Every year since 2009, the Public Sector HR Association (PSHRA), MissionSquare Research Institute and the National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE) have partnered to conduct a survey of state and local government human resource managers.
Focused on recruitment, retention, benefits and other topics such as flexible work arrangements, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and retirement readiness, the annual poll aims to provide insight into the issues that are most pressing to public sector HR leaders.
The results of the 2023 State and Local Government Workforce Survey are in, and offer an interesting look at many of the topics that are currently top-of-mind for public sector HR leaders.
For instance, this year’s poll of 249 state and local government HR staff members finds that public sector employers are struggling to find qualified applicants for a number of positions, highlighting the oft-reported talent shortage facing government agencies.
Among respondents, 85% of HR managers report finding fewer qualified applicants than available openings for corrections officers, while 83% said the same about open engineer roles within their agencies. Another 79% indicated they’re not netting enough qualified candidates for registered nurses’ roles, with 77% saying as much about openings for police officers. In addition, 77% are not seeing enough qualified applicants come in for positions in information technology and 70% reported the same with regard to openings for maintenance workers.
This lack of qualified candidates seems to be slowing down the hiring process as well, with 36% of respondents indicating an increase in the time to hire job candidates. More than half of respondents (51%) report “frequent” reopening of recruitments because of an insufficient number of suitable applicants.
“It’s troubling to witness the continued challenges hiring and keeping employees to deliver the essential public services our nation’s communities rely upon. But I’m encouraged that public officials are taking aggressive action to combat the challenges—from hiring bonuses to changing job requirements,” said Deanna J. Santana, MissionSquare Retirement acting chief executive officer and president, in a statement summarizing the 2023 survey results.
“It’s reassuring that policymakers are sustaining retirement and other benefits, which are widely considered to be competitive and a magnet for public employees.”
Seeking Solutions
Overall, hiring is up across government, with state and local agencies reporting they brought on more full- and part-time staff in 2022 than in 2021. But, according to this year’s survey, it was more common for agencies to report higher quits or retirements.
As Santana noted, government employers are adopting new strategies to address staff shortages and expand the talent pool for open positions. For example, 46% of state agencies responding to this year’s survey said they’ve eliminated degree prerequisites for some positions, continuing a trend that’s been gathering steam in the public sector for some time now.
Agencies are also reviewing all aspects of job descriptions. Overall, 65% of state and local government respondents reported performing compensation or classification studies, while 42% have updated specifications for requisite education and skills. Another 29% have dropped degree requirements for at least some roles, with 20% saying their agency is hiring below minimum qualifications for post-hiring upskilling.
Santana also stressed the role of retirement and other benefits in enabling government agencies to attract talent to the public sector. Survey respondents feel their benefits are still a strength, with 89% reporting that their benefit offerings are competitive. More than half (55%) said the same about their agency’s compensation, and more than 60% said their organizations were offering broad-based pay increases.
Some agencies are offering other financial incentives as a recruiting tool. For instance, 29% indicated their agency is offering hiring bonuses in a targeted manner or more broadly (5%). However, just 16% said they are analyzing data on the total cost and effectiveness of bonuses for recruitment purposes.
This type of data is “so important for developing new strategies to solve the unprecedented workforce challenges facing public sector employers,” said PSHRA CEO Cara Woodson Welch, in a statement, adding that PSHRA and its members will rely on this information “to continue driving the conversation on pragmatic solutions to attract and retain public service employees.”
Indeed, the data gleaned from this year’s report should provide actionable insights as states continue working toward filling essential jobs, added NASPE Executive Director Leslie Scott Parker.
“For example, it’s clear that rethinking job descriptions and dropping degree requirements is an emerging strategy for many jurisdictions that could help fill positions,” said Parker, in a statement. “It’s also clear that public sector agencies across the board finally are increasing and that workforce challenges likely will be long-term, given the wave of retirements.”
07 July 2023
Category
HR News Article
