The Impact of the Aging Workforce on Public Sector Organizations ...

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www.equaterra.comGet to what matters.Recruiting TalentMore than half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respondents (51 percent) do notbelieve that suffi cient talent already exists within <strong>the</strong>irorganizations to fi ll positions left by retiring workers while35 percent <strong>of</strong> respondents believe that suffi cient talentalready exists within <strong>the</strong> organization to fi ll vacancies.Whe<strong>the</strong>r or not efforts are being made to fur<strong>the</strong>r train ordevelop this existing talent remains unknown. A small portion<strong>of</strong> respondents (14 percent) indicate <strong>the</strong> organization islargely unaware <strong>of</strong> what talent exists in relation to potentialvacancies. Again, many organizations lack importantinformation on <strong>the</strong> skills and expertise <strong>of</strong> current employees.If suffi cient talent does not already exist within <strong>the</strong>organization, recruiting will bear <strong>the</strong> burden <strong>of</strong> identifyingand attracting new talent. As previously discussed, changesin population may impact <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> applicant pools and <strong>the</strong>number <strong>of</strong> qualifi ed applicants in relation to vacancies. Overa third <strong>of</strong> respondents, 37 percent, believe that anticipateddemographic changes will have little to no impact on <strong>the</strong>organization’s ability to recruit new talent. A little over aquarter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respondents (26 percent) feel changes inpopulation will have a positive impact on recruiting effortsleading to more qualifi ed applicants. Only 15 percent fi ndthat changes in population will be negative for recruiting.Finally, 22 percent <strong>of</strong> respondents indicate <strong>the</strong>y cannotpredict or don’t know what, if any, impact <strong>the</strong>se types <strong>of</strong>changes will have on recruiting.Government entities, such as municipalities and states,seldom take a census or sampling <strong>of</strong> residents to captureimportant data such as education levels, skill sets or workexperience. Organizations, and especially HR, would benefi tfrom knowing more about <strong>the</strong> current population and <strong>the</strong>future applicant pool. This information would also allowHR to act more strategically with time and resources whenrecruiting for specifi c positions. Organizations should look topartner with a local college or university or even a businessdevelopment entity that may already be collecting this type<strong>of</strong> information.competition with <strong>the</strong> private sector is increasing. Onlyfi ve percent feel that competition is decreasing. <strong>The</strong> nextgeneration <strong>of</strong> workers may also be less likely to considera career in public sector and <strong>the</strong> increased mobility <strong>of</strong>younger workers <strong>of</strong>ten makes <strong>the</strong>m more diffi cult to retain.In response to competition and various o<strong>the</strong>r factors, likeincreases in retirement, 60 percent <strong>of</strong> respondents fi ndthat recruiting efforts will need to expand to identify andattract <strong>the</strong> talent necessary to fi ll vacancies. Similar toservice delivery, HR will likely look to IT for systems andtools to aid recruiting efforts. Forty-seven percent indicatethat recruiting will utilize new IT systems, while 29 percentindicate recruiting will incorporate new IT tools. Less thana quarter <strong>of</strong> respondents (24 percent), feel that recruitingefforts will remain <strong>the</strong> same despite increasing competitionor retirements.All respondents were asked to describe <strong>the</strong>ir most effectiverecruiting strategies or methods. Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> top strategiesinvolved some type <strong>of</strong> IT, such as on-line applications, webbasedsites and services and automated applicant trackingsystems. Use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organization’s web site as a tool forrecruiting also ranked very high. Aside from technology,organizations described campus recruiting and <strong>the</strong> cultivation<strong>of</strong> relationships with local colleges and universities as beingimportant components <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> overall recruitment strategy.Targeted marketing and a consistent approach to advertisingwere also named as effective recruiting methods.Organizations that are not currently able to employ <strong>the</strong>setools and resources would defi nitely like to be and recognize<strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> technology in recruiting. When asked whatorganizations would like to be doing if resources and knowhowwere not an issue, <strong>the</strong> responses generally mirroredthose tools cited as being most effective. Organizationswould like to move towards on-line applications, web-basedrecruiting tools and better incorporation <strong>of</strong> technology inrecruiting. Improvements in marketing, including consistentmessaging and targeted outreach, were also methodsorganizations would like to adopt.Competition with <strong>the</strong> private sector poses ano<strong>the</strong>r challengefor organizations needing to ramp up <strong>the</strong>ir recruiting efforts.<strong>The</strong> vast majority <strong>of</strong> respondents, 70 percent, believe thatwww.ipma-hr.orgPage 11
