Recruitment in Public Sector

8/12/2019 Recruitment in Public Sector

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This study is sponsored by:

This study was conducted by:

Recruiting and Staffing in the

Public Sector:Results from the IPMA-HR Research Series

By:Glenn Davidson, Managing Director Public SectorStan Lepeak, Managing Director Research and Knowledge ServicesElizabeth Newman, Advisor Public Sector

Summer 2007


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Get to what matters.

Recruiting and Staf ng in the Public Sector:Results from the IPMA-HR Research Series

Executive Summary

Two of the most critical activities within the human resources(HR) domain are recruiting and staf ng. This involvesidentifying and attracting the right people to ll positions,ranging from upper management and key decision-makerroles to entry-level personnel. Finding the right person foreach position and doing so in a cost-effective and timelymanner is a challenge for any organization, but it is becomingespecially difcult for public sector entities. This IPMA-HRresearch study sought to understand what public sector HRorganizations do to identify and attract quali ed applicants,what methods and strategies work well, and what dif cultiesorganizations encounter in these efforts.

Public sector organizations often are at a disadvantage whencompared to the private sector in recruiting and staf ngprocesses. The private sector typically outmatches the publicsector on compensation, including bonuses and various otherperks, such as stock options. Previous research indicates thatmost public sector organizations believe competition for

talent with the private sector is increasing and that the abilityto offer better compensation packages is a key advantagefor private sector rms. Public sector organizations alsooften nd themselves competing against not only privatecompanies, but each other, in attracting potential employees.Smaller organizations in more isolated regions of the country,for example, nd that multiple jurisdictions often competeover the same diminishing applicant pool and, in turn, driveup compensation costs across the region.

These factors have forced many public sector organizations

to develop creative strategies and solutions for recruiting andstafng. Many organizations report positive overall outcomesfrom temporary workers transitioning to permanentemployees. Other organizations are improving their visibilityby developing a branding strategy complete with consistentmessaging and marketing. Finally, organizations are tappinginto professional and cultural networks to reach individualswith specialized skill sets and increase the overall diversity oftheir workforce.

Various new approaches are proving successful, and thesemodels demonstrate great potential for public sector HR. Atthe same time, some of the strategies described here are justthe starting point for organizations overhauling recruiting orstafng efforts. HR continues to struggle with gathering dataand measuring performance, both important steps in effortsto transform HR operations or utilize alternative models likeshared services and outsourcing. Information technology (IT)is an important enabling tool for recruiting and staf ng, butoverall use of IT remains limited, and even the most advancedsystems are not being used to their full potential.

EquaTerra conducted the research study, performed theanalysis and developed this report on behalf of IPMA-HR anddid not receive funding from Adecco. EquaTerra surveyedmore than 150 senior-level, public sector professionals(see appendix for full survey methodology) to examine therecruiting and staf ng processes in the public sector andthe factors that impact these processes. The respondentsrepresented all major public sector categories and were

located in the United States.


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Table of ContentsExecutive Summary 1Introduction 3Todays Public Sector HR Organization 3The Temporary Workforce 4Measuring Recruiting and Staf ng Efforts 6Todays Applicants 6Information Technology in Recruiting and Staf ng 7Becoming an Employer of Choice: Branding in the Public Sector 9Outsourcing in Recruiting and Staf ng 11

Todays Challenges and Solutions 12Conclusion 13Report Scope and Research Methodology 15Appendix 16About the Organizations Responsible for this Report 17


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Introduction

To paraphrase Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great , itis not enough to get the right people on the bus and thewrong people off, but the right people must also be inthe right seats. Most public sector leaders are familiar withthis expression describing the importance of people to thesuccess of an organization. The stakes are often higherin the public sector, where organizations are becomingincreasingly reliant on less people, given the steady declinein resources and the imposition of constraints that de nethe public sector. The right people with appropriate skillsets and experience enable quality service delivery. Skilledprofessionals can generate new ideas, improve processes anddrive innovation throughout an organization. Unfortunately,the wrong people can do exactly the opposite, and hinderor even damage an organizations performance. Vacantpositions can stretch already overburdened employees,resulting in lower productivity and poor morale. Regardless ofadvanced IT or similar tools available, organizations primarilyrely on people; thus, recruiting and staf ng are criticalorganizational processes.

