https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Hybrid Work


Work is not where you go. It’s what you do. In today’s hybrid work world, it is no longer enough to solve for the challenges of remote work or support a safe office re-entry. It’s about finding solutions to not just recover in the face of change, but to thrive and innovate. Empower your workers at home, in the office, or anywhere.

Pixabay

News

Amid shifting workplace expectations, local government employers must adapt

Amid shifting workplace expectations, local government employers must adapt

  • Written by Andrew Castillo
  • 20th May 2022

Constrained by inflexible budgets, local government employers can’t compete with the lucrative salaries offered in the private sector. And while recruitment has always been a challenge for public employers, the last two years have been especially difficult. From January 2020 to the same month this year, government organizations lost around 600,000 jobs—more than manufacturing, wholesale trade and construction combined, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“What has changed is the value that the private sector is offering: high compensation, flexibility, and rapid career advancement. What workers, particularly younger workers, want has also changed,” reads a new report from Deloitte, “Government can win the talent race—Here’s how.” Younger workers are looking for flexibility in their jobs, independence and work-life balance. 

While this evolution started a few decades ago, the pandemic accelerated trends. This transformation can’t be understated. After two years of Zoom meetings and telecommuting, remote and hybrid work situations have become expected across the board. 

Amid these changes, employee turnover is unprecedented. 

For example, the Texas state auditor reported a 38 percent turnover among state employees under 30 years old. And last November, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that 3 percent of all workers (or 4.5 million people) had quit or changed their jobs.

“For many, the pandemic prompted reflection about what is most important in their lives. Work, it turns out, wasn’t as important as many had thought, and people became less willing to center their lives around their job,” the report says. 

The emerging talent crisis has prompted a response from industry advocates, especially given the influx of federal dollars that’s about to flow to cities and counties via the bipartisan infrastructure legislation and the American Rescue Plan Act.  In a joint statement, the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Conference of State Legislatures, International City/County Management Association and National Association of Counties called for a national strategy Friday “to invest in the nation’s workforce.”

Ahead of anticipated labor in the near future demands, “It is imperative for all levels of government to come together to support economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent ‘Great Resignation,’ and the aging of the country’s core infrastructure,” the statement says. Beyond changes that can be implemented within local organizations, the organizations cite a need for Congress “to support employers and address their urgent workforce needs.”

Steps the federal government could take include providing “at-scale investment in our nation’s workforce development systems and programs to invest in skills training to meet employer demand,” and “Increasing legal immigration by raising employment-based visa program caps to expand the pool of qualified individuals for hard-to-fill jobs across our nation’s communities—from truck drivers and heavy equipment operators to agricultural workers, nurses, and engineers,” the statement continues.

Deloitte’s report notes that at least part of what’s driving the labor shortage in the public sector “a shift in worker attitudes,” which are “remaking the workforce, as retiring baby boomers are replaced by Generation Z. The result is a massive shift in what workers want from their relationship with their employer.”

The report identifies five values that could be driving change: A desire for flexibility across all dimensions; “work that works for me”; an emerging entrepreneurial spirit among young workers; a focus on well-being; and a need for purpose and impact from work.

Given this shift—along with the coming “silver tsunami,” an expected groundswell of seniors as the baby boomer generation ages—today’s challenges could worsen “unless government updates its approach to hiring and retention,” the report says. “The oldest members of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) are now 25, and the youngest are just 10 years old. This cohort will be the target hires for the next decade or more, and their interests are very different from those of baby boomers and Gen Xers, who now occupy most senior roles in government.”

The report outlines a number of steps local government employers can take to make their organizations more attractive. “Government agencies should rethink how they will manage and reward workers using both wage and nonwage incentives that align better with new worker values,” the report says. For example, provide flexibility whenever it’s possible and expand the hiring pool to senior workers. Create a culture of respect and inclusion, and increase compensation. Encourage and empower workers to pursue independent and diverse projects. Offer nontraditional benefits and support workplace mental health. Improve branding and focus on career pathways.

In practice, this can mean permanent remote or hybrid work policies, flexible hours, better health and dental coverage, unlimited paid time off, free meals and employee discount programs, caregiver days and pet-friendly accommodations, and student loan relief.

While there’s a lot of uncertainty in today’s economic outlook, one thing is for sure: “The underlying shift in worker values is here to stay. To remain competitive, organizational workforce practices and policies should adapt to reflect changing worker values and preferences—flexibility, culture, entrepreneurial spirit, well-being, and purpose.”

Tags: homepage-featured-1 homepage-featured-2 homepage-featured-4 Administration Economy Hybrid Work Administration Economy Hybrid Work News

Most Recent


  • public sector
    Generational differences present an opportunity to reinvent public sector service delivery
    As major technology companies have transformed the ideal customer experience into instantaneous “one-click” services, the public sector has been challenged to keep pace. As a result, government organizations must meet the changing expectations of Americans with faster, simpler, 24/7 services. Government is ingrained in the fabric of our lives, including the water we drink, the […]
  • Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come
    When the pandemic struck in 2020, public retention was hit hard: jobs in local government plummeted by 8.5 percent; state employment dropped by 4.4 percent. Two years later, local and state government jobs have rebounded by about half—to 4.1 and 1.9 percent below pre-pandemic levels respectively, according to a new report from Mission Square Research […]
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
    Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses
    After two years of ping-pong lockdown orders, mask mandates, unprecedented vaccine drives and economic uncertainty, cities across the United States are beginning to emerge in the pandemic’s aftermath, and they’re prioritizing infrastructure, according to a report published Wednesday by the National League of Cities (NLC).  “The new normal, as we now understand it, is here,” […]
  • employees
    Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology
    The City of Oklahoma City (OKC) is no stranger to growing pains. Like so many cities and local governments facing budget, resource and time constraints, the fastest-growing city in Oklahoma has, at times, had to do more with less. But despite this, we’ve remained committed to advancing our city forward and putting our 5,000+ employees […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Changing recruitment practices can ease retention challenges
  • With the digital evolution, equity in accessibility is of utmost importance
  • baseball
    Minor league baseball is helping cities hit a revitalization home run
  • MSPs
    The MSP downstream cyberthreat paradox: Understanding the city and county connection

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Seamless Cooperative Experience Saves Indiana City Exponentially in Time and Money dlvr.it/SSxp95

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

10 best large cities for fishing dlvr.it/SSxbSZ

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Generational differences present an opportunity to reinvent public sector service delivery dlvr.it/SSxbN7

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come dlvr.it/SSnmS7

24th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships dlvr.it/SSkGBn

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making dlvr.it/SSk3H0

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses dlvr.it/SSgBck

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology dlvr.it/SSfyns

22nd June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X