in January 2023 with 50 federal, state and local agency participants and 1,800 potential applicant attendees. With this program they looked to better leverage the government’s economies of scale. Hiring pools were created for similar jobs to be shared across agencies, requiring applicants to complete one process to become eligible for many positions. This streamlined process removes much of the bureaucracy that keeps people from applying for government jobs.
New Incentives
In addition to modeling the commercial sector in terms of applying for jobs, government positions are now offering options for where to work. Telework is now widely used and accepted across government providing the flexibility today’s job seekers demand. Agencies are now freed up to offer hiring bonuses to entice new employees to take a job that speaks to their desire for “meaningful work.” There is also new flexibility in who can be interviewed and hired with qualification being skills based, rather than emphasizing degrees.
Technology as a Co-Worker
While robots are not in fact coming to take our jobs, many agencies are leveraging technology to fill staffing gaps. Florida’s Department of Management Services digitized the process of assembling the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, an effort that was largely manual and led by an individual about to retire. Rather than hiring a replacement, the agency looked at how they could improve the process, taking the institutional knowledge of the valuable employee and automating that work for the future. The new system mapped data from the sources as directed by the employee while they were still in their position. Once completely implemented, the system will save staff time pulling, reporting, and validating data. It will also allow agency employees and auditors to work on the document simultaneously.
Looking at automating heavily manual processes allows agencies to find new efficiencies and move employees into work that is more meaningful and rewarding. This will, however, mean reskilling or upskilling employees to help them shift into new types of work that currently have staffing gaps.
For more on workforce growth strategies, check out these resources on GovWhitePapers and GovEvents:
- Military Cyber Personnel: Opportunities Exist to Improve Service Obligation Guidance and Data Tracking (white paper) – The Department of Defense faces increasing competition from the private sector which is looking to recruit top cyber talent to protect systems and data from a barrage of foreign attacks. The Government Accountability Office reviewed policies and guidance, analyzed staffing data from fiscal years 2017 through 2021, and interviewed military service officials.
- Cybersecurity and Talent Retention: Challenges and Successes of Remote Work (white paper) – Learn what Government experts at the ATARC-hosted roundtable shared about the challenges and successes with managing, retaining and recruiting talent in an evolving work environment, and why cybersecurity is a key to success.
- 3 Keys to Building a Workforce That Works (white paper) – Today’s job seekers are looking for more than a salary and benefits. They are in pursuit of an environment where they feel heard and are shown they are valued. In the vein of being valued, they expect flexibility in work location and schedule. These attributes are not only important to new hires, but also are key to keeping current employees happy and engaged with an organization. In this report we examine three key areas of focus for organizations looking to become an employer of choice for current and future talent.
- Data Skills for Managers (June 30, 2023; virtual) – Learn fundamental big data skills and knowledge required to be an effective manager in a data-forward organization.
- The AI Revolution in Government: How It’s Changing the Landscape of Work (July 12, 2023; webcast) – Thought leaders from government, academia, and industry discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by government, workforce, and American society as AI continues its advance into mainstream use.
- Development Conference (November 9, 2023; Arlington, VA) – Constant changes and challenges are confronting the international development community, whether due to the ripple effects of the invasion of the Ukraine, COVID-19 staffing and variant issues, the impacts of new localization initiatives, and other pressing matters. Hear directly from senior government leaders at this event.
Check out GovWhitePapers and GovEvents for more on the future of government work.