IPMA-HR published (1Q07) a study titled: The Impact ofthe Aging Workforce on Public Sector Organizations andMission. This study addressed the changing environment

public sector organizations face as more employees becomeeligible for retirement. Increasing retirement levels combinedwith a diminishing interest in public sector careers byyounger workers points to smaller applicant pools and highercompetition for quali ed applicants in the future. In responseto these and other factors, organizations are starting to adapttheir approach to recruiting and staf ng with varied success.Some of the methods and strategies described here arenot entirely new. At the same time, the positive outcomesexperienced by some organizations provide importantevidence on the need to consider alternatives to traditional

strategies and to continue to explore new options.

Todays Public Sector HR Organization

To explore what public sector organizations are doing toexpand applicant pools and attract quali ed applicants, it isimportant to rst consider the current state of public sectorHR operations. This study targeted director and/or executive-level HR leaders to gather detailed and insightful informationfrom top decision makers in the eld. The breakdown ofsurvey respondents was:

62 percent serve as the director of HR or personneloperations for their respective organizations;

7 percent serve as deputy or assistant HR director;

27 percent hold various HR management titles;

4 percent hold other executive or leadership rolesoutside of HR.

Forty-one percent of respondents report to an executiveofcial, such as a county or city manager, while 23 percentreport directly to an elected or appointed of cial, suchas a governor, mayor or cabinet secretary. The individualsresponding to this study are HR policy and decision makerstasked with leading the HR function for their organizations.

In terms of todays HR operating environment, 42 percent ofrespondents report that their organizations are governed by acombination of civil service and at-will employment systems.Twenty-ve percent have an at-will employment system only,while 21 percent have a merit-based, civil service system only.Civil service sometimes adds to the challenges of recruitingand staf ng through rigid rules or procedures that governthose processes. However, in the context of this study, surveyrespondents did not identify civil service as being a signi cantbarrier in recruiting and staf ng. On a scale of one to ve,with one being low/no barrier and ve being high/signi cantbarrier, the average ranking was 2.7. Clearly, other issuesoutweigh civil service in terms of hindering the recruiting and

stafng processes.


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Shared services is clearly the most common operatingenvironment for public sector HR organizations, a ndingthat is consistent with the results of the other studiesconducted as part of this series. Seventy-four percent ofresponding organizations utilize a fully shared services modelfor delivering HR services, while 4 percent utilize sharedservices for some but not all divisions of the organization.For the purpose of this survey, shared services was de nedas one organizational unit providing HR services to allor some divisions or business units in the organization.Figure 1 depicts the breakdown of current HR operatingenvironments.

Only 5 percent of responding organizations outsource someHR operations to external service providers. As demonstratedin the three previous studies, outsourcing is not widelyrecognized as a viable option for public sector HR operations.Many public sector organizations seemingly dismissoutsourcing based on a lack of understanding of the potentialvalue of an outsourcing solution and misconceptions thatoutsourcing requires the offshoring of work. 1 Interestingly,a study recently conducted for IPMA-HR demonstrates thatorganizations currently outsourcing processes within the HR

function are overwhelmingly satis ed with the results of thisarrangement. Organizations often nd that outsourcing themore transactional functions allows the HR organization tofocus on such strategic activities as workforce planning, thedevelopment of career paths and overall planning efforts.

To understand how HR sets priorities and guides work,organizations were asked about the existence of HR-focusedstrategic plans. Past studies indicate that strategic planning

is often not a priority for HR despite HRs efforts to be viewedas a strategic asset to the overall organization. Sixty percentof respondents indicate they have no existing strategic planfor HR, while 40 percent have a strategic plan currently inplace. For those with an existing strategic plan, 97 percentidentify recruiting and staf ng as primary components ofthis plan. The absence of a strategic plan may speak to avariety of challenges within the organization. If organizationleadership does not recognize value in HR, strategic planningmay not be a visible priority, and thus, not required ormandated by leadership. Further, HR often struggles withtransactional activities in delivering services to employees.Strategic planning requires that HR have the staff, time andenergy needed to complete a planning process regardlessof how simple or broad the resulting plan. If an HR area isalready lean and stretched to maintain day-to-day operations,strategic planning may be out of reach.

Unfortunately, the various challenges and factors that impactpublic sector HR point to the need for a strategic plan orsimilar device to guide both short-term and long-termefforts. Strategic planning is about identifying what is working

and what is not within an organization and then determiningpriorities in the context of available resources and tools. Asstressed throughout this report, recruiting and staf ng areevolving in response to changes to the current and potentialworkforce. The failure to have a strategic plan in placesuggests that the organization approaches HR managementin a fragmented and reactive fashion that, by its very nature,is less effective and more costly than working within athoughtful design.

A little more than one-third of organizations (35 percent)indicate that between 21 and 40 percent of HRs overall timeis spent on recruiting and staf ng. Nineteen percent identifydedicated recruiting and staf ng time as being between11 and 20 percent, while 18 percent place this numberat between 41 and 60 percent. For most organizations, asignicant amount of HRs time is spent on recruiting and

1For additional information on the use of outsourcing in public sector HR and overall trends in HR outsourcing, please see the recent IPMA-HRstudy titled, An Examination of Trends in Outsourcing and Shared Services in Public Sector HR, available through the IPMA-HR website: www.ipma-hr.org.

Figure 1

5%

78%

6%

11%

Some/fully outsourced servicesSome/fully shared servicesDistributed servicesBlended services

N=154

Current HR Operating Environment


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stafng. The clear majority, 75 percent, of respondentsreport that between one and ve employees are dedicatedto recruiting and staf ng. Another 10 percent report that

between six to 10 employees are dedicated to recruitingand staf ng. These staf ng levels follow the size of theorganizations responding to this survey but also demonstratethe limited number of staff doing this type of work.

The Temporary Workforce

Todays public sector organizations often look to temporaryworkers to ll immediate needs or reduce the burden oncurrent employees. Temporary workers and the relativespeed at which these workers are available also can help toclose gaps while the organization searches for a permanentemployee. Temporary workers are used in a variety of rolesfrom seasonal service delivery support to administration.Some areas within an organization may use temporaryworkers on an ongoing basis. Regardless of the position,temporary workers can provide a win-win situation for boththe worker and the organization. Temporary workers alloworganizations to ll key positions quickly, while workers oftenview a temporary position as an opportunity to becomefamiliar with the operation and possibly transition to apermanent job.

For the purposes of this study, temporary workers are de nedas a worker hired on both a temporary basis (for example,a less-than-six-month assignment) or a worker hired ona temporary basis without a de ned end date (inde niteassignment). Typically, temporary workers lack the bene tsavailable to permanent employees and may not qualify forsavings plans or related programs. Eighty-seven percent ofresponding organizations report that between 1 and 25percent of their current workforce is temporary. Twenty-two percent of respondents report that between 26 and 60percent of their current workforce is temporary. Ten percent

of organizations utilize temporary workers for 51 to 75percent of their workforce. Clearly, temporary workers are animportant part of the public sector workforce.

Organizations also were asked to report on the turnoverrate of temporary employees. A high turnover rate amongtemporary employees is usually expected, but this can behighly disruptive, especially for organizations that utilizetemporary workers to supplement critical service areas. Fifty-seven percent place the annual temporary worker turnover

rate at between 1 and 25 percent. Twenty-two percent placethe annual turnover rate for temporary employees between26 and 50 percent. Only 7 percent indicate the annual

turnover rate for temporary workers is zero, while a small 4percent place temporary worker turnover above 76 percent.

A key question is whether temporary workers are ndingopportunities to be permanent public sector employees.Seventy-seven percent of respondents indicate that between1 and 25 percent of temporary workers eventually becomepermanent hires. Only 12 percent of responding organizationsreport that current temporary workers never transition topermanent employment. Despite the numerous organizationsthat actively transition temporary workers into permanent

positions, the process to accomplish this is largely informal.Only one-quarter (25 percent) of responding organizationshave a formal process in place to support the conversionfrom temporary worker to permanent, full-time employee.

The transition process, or the length of time a temporaryworker is with the organization before becoming apermanent employee, can take anywhere from three monthsto more than 12 months. A further breakdown on thetimeline for conversion from temporary worker to permanentemployee is illustrated in the table below:

1 month or less: 0 percent of respondingorganizations

Up to 3 months: 11 percent4 to 6 months: 29 percent6 to 12 months: 26 percent1 year+: 34 percent

More than half of respondents indicate this conversion usuallyhappens after an employee has been with the organizationfor at least six months. It is important to point out that notevery temporary worker is a perfect match for the position heor she lls. Temporary workers are often brought in simply toll a momentary hole in staf ng or to work on a speci c, butlimited, project. While less than a quarter of all respondingorganizations see no discernable impact from transitioningtemporary workers to permanent employees, the majorityof respondents experience some bene t from this process.Almost half of respondents (46 percent) indicate that theconversion of temporary workers to full-time workers resultsin better job placements, and not one respondent reported


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a negative outcome in job placements as a result of thismethod. Thirty-eight percent believe the conversion oftemporary workers to permanent employees results in higher-

quality employees, with only 5 percent nding conversionresults in lower-quality employees. Other responses (11percent) were positive and indicate that the conversion fromtemporary to permanent is a reliable method and worksparticularly well if the temporary worker meets immediateorganization needs.

