Take the 2024 State and Local Government Workforce Survey!

The 2024 State and Local Government Workforce Survey is open, and we encourage public sector HR practitioners everywhere to weigh in on the subjects that are currently top-of-mind for you and your peers in the profession.

Every year since 2009, the Public Sector HR Association^® (PSHRA) has partnered with MissionSquare Research Institute and the National Association of State Personnel Executives to conduct this survey of state and local government human resource managers, which serves as a critical piece of the PSHRA research agenda.

Focused on recruitment, retention, benefits and other topics such as flexible work arrangements; technology; diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and retirement readiness, the annual poll aims to provide insight into how to tackle the issues that are most pressing to public sector HR leaders.

In 2023, for example, the 250 HR professionals participating in the poll shared some of the recruitment practices that have been most successful in their agency’s effort to reach qualified job candidates, such as:

⃰ Advertising on government websites (60%)

⃰ Utilizing social media (59%)

⃰ Employee referrals (55%)

⃰ Advertising on profession-specific media (48%)

⃰ Advertising on commercial websites (42%)

⃰ College outreach/partnerships (37%)

Respondents also specified some of their most used methods for encouraging the retention and development of existing employees. For example:

⃰ Employee assistance programs/mental health support (91%)

⃰ Exit interviews (78%)

⃰ Reimbursement for training/education (68%)

⃰ In-house training (64%)

⃰ Wellness initiatives (59%)

⃰ Sick leave banking/donations (57%)

This kind of data is invaluable to government HR practitioners, said Mark Van Bruggen, HR consultant to the chief of staff at the New Jersey Civil Service commission, and president of PSHRA’s Executive Council.

“Through training, recognition and research, PSHRA provides our government leaders with educated and certified HR professionals to hire and retain the best possible workforce,” Van Bruggen told PSHRA.

To that end, he said, it is important for public sector HR leaders to participate in surveys conducted on issues facing state and local government employees.

“PSHRA, in partnership with MissionSquare Research Institute and NASPE, use the data from this annual survey to identify current needs and future trends, which, in turn, help prepare public sector HR professionals for the challenges of today and tomorrow.”