www.equaterra.comGet to what matters.Training & Employee DevelopmentIdentifying and attracting a new employee is very important,but effective training may make <strong>the</strong> difference in whe<strong>the</strong>r ornot an employee succeeds and stays with <strong>the</strong> organization.Training is <strong>of</strong>ten overlooked as an important componentin workforce planning due to constraints in time andresources that result in limited opportunities for employeedevelopment. Training may also remain largely unrecognizedbecause organizations struggle to link training with on <strong>the</strong>job activities and responsibilities. Respondents were askedto rank <strong>the</strong> alignment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir training programs with <strong>the</strong>iroverall organizations’ missions. On a scale <strong>of</strong> one to fi ve(1 being low/no alignment and 5 being high/completealignment) <strong>the</strong> average ranking was 3.3. This rankingindicates that even though employees are likely participatingin training, <strong>the</strong>y may not feel <strong>the</strong>se opportunities help <strong>the</strong>mimprove performance and do <strong>the</strong>ir jobs better.Most employees do participate in some type <strong>of</strong> training ordevelopment program. Thirty-four percent <strong>of</strong> respondentsindicate that more than 76 percent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organization’semployees have completed some type <strong>of</strong> training. Half <strong>of</strong>all surveyed organizations utilize an E-Learning tool for <strong>the</strong>delivery <strong>of</strong> training, and E-Learning and o<strong>the</strong>r computerbased training were cited as <strong>the</strong> most effective trainingmethods overall. O<strong>the</strong>r effective strategies included tuitionreimbursement for training or education related to <strong>the</strong>employee’s position and training that is linked to specifi ccompetencies. Most organizations recognize mandatorytraining requirements to be a key component <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir overalltraining plans and strategies.If resources and know-how were not a barrier, moreorganizations would like to utilize an E-Learning system todeliver training. Registration and organization <strong>of</strong> trainingand employee development opportunities appear to bechallenges and many respondents indicate better IT toolsand systems would make training more user-friendly.Organizations fi nd if <strong>the</strong> process to register and attendtraining is too cumbersome, employees are less likely toparticipate. A clear majority <strong>of</strong> respondents cited <strong>the</strong> needfor in-house, dedicated training personnel. Respondentsrecognize value in having pr<strong>of</strong>essionals with <strong>the</strong> appropriateexperience to conduct and deliver training. Finally, manyorganizations indicate that video conferencing systems wouldaid <strong>the</strong>ir training and employee development programs andenable <strong>the</strong>m to reach more employees.Retention & Succession PlanningRetention efforts and Succession Planning are, for <strong>the</strong> mostpart, proactive and strategic efforts. Both areas focus onretaining and developing current employees with <strong>the</strong> hope<strong>of</strong> nurturing employees to grow within <strong>the</strong> organizationand take on additional job responsibilities or new roles.Retention efforts <strong>of</strong>ten pose a challenge for public sector HRorganizations already burdened with cumbersome day-todaytransactions. <strong>The</strong>se activities require information about<strong>the</strong> current employees to be effective. As discussed earlierin this report, organizations that lack this information mayfi nd it diffi cult to determine what employees are interestedin and capable <strong>of</strong> advancing within <strong>the</strong> organization. HR willalso need to build a training and employee developmentinfrastructure to nurture this talent and help individuals buildnew skills. At <strong>the</strong> same time, organizations that struggle withrecruiting, especially for critical positions, may be overlookingpotential talent in <strong>the</strong>ir own workforces.Fifty-one percent <strong>of</strong> respondents indicate only a small portion<strong>of</strong> vacancies, from 1 to 25 percent, are fi lled by internalcandidates. Thirty-one percent <strong>of</strong> respondents fi nd thatbetween 25 to 50 percent <strong>of</strong> vacancies are fi lled by internalcandidates. Organizations may be required to look for newtalent if <strong>the</strong> vacancy requires specifi c skills or experiencethat does not already exist within <strong>the</strong> organization. However,HR may focus on external talent due to a lack <strong>of</strong> valuableinformation about <strong>the</strong> current workforce ra<strong>the</strong>r than a trueneed. <strong>The</strong>se fi ndings also call into question how openings areposted within <strong>the</strong> organization. Do employees have readyaccess to information about open positions? Do employeesview HR as a resource where <strong>the</strong>y can gain information oncareer opportunities? Do employees feel <strong>the</strong>y can apply forpositions without fear <strong>of</strong> repercussion within <strong>the</strong> organization?A transparent process and appropriate communication mayincrease <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> internal applicants and help HR get toknow different employees.Career paths are ano<strong>the</strong>r tool that helps retain employeesby creating a direction to promotional opportunities.Career paths provide employees with a clear sense <strong>of</strong> howwww.ipma-hr.orgPage 12
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