Given some public sector organizations reported success atconverting temporary workers to quality full-time employees,it might behoove other organizations to consider establishingformal temp-to-hire programs, said Glenn Davidson,

managing director of Public Sector for EquaTerra. Thesetools do not replace or lessen the need for an effectiverecruiting plan or retention strategies.

Measuring Recruiting and Staf ng Efforts

Performance measurement in HR remains a challengefor public sector organizations. Effective performancemeasurement relies on accurate and reliable data that isavailable on a timely basis. For organizations dealing withlegacy IT systems or simply lacking applicable capabilities,data may be dif cult to obtain or so labor intensive to gather

that it limits reporting. At the same time, some organizationsmay be collecting so much data that they are unsure of whatto measure or they end up with measures that mislead ordont provide an accurate picture of the operation.

Effective performance measures and the informationresulting from these measures can aid organizations ina variety of ways. Performance measures can be used toevaluate strategies or methods to determine if the desiredoutcome is being reached. Performance measures alsocan provide important evidence on the challenges or

difculties HR is experiencing. Without accurate and reliableinformation, it is dif cult to make a credible case for more

staff, funding or resources, such as advanced IT systems.

HR performance measures may be grouped into twocategories: proactive and reactive measures. Reactivemeasures are the most common measures used by publicsector organizations today and focus on collecting dataabout an incident after it happens, such as turnover or

vacancies. These measures depict the current state of theorganization in various areas, such as open positions orvolume of applications. Over time, this information can help

identify trends or potential problems. Proactive measures, onthe other hand, require calculation or additional analysis. Butthey may provide a view of the overall health of HR and/orspecic processes or functions. For example, a measure suchas time to ll the average time it takes to ll an openposition can help an organization gauge the ef ciency ofthe steps in the recruitment process. Cost to ll is anotherimportant measure that is rarely used because of thecomplexity in calculating the cost to ll a position.

For this study, organizations were asked to indicate what

HR measures they employ today. The most commonperformance measures reported are in the following table:

Voluntary turnover 62%Vacancy rate 58%Volume of applications 54%Time to hire 51%Size of applicant pool 50%Involuntary turnover 50%Number of quali ed applicants comparedto vacancies

37%

Completion of probation 34%

Measures that require additional data or calculation aremore informative for HR but are typically the least commonlyavailable. However, there is promise in these numbers. Withmore than half of respondents reportedly using all or someof these measures, organizations clearly recognize the valuein measuring performance and how this information mayinform decisions and planning efforts. Slightly more than halfof all respondents (52 percent) indicate that performancemeasures and benchmarks are incorporated into day-to-day

management practice. This is a critical point. Oftentimesmeasures only appear in quarterly or annual reports but arenot incorporated into actual management practice. In thiscase, it is the HR professionals that are using these measuresand the resulting data to improve operations and servicedelivery and evaluate overall performance.


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Todays Applicants

Measurements, such as the size of the applicant pool andnumber of quali ed applicants compared to vacancies, areimportant to capture so an organization can determineif it is reaching the appropriate individuals and effectivelyencouraging them to apply. Survey respondents were askedto rank the size of their applicant pool against currentvacancies. On a scale of one to ve, with one being aninadequate pool and ve being a robust pool, the averagerank for different position categories are as follows:

Senior executives/leadership positions 2.6Middle management 2.8

Specialists 2.4Administrative 3.6

In this case, organizations appear most con dent aboutthe size of the applicant pool for administrative positions.Administrative positions are naturally easier to ll thanthe other categories because of the skills or experiencenecessary. Many administrative positions may be entry-levelor allow for on-the-job training of the new employee. Evenso, while 3.6 is high, it is not overwhelmingly positive, whichpoints to increasing competition for any applicant interested

in public sector employment.

The applicant pools for leadership and managementpositions are barely adequate, and for specialists, theapplicant pool is even shallower. Small applicant poolsmean fewer individuals to choose from when hiring andlling positions. And the size of an applicant pool does notspeak to the quali cations or the experience of the actualapplicants. Many organizations would argue that it is betterto have fewer quali ed applicants than a large number ofunqualied applicants. On that point, respondents were

also asked to describe the overall quality of the applicantpool when compared to current vacancies and to provide ageneral sense of applicants quali cations for the positionsthey seek. On a scale of one to ve, with one being lowquality and ve being high quality, the average ranks for thesame categories are as follows:

Senior executives/leadership positions 3.0Middle management 3.0Specialists 2.9Administrative 3.3

The average rankings for applicant pool quality are slightlyhigher than the average rankings for applicant pool size.Some organizations are getting fewer applicants, but these

applicants are more quali ed or, at the very least, the qualityof the candidates is slightly more consistent. Unfortunately, ineither case, organizations nd applicant pools and quality tobe merely adequate. It would follow that many organizationsmay be choosing the best applicant available but notnecessarily the best person for the job.

Public sector organizations face clear long-term challengesif they cannot improve the quantity and quality of theirapplicant pool or change the means through which theyundertake their current workload, said Stan Lepeak,

managing director of Research and Knowledge Servicesfor EquaTerra. They can lower their standards, but that isobviously risky to long-term organizational performance.Alternatively, they can decrease the size of the requiredapplicant pool by improving process ef ciency or increasingthe automation of work so fewer workers are required tocomplete tasks. They also can increase the use of third-party resources in lieu of permanent internal staff. Given theaging workforce, demographic shifts that will impact manygeographies, and the potential decline of quali ed immigrantapplication pools, organizations must face the fact that

growing the applicant quantity, along with quality, will remainan uphill effort.

The applicant experience is something many organizationsmust assess in order to understand if their approach orinteraction with applicants re ects positively on theirorganization. Organizations that create a positive applicantexperience will gain an advantage over their peers asapplicant pools continue to shrink and applicants becomemore selective. If an applicant has a positive experience butdoes not receive a job offer, the positive experience maycause the applicant to apply again for a different position.Further, if applicants feel the process is fair and transparent,these feelings can contribute to the organizations reputationand cause others to apply.

To better understand the applicant experience, 20 percentof responding organizations regularly collect feedback fromapplicants. For those organizations regularly collectingfeedback, 67 percent provide comment opportunities


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for applicants throughout the application and recruitingprocess. Slightly less than half (48 percent) utilize a new-hiresurvey, and 41 percent conduct an applicant survey. These

methods, speci cally the comment opportunities duringthe applicant process, beg the question of how honest anapplicant is likely to be before an employment opportunity isoffered. The surveys may provide more reliable informationsimply because of timing, but new hires are likely to bemore positive about the recruiting and application process,because they did in fact get hired. In terms of the commonfeedback organizations typically receive, 71 percent reportcomments indicating an effective or ef cient processwhile half (50 percent) nd applicants were happy withcommunication throughout the process. Almost one-third(29 percent) report that applicants believe the process wastransparent.

Information Technology in Recruiting and Staf ng

Information technology can be an important enabling tool inrecruiting and staf ng. However, IT investments seldom seemto deliver the expected bene ts organizations anticipate.IT, itself, cannot x processes or solve procedural problems.Problems associated with IT investments range from poorimplementation to over-customization of applicationsto investing in systems or solutions that do not t anorganizations needs.

Unfortunately, many organizations fail to understand fullytheir requirements prior to making such investments, notedDavidson. As a result, they may over or under buy; that is,they may purchase a Mercedes when only a Buick is neededor, worse yet, they buy a Geo when the performance of aBMW is required.

They may also fail to make the necessary improvements orchanges to their HR processes prior to selecting a speci c IT

solution or system. With the investment made, processes arethen adapted to t the IT system even if the results are lesseffective. Finally, if the information entered into a system isinaccurate and unreliable, the output of the system will notprove useful; that is, garbage in, garbage out, Davidsonadded.

Despite these challenges, many public sector organizationsnd value from incorporating IT applications and systems intotheir recruiting and staf ng efforts, especially in operations

with high volumes of applicants and information. Whenasked to rank the level of use and incorporation of IT inrecruiting and staf ng processes, using a one-to- ve scale

with one being low/no incorporation and ve being completeincorporation, the average respondent rank was 3.2.Organizations nd the incorporation of IT to be adequatebut not complete. This ranking may also stem from HRprofessionals understanding that IT can likely do more butbeing unsure of how to take advantage of these capabilities.

A common IT tool for recruiting is the automated applicant-tracking system. These systems offer a variety of tools to HRfrom the tracking and storage of applications to automaticapplicant noti cations and the scheduling of appointments

or interviews. Fifty-seven percent of responding organizationsutilize some type of automated applicant-tracking system,software or solution. Organizations cited a wide variety ofsystems ranging from ERP modules to stand-alone tools.Many of the applications or products being used today weredeveloped speci cally for the public sector or government,while some developed their own IT system in-house. Twentypercent of respondents indicate they use an IT solution orsystem developed in-house for applicant tracking. For thoseorganizations without an automated applicant trackingsystem already in place, 40 percent plan to implement one in

the near future.

