Recruitment and Selection in Tough Economic Times

1
Recruitment and Selection in Tough Economic
Times

• Illinois Municipal League
• Newly Elected Officials Conference
• May 15, 2009

Presented by Greg Ford, Vice-President, The PAR
Group. For further information call
847-234-0005 or visit our website at
www.pargroupltd.com.
2
Newly Elected Officials and Personnel Assessment

• Approach the assessment of personnel carefully,
  thoughtfully, and with an open mind. Draw your
  own conclusions, carefully weighing the input of
  fellow elected officials, residents and
  stakeholders.
• If considering termination, consult legal counsel
  to ensure secure legal footing.

3
Newly Elected Officials and Personnel Assessment
(contd)

• Consider cost, loss of institutional knowledge,
  and ability to replace personnel
• Recruitment trends indicate a significant
  difficulty in filling positions with a strong
  technical background finance, engineering,
  zoning especially outside of metropolitan areas

4
A Looming Crisis

• The local government management profession is at
  a crossroads. The baby boomers that comprise the
  majority of local government managers are
  approaching retirementwhile a much smaller group
  of young professionals are in lineto fill their
  shoes. With up to 20 million fewer people in the
  generation following the boomers, competition for
  talent is likely to be fierce and global in
  nature.
• ICMA

5
Local Government Demographics

• In 1971, 26 of all Managers were under the age
  of 30
• In 2000, 2 of all Managers were under the age of
  30

6
California Contra Costa Times 3/2/08

• At least six cities in the bay area and beyond
  are operating without city managersthere are
  fewer candidates responding to the openingsthe
  sudden exodus of managers is caused by baby
  boomers leaving the workforce and Generation Xers
  who dont go into public service with the same
  fervor as their parents

7
Des Moines 1/28/08

• The City of Des Moines, Iowa is bracing for a
  worker shortage because of retirements among the
  citys 1,800 employees. About 42 of those
  employees are 50 or older. City Manager Rick
  Clark has asked the City Council for 100,000 in
  the next budget to train workers to perform jobs
  in areas where the shortage will be most evident
  police, fire public works and parks

8
Boston Globe 9/30/07

• Cities and towns nationwide face a looming
  crisis in recruiting qualified replacements for
  positions of town administrators, finance
  directors, treasurers and other top officials
  near retirementthe problem will get worse in
  coming years.

9
Associated Press January 2008

• The graying of City Hall mirrors the nations
  overall workforcethere will be 10 million more
  U.S. jobs than qualified workers by 2010.

10
Public Sector Work Environment

• Increasingly vitriolic environment blogs, on
  line news organizations, e-mail can create a
  hostile and difficult work environment
• Cutbacks, downsizing, and attacks on public
  sector institutions
• Long hours can conflict with work/life balance
  sought by younger employees

11
Public Sector Work Environment --Additional Skill
Sets

• Public presentation/speaking skills
• Conflict resolution abilities
• Ability and desire to work collaboratively inside
  and outside the organization

12
Generation X

• Born 1965-1981
• Smallest generation to date
• Impacted by parents downsizing and rightsizing
  experiences in the workplace
• Desire flexible work schedules that provide
  quality time for family
• Comfortable with technology GIS, web tools, etc.

Public Works Magazine, May 2008
13
Generation Y/Millenials

• Born 1982-2002
• Raised by ever-present parents
• Desire a collaborative work environment with
  challenge, structure, good pay, respect
• Also desire friendly, positive work environments
  with mentoring and feedback

Public Works Magazine, May 2008
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The Younger Generation

• The good news is, if you do research, they do
  want to contribute to their countrybut they
  dont make a connection between their values and
  working for the government
• Frank Benest, Palo Alto City Manager (retiring)

15
The Younger Generation

• Highlight stories of how your organization
  drives positive change in your community.
  Emphasize the value of public service and
  democratic governance that your organization
  embodies. For the younger generation, the
  ability to make a difference in the community is
  a stronger and more lasting motivator than money.

Mary Sassi, Getting Us and Keeping Us in the
Door Journal of County Adm. 10/07
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Public Sector Response

• Is there a response?
• Can we adapt and adapt quickly?
• Are we willing to consider new hiring/employment
  strategies?
• Can we develop new approaches that may be more
  costly financially and politically?

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What Can Elected Officials Do?

