IPMAHR Professional Development Seminar October 24, 2006

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Attracting, Retaining, and Motivating the Best
and Brightest
IPMA-HR Professional Development Seminar October
24, 2006
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Partnership for Public Service
Partnership for Public Service
Educate potential recruits Communicate the
value of public service Partner with federal
agencies for human capital change Research to
identify or create policies and programs that
work Promote legislative reform
Serve as a non-partisan, non-profit organization
dedicated to recruiting and retaining excellence
in the federal workforce. Our overall goals are
to Inspire a new generation to serve
and, Transform the way government works.
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Federal Mission and Workforce Challenges

• Extraordinary mission challenges require a
  highly talented and diverse federal workforce
  to succeed.
• Decade of downsizing left a thin bench and
  skills gaps.
• Aging workforce.
• Over 100,000 highly qualified and motivated new
  hires needed each year for next several
  years.
• Increased decentralization and targeted
  flexibilities e.g., Demos, Financial Agencies,
  FAA, IRS, NASA, DHS, DoD.
• Only 44 percent of federal employees believe
  their work unit is able to recruit people
  with the right skills.

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Federal Mission and Workforce Challenges (cont.)

• Move to compensation system that is more
  market- based and performance-sensitive can
  definitely help but will be challenging to
  implement.
• Future federal workers will need to be
  highly-skilled, motivated, flexible, committed
  to continued professional growth, and adept at
  working in a multi-sector workforce.
• Government still not an employer of choice but
  can be!

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Call to Serve

• Launched in 2002 with OPM to promote public
  service among young Americans
• Informs and connects a network of 565 colleges,
  62 federal agencies, and several nonprofits
• Enhances capacity of campuses, including career
  services professionals
• Red, White and Blue Jobs library
• Tool-kit with CD rom
• Monthly Call to Serve E-News
• National Career Services Conference
• Speakers Bureau of federal employees
• Inspires students through materials and
  outreach events such as our annual event for
  summer interns in DC

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2005 Student Benchmark Survey Back to Schools
Report

• Approximately 3500 students were surveyed during
  Fall 2005 to gauge their perception and knowledge
  of federal opportunities.
• Students on six campuses were surveyed
• Clark Atlanta University
• George Washington University
• Louisiana State University
• Ohio State University
• Stanford University
• University of New Mexico

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Interest in Federal Government Employment Among
Undergraduate Students is High . . .
Thinking in general about different types of
potential employers, please indicate how
interested you are or would be to work in each of
these types of places saying extremely or
very interested
Pilot school students who profess interest in the
federal government are also significantly more
interested in large private sector companies,
not-for-profits and local/state government
employers than those who are not interested in
the federal government
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. . . But Knowledge is Low A Majority of
Students Do Not Feel Knowledgeable About Federal
Government Opportunities
Overall, how knowledgeable do you feel about
career and internship opportunities for you
personally in the federal government?
13 Total Extremely or Very Knowledgeable
54 Total Not Knowledgeable
Knowledge Matters The more knowledgeable
students feel, the more interested they are in
the federal government. Of those who feel at
least somewhat knowledgeable, 54 of pilot
students report interest in federal government
career opportunities
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Beyond Lack of Knowledge, Perceptions of Red Tape
is the Biggest Red Light
Below is a list of reasons that some people might
have for not wanting to work for the federal
government. Indicate for each if it is a major
reason you would not want to work for the federal
government, a minor reason, or not really a
reason. saying a major reason
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Students Are Attracted to the Federal Government
For Both Professional and Altruistic Reasons
Below is a list of positive reasons that some
people might have for wanting to work for the
federal government. Indicate for each if it is a
major reason you would want to work for the
federal government, a minor reason, or not really
a reason. saying a major reason
Professional reasons
Altruistic reasons
Pilot school undergraduates are significantly
less focused on good pay as a reason to work
for the federal government than students
nationwide
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Those Who Have Sought Information About Federal
Government Went to the Internet and Trusted
Advisors
If yes, which of the following, if any, describes
who you spoke with or what you did in seeking
information specifically about federal
opportunities? Check all that apply.
These pilot school students are most likely to
have visited individual agency websites, followed
by USAJobs.org, Monster.com and their schools
career center website
Personal contact forms a second tier of sources
Asked of those who report seeking information
regarding federal opportunities in the last
year Pilot schools n971
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Steps That Agencies Can Take Now

• Understand the students viewpoint
• Work cooperatively to market federal jobs by
  profession or major
• Cut through the red tape put a face on public
  service
• Go beyond Career Fairs and interact with
  students
• Commit to sustained investment in on-campus
  recruitment
• Maximize Career Centers as a resource
• Educate and equip faculty and advisors
• Follow up in a timely manner with potential
  applicants
• Be straightforward with students
• Know what you have available and dont just
  reference to your website
• Be up front about timelines
• Develop yourself a pipeline and a good name
• Offer rewarding, meaningful internship
  opportunities