The value of an automated applicant-tracking system orsimilar solution is usually measured by increases in ef ciencyor speed of the processes. Figure 2 provides a breakdown onthe impact of IT in recruiting and staf ng.

Figure 2

10%

18%

21%

25%

31%

32%

49%

Impact of IT in Recruiting & Staffing

Improved efficiency/speedin recruitment

Better data collection onskills/competencies

Increase in qualityof recruits

Increase in qualityof placements

Other responses included: Still too soon to tell, larger applicant pools, improved records management, moreexpensive to applicants and cost savings.

Other

Improve efficiency/speedin staffing

No change


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Almost half of all respondents experienced an improvementin the overall ef ciency and speed of the recruiting processwith the incorporation of IT. Approximately one-third

experienced similar improvements in staf ng processes.Automated tools also enable better data collection of skillsand competencies, allowing organizations to know moreabout their workforce. One-quarter of respondents nd therehas been no change in recruiting or staf ng following theimplementation of an IT system or solution.

Respondents also were asked to rank the overall value of ITin recruiting and staf ng. On a one-to- ve scale, with onebeing low value/little improvement and ve being high value/signicant improvement, the resulting average rank was 3.7.

Organizations de nitely recognize value in these systems andsee ef ciency and quality as key outcomes.

When making investments in IT, public sector organizationsoften are drawn to products or providers with systemsdeveloped speci cally for the public sector or government.A public sector focus seems to provide some assurancethat the system will meet the organizations needs. Whenasked to rank the importance of IT applications or systemsbeing speci c to public sector, using a one-to- ve scale, withone being not important and ve being very important,the average rank was 3.9. This nding echoes the results ofprevious studies in this research series. When public sectororganizations consider providers of outsourced services,experience in and knowledge of the public sector are criticalfactors in the selection process. Given that many softwarecompanies only adapt existing private sector products forthe public sector, a system or solution developed speci callyfor the government environment may be a very attractiveoption.

The Internet also is becoming a more common tool inrecruiting. With more professionals using the Internet to

network, seek employment opportunities and circulateresumes, it has become essential for organizations to havean Internet presence. When asked to rank the organizationsoverall use of the Internet as a tool in recruiting, using aone-to- ve scale, with one being limited use and ve beingcomprehensive use, the average rank was 3.7. Organizationshave incorporated the Internet into recruiting efforts ina variety of ways. Seventy-six percent of respondentsuse the Internet as a communication tool through which

applicants can contact HR, ask questions or requestadditional information. The same percentage (76 percent)of organizations also makes employment applications

available for download through the Internet. Only 51 percentof responding organizations allow applicants to actuallycomplete and submit an application online. Twenty-onepercent of respondents indicate that applicants may use theInternet to track the status of their applications, while sevenpercent allow applicants to schedule appointments throughthe Internet. Other uses (14 percent) include automatednotication to applicants and advertising job openings. Lessthan half of all respondents (44 percent) use a Web-basedrecruiting tool, such as Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, aspart of their recruiting efforts.

The availability of online applications and the ability tocomplete and submit applications online are importantfeatures for organizations attempting to expand their Webpresence and reach more applicants. Forty-two percent ofresponding organizations indicate that between 1 and 25percent of applications are received through the Internet.Twenty percent of respondents report that between 26and 50 percent of all applications are received through theInternet. Twenty-one percent report that more than 76percent of all applications are received through the Internet.

The number of applications received through the Internetobviously is linked to the way in which organizations marketonline applications and how easy the online application isto complete and submit. Organizations need to comparethe results from online applications versus regular hardcopyapplications. For example, is the online application moreefcient and does it cost less than printing and distributingpaper applications? Is the Internet attracting the same typesof candidates as the old process and are these applicantsmore or less quali ed? Answering these questions can helpan organization determine if the Internet supports their

recruiting efforts, while identifying the weaknesses andstrengths of this tool.

Public sector HR groups must recognize that the Internet,similar to related software tools and applications, is not apanacea or silver bullet to improve recruiting, said Lepeak.The Internet has become a pervasive tool and means ofcommunicating to many in the ideal demographic groupthat public sector organizations should target for their next


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generation of employees. The creative use of the Internetto attract recruits, as well as highlight an organizationsbrand and appeal as an employer, will become increasingly

important going forward. It will bring value above andbeyond just reducing the costs associated with processingapplication information.

Becoming an Employer of Choice: Branding in thePublic Sector

Public sector organizations must clearly communicate whatthey do and why they do it to their greater constituencies.This concept is the foundation of an effective brandingstrategy. Better communication both internally andexternally requires a clear articulation of the organizationsresponsibilities and standards in operations and service. Italso requires answering the all important question whatmakes our organization different from others? Improvedcommunication and clarity of purpose and responsibilitiescan lead to awareness and recognition with citizens, andeventually, with potential applicants.

Branding is a relatively new concept in the public sector.More commonly, it is linked to commercial business andthe desire to sell a product. Branding is strategic and oftendepends on consistency in messaging, communications

and standards. This same concept can be applied to publicsector organizations seeking to establish themselves asmore than just an entity tasked with basic service delivery.Public sector organizations are beginning to recognize theimportance of reputation or how the organization is seenthrough the eyes of a potential employee. Branding is abouttaking charge of that reputation, de ning the bene ts ofworking in a public sector environment and marketing thesefactors to potential employees. IPMA-HR Executive DirectorNeil Reichenberg stated that based on demographics, publicsector organizations will be faced with a growing number of

vacancies and potentially smaller applicant pools. In such anenvironment, public sector organizations need to developinnovative strategies to position themselves as desirableemployers if they are to compete successfully for the talentthat they need.

Many organizations have already worked on developing abrand, usually around attracting tourism or new business andeconomic development. In terms of recruiting and staf ng,the focus needs to shift to being an employer. Only a quarter

of respondents (25 percent) have an employer brandingstrategy in place. Respondents de ne the following factors askey components of their branding strategy:

Great place to work 76%Excellent bene ts 70%Pride/value in helping people and service thecommunity

68%

Opportunities for professional development 68%Pride/value of working in public service 59%Opportunities for advancement 51%Job security 38%Innovative approach or work environment 35%

None of these components speak to compensation.Organizations understand that they probably cannotcompete with the private sector in terms of salaries, bonusesor bene ts, but there are motivating factors unique to thepublic sector that make an organization very attractive to apotential applicant, including pride and satisfaction with themission or opportunities to gain experience. A successfulbranding strategy pinpoints these factors and capitalizeson them through targeted communications and marketing.When asked to rank the impact of having a brand strategyon recruiting, using a one-to- ve scale, with one beinglow/no impact and ve being high/signi cant impact, theaverage rank was 3.6, which is fairly positive. Organizationssee value in establishing themselves as employers of choice,and branding is an important tool in reaching potentialapplicants.

Considering these results and the challenges outlinedthroughout this report, it would seem logical that moreorganizations should be interested in developing a brandstrategy. Given the dif culty of competing with the private

sector for talent on a compensation basis, it would followthat governments and other not-for-pro t organizationsmight wish to promote the non-monetary bene ts ofemployment in the public sector, said Davidson. Amongthe points to make could be work-life balance, family-friendlypolicies, exible work schedules, training programs, tuitionreimbursement, and more comprehensive health bene ts.


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Unfortunately, interest in or appreciation of the role ofbranding is not particularly high. Organizations without acurrent branding strategy were asked to rank their interest

in developing one. On a scale of one to ve, with one beinglow/no interest and ve being high interest, the average rankwas 2.9. This middle-of-the-road score may be due to thefact that many organizations are already involved in activitiesthat are similar to those named by other organizations askey components of their branding strategies. Organizationswithout a branding strategy were asked to describe whattheyre doing to make themselves more attractive topotential applicants. The most common responses included:

Improved bene ts packages

Developing a branding strategy Increased compensation

Organizational self assessment

Offering a more exible schedule or a non-traditionalwork environment

In addition, several unique approaches are worth noting.One organization has found success in sponsoring diversitysummits, which are recruiting events designed to highlightopportunities for minorities and women and demonstratespecic bene ts available in the public sector. Others indicate

that improvements in processes and procedures enable afaster response to applicants, which has improved overallefforts. Many organizations also are focusing on bettermarketing of the work/life balance available through publicsector employment. By offering exible work schedulesand non-traditional work environments, public sectororganizations often are able to attract professionals moreinterested in these perquisites than compensation.

Outsourcing in Recruiting and Staf ng

Outsourcing is a model in which all or moderate-to-signi cant

HR operations are performed and delivered by externalservice providers. Often, it is not viewed as a viable optionfor public sector HR. Most of the survey respondents (83percent) do not outsource any recruiting or staf ng-relatedfunctions or services at this time. Only 17 percent indicatethey are outsourcing HR recruiting or staf ng functions orservices. Most likely, organizations are utilizing outsourcing

for external recruiting and staf ng functions rather thaninternal. Only 6 percent utilize a service provider for internalrecruiting or staf ng, while 26 percent work with service

providers on external recruiting or staf ng.