• Conduct Public Meetings in a Civil Manner
• Praise Publicly and Criticize Privately
• Provide a Competitive Pay and Benefit Package
• Invest in Training and Professional Development

18
Public Sector Traditions That Need to be
Re-examined -- Residency

• Residency requirements will result in fewer
  qualified applicants
• Residency requirements ignore critical societal
  trends that significantly impact recruitment
  two career families, children in high school,
  logistics of relocation

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Residency Requirements (contd)

• Candidates are less willing to relocate if they
  have children in high school
• Candidates may be less willing to relocate if
  relocation will impact spouses employment
• Candidates ability to sell current home will
  impact relocation

20
Public Sector Traditions that need to Re-examined
Hours of Work

• Employment of stay at home parents 10 2
  p.m. -- code enforcement, accountants,
  engineers,
• Flexible hours
• Telecommuting plan review and other work that
  can be measured
• Job Sharing

21

Public Sector Traditions that need to Re-examined
Applicant Demographics -- Hire Seniors!!

• Graying of America
• The labor force aged 45 to 64 will grow faster
  than the labor force of any other age group
• Fill more management and leadership roles in
  organizations than any other age group
• Not ready to completely retire

22
Public Sector Traditions That Need to be
Re-examined

• Succession Planning -- Organizations need to
  look at their workforce and plan for the loss of
  institutional knowledge
• Growing Your Own
• Finance
• Engineering/Public Works
• Information Systems
• Community Development

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More Advice from the Younger Generation

• Offer a more holistic approach to accomplishing
  work collaboration!
• Create opportunities for employees to make
  horizontal career moves in addition to vertical
  moves to enhance their experience
• Draw younger and newer employees into the
  decisionmaking process early and often

Mary Sassi, Getting Us and Keeping Us in the
Door, Journal of County Adm 10/07
24
Consider Non-traditional Career Moves

• Identify potential talent in the organization
  that does not follow the typical city manager or
  department head career path
• Identify potential talent and encourage employees
  to seek training, i.e. an accounting clerk that
  becomes an accountant

25
Utilize the Internet

• Examine your website do you announce open
  positions? Can employees apply on line?
• 85 of Gen X and Ys start and complete their job
  searches on the internet

Keith Reester, 2007 International Fellow for APWA
and DPW for Loveland, CO
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Build Relationships with Colleges and Universities

• Advertise/register with the placement office
• Talk with department chairs/faculty
• Participate in job fairs
• Offer to speak at orientation activities
• Offer internships and summer jobs with real
  experience

27
Washington Post 11/13/07

• In hopes of encouraging more college students to
  consider careers in government, leaders at 27
  universities are trading ideas and techniques on
  what it will take to bring a new generation into
  public servicethey met at Princeton University
  for discussion on the future of government and
  how to create a national movement to champion
  scholarship and fellowship programs that will
  attract top students to public service.

Stephen Barr, columnist for the Washington Post
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Hiring Process

• Conduct a professional, thorough hiring process
  treat candidates with respect
• Project a positive, inviting workplace
• Provide the values based information candidates
  are seeking
• Provide a tour of the workplace offer an
  opportunity to shadow an employee if candidate
  is uncertain

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Retention Consideration 1

• A survey conducted by MasteryWorks, Inc. found
  that the pivotal factor that determines whether
  an employee stays with an organization or leaves
  is his/her
• Manager!

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Retention Determinants

• Organizational Components
• Organizational culture and values
• Organizational strategies, opportunities, and
  management
• Job continuity and security

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Retention Determinants

• Organizational Career Opportunities
• Rewards/Compensation benefits, perks
• Performance Based Compensation
• Recognition
• Job Design and Work Environment
• Work Flexibility
• Work/Life Balance
• Employee Relationships

Robert Mathis and John Jackson, Human Resource
Management
32
Retention Measurement and Assessment

• Employee Attitude Surveys
• Exit Interviews a must!!
• Retention Interventions why did I have to
  threaten to leave before you paid me what I am
  worth?

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Be an Ambassador for Public Service

• Talk with high school and college students about
  the rewards and opportunities in public service
• Offer opportunities for students to try out the
  public sector
• Spread the word among friends/acquaintances
  regarding the opportunities in public service

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Far and away the best prize that life offers is
the chance to work hard at work worth doing

• Theodore Roosevelt