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Last year, the Office of Management and Budget announced a “realignment” of how agencies manage their workplaces. It is sometimes hard to believe that little has changed today in the civil service (aside from the introduction of local wages) since its introduction in 1948. Now, with the Great Resignation, massive changes in the labor market, and serious staffing problems at multiple agencies, change is absolutely necessary. This follows similar changes in the private sector, driven by the expansion of the role of human resources. It supports the No. 1 priority of the President’s administration agenda—strengthening the federal workforce. Given the so-called “new world of work”, change is necessary, arguably necessary.
The COVID-19 crisis is an impetus for change in the private sector. Layoffs and business closures, and the resulting remote working, are changing the work environment more than at any time in decades. Sudden changes in workers’ daily lives have altered their job expectations. Employers in all sectors, both here and in other developed countries, are finding it difficult to fill important job vacancies.
Increasing shortages are impacting the delivery of vital public services. The IRS’s failure to fill thousands of tax processing positions is striking. This makes it an issue that should be addressed at the highest level. Pew Research Center research shows that public trust in government continues to decline, so leaders must focus on maintaining performance levels. However, with a chronic shortage of workers, this is increasingly unlikely.
In the past, staffing shortages were not a widespread problem for government. However, recent reports suggest this is no longer the case. In addition to the IRS, several other agencies have reported worker shortages – the Bureau of Prisons reported chronic staffing shortages, the Social Security Administration has experienced “historic staffing shortages,” and the Department of Veterans Affairs reported “critical shortages of staff.” Jobs are booming.” ”.last week this Washington post The report says there is a “labor crisis”.
Job vacancies in state and local government agencies are also increasing. Staffing issues in law enforcement, public health and public education have made headlines across the country.
Tight labor market is a problem
Worker shortages are not a new problem. It started after the Great Recession and has gotten worse. This is due to two demographic trends that affect the economy of every developed country—population aging and shrinking family sizes. Birth rates have been steadily declining. Fewer young people are starting their careers. Notably, 30% of the U.S. population is 55 years or older. During the epidemic, an “extra” 3 million workers retired.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more job openings than there are job applicants. Not long ago, there were three unemployed workers for every job opening. In January, there were 900,000 job vacancies at all levels of government. In December 2010, the total was 428,000.
The aging population is reflected in the federal workforce. Since 2010, the federal workforce age 55 and older has grown by nearly 100,000 people, from 537,000 to 630,000. There are fewer than 200,000 people under the age of 30.
The government’s workforce plans are complicated by two obvious problems. First, there are occupations where demand is growing but the trained supply is insufficient to meet the nation’s needs. Doctors and nurses are a prime example. Public health workers are also in short supply. The government employs experts in approximately 350 occupations, making workforce planning much more complex than for businesses.
The planning is further complicated by the fact that federal employees are stationed in many locations. As the coronavirus pandemic and the cost of living in big cities rise, young workers are moving away from cities like New York and Chicago. Pittsburgh and Nashville are reportedly the favorites. Some local economies are growing and employers offer attractive career opportunities; others are not. Congress adopted local wages in 1990, partially addressing this disparity. Now, however, thousands of federal employees who are paid special wages are proving that a “one-size-fits-all” blanket is no longer the answer.
When employers have problems attracting or retaining employees, conventional thinking goes to raising pay. Employer reputation, remote work opportunities, flexible work schedules, and non-financial benefits are also important these days. Sites like Glassdoor publish a wealth of employer information. Unsatisfied employees can easily move on to a new job. The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s recent report on TSA staffing problems makes clear that pay is not the only problem.
Notably, the report on agency workforce issues did not focus on labor market issues or the current problem—worker shortages. There was a time when agencies could simply post jobs on usajobs.com and wait for applicants. Obviously, this is not an appropriate approach today.
Solving the problem starts with understanding labor market developments; that is, local business closures and layoffs, demographic trends, regional college graduation status, etc. These all relate to workforce planning. Data analysis is useful for understanding local recruiting and turnover experiences.
Expanding role of HR
In the past, HR was limited to “behind the scenes” administrative roles, but at least in the private sector, this is changing rapidly. Forbes What happened recently is as follows:
“Gone are the days when the core responsibilities of HR professionals focused solely on welcoming new employees and ensuring a safe and fair work environment. Today, HR leaders are an important tool in unlocking human potential and driving organizational progress. They also have unique capabilities Strengths, can redefine how CEOs view their businesses and workforces. The key to this new perspective is not just giving HR a seat at the leadership table; it requires a thoughtful rethinking of HR’s fundamental role in the organization. consider.”
Decades of research show that successful companies have a highly engaged, loyal workforce. This has been a focus of Gallup and the Best Places to Work Institute. HR leaders play a leading role in creating a great workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated and expanded the role of HR. McKinsey recently released a description of the “New Operating Model for HR.” Deloitte is discussing “HR Transformation”.Perhaps the best argument is in another Forbes columns, “1. People come first – always” and “2. HR innovation is critical.”
The many different agencies of government are similar to a business conglomerate. General Electric is—or was—a well-known conglomerate (it split into three companies). In companies like General Electric, corporate human resources offices are limited to managing executive salaries and company-wide benefits but delegate workforce management to subsidiaries. The government’s workforce problems are far more complex than any company’s, including General Electric’s. This makes it entirely appropriate and necessary to hold agencies and their HR offices responsible for creating and managing all aspects of their workforce.
No company’s workforce issues are as diverse and complex as those of government agencies. Nor do companies have to deal with complex regulations governing their employees. Change initiatives have been resisted and successfully blocked in the past.
Hopefully this time it will be different. One of the most recently launched tools that can help sell the need for change is the use of HR analytics, a data-driven approach to understanding “people issues” and supporting management decisions. The GAO’s report on TSA staffing issues is one example. In fact, this is not new; statistical analysis was first used for comparable values and now for pay equity research in the 1980s.
Analyzing employee data in conjunction with turnover and retirement data can provide insight into future staffing issues. This information is the basis for workforce planning.
One emerging issue conspicuously missing from the workforce report is the recognition that worker engagement is linked to agency performance. Since the enactment of laws like the Government Performance and Results Act, reports have been silent on the importance of workers. They somehow exist in a separate world. Public administration graduate programs also do not cover workforce management.
Recent OPM directives indicate that this is changing. In OPM’s annual performance report for fiscal year 2023 and in a message from the agency’s director, Kiran Ahuja, the word “performance” appears more than 300 times. This change is also reflected in OMB’s Jason Miller’s recent statement, “By investing in people, we invest in America,” which called workers “the government’s most important asset,” tying A series of “workforce investments and policies” were launched to build a fully productive workforce.
There are fundamental differences between government and business. Technology will soon replace administrative work, but personal contact and interaction with the public will always be at the heart of many government jobs. Understanding what drives employee performance is critical and will vary from institution to institution. Relevant evidence-based analysis will help understand workforce issues such as reasons for turnover or promoting DEI in the workplace. Human resource analytics is the answer to building the workforce your organization needs.
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