Drug testing is the most likely function to be outsourced,with 52 percent of respondents reporting that they currentlyoutsource drug testing. Testing and screening were otherfunctions commonly outsourced (36 percent), while anadditional 36 percent outsource related functions orservices, including executive searches and test development.Interestingly, IT was low on the list of areas commonlyoutsourced. About a quarter of respondents (24 percent)utilize an outsourced Web-based recruiting tool, and 16

percent outsource recruitment or staf ng technology. Asmall 4 percent of respondents outsource database servicesor related technology, such as an applicant tracking system.Figure 3 demonstrates a further breakdown of these results.

Despite the low number of organizations currentlyoutsourcing IT, outsourcing arrangements often offer agateway to advanced IT without requiring organizations tomake an immediate and signi cant IT investment. Further,outsourcing arrangements can include system hostingthrough which service providers support and maintain theIT system or solution on the organizations behalf. Fifty-ninepercent of respondents report that they would considerutilizing a service provider that offered access to advanced ITfor recruiting and staf ng processes.

Similar to past ndings, the results of outsourcing and

Figure 3

4%

16%

20%

24%

32%

36%

36%

52%Drug testing

Testing/Screening

Other

Temporary Workers

Web-basedrecruitment tool

Background Checks

Recruitment/Staffingtechnology

Database (technology orrelated services)

Other res onses included Executive Search and test develo ment

Recruiting and Staffing Processes Currently Outsourced


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the level of satisfaction within organizations that utilizeoutsourcing is relatively high. Thirty-two percent ofrespondents that outsource some recruiting or staf ng

functions nd that recruiting is more ef cient and fasterfollowing the move to this model. Twenty percent indicatethat staf ng is more ef cient and faster. Thirty-six percentreport that outsourcing some recruiting or staf ng functionsresulted in increased quality in recruits. Sixteen percentreport increased quality in job placements. Among therespondents that currently outsource some recruiting orstafng functions, none found this model led to a loss ofefciency or a slow-down in these processes. In addition toincreasing ef ciency and quality, about a quarter (24 percent)of responding organizations indicate that outsourcing allowsfor additional data collection of the skills and competenciesof applicants and employees. Better information allowsHR to be more proactive in both its current activities andfuture plans. Finally, approximately one-third of respondents(32 percent) indicate theyve seen no change, positive ornegative, after outsourcing HR functions.

Lepeak nds that the recruitment process outsourcing orRPO market is very dynamic and fast growing. The qualityand diversity of the services offered and the service providersin this market have increased signi cantly over the past ve

years. While RPO may not be the answer for all public sectororganizations, they should minimally do an assessment of themarket, its providers and their capabilities and cost levels aspart of assessing options to improve internal recruiting andstafng operations.

Todays Challenges and Solutions

Organizations be they public or private often struggle toattract specialists or individuals with very speci c experience.Unfortunately, private sector organizations usually have thebigger compensation packages or various perquisites needed

to attract the right person. Public sector organizations,therefore, must be more creative and innovative in theirrecruitment efforts. When asked to rank their ability tohire professionals with specialized skill sets, using a one-to-ve scale, with one being low/no ability and ve beinghigh/complete ability, the average rank was 3.2. Evidently,even without signing bonuses and six- gure salaries, these

organizations are able to attract the employees they need.Inherent in this rank may be the trade-offs public sectororganizations are willing to make to hire these individuals.

As one respondent described, public sector organizationswillingly take the applicants rejected by the private sector.This strategy was cited by multiple organizations. The publicsector can often attract less experienced professionals byoffering advancement opportunities or the ability to work ona variety of projects or initiatives.

Public sector organizations are adopting a variety ofapproaches to reach specialists, with the most commonbeing outreach through and relationships with professionalassociations. Professional organizations allow for immediate

access to a broad spectrum of individuals already in the eldor industry. Respondents also indicate that specialty Websites,such as those supported or endorsed by professionalorganizations or particular schools, are valuable in reachingpotential candidates, especially those not already livingwithin the jurisdiction. Internships allow organizationsto engage individuals still in training or in school prior toentering the workforce. Internships can lead to a smoothertransition as the intern moves into a permanent position.Former interns often bring institutional knowledge andorganizational understanding gained during the internship to

the permanent position.

Recruiting and staf ng for public safety positions, as forspecialist positions, often pose speci c challenges given thestrict applicant requirements. First, public safety positionsusually require a rigorous background investigation, variousscreenings and a written exam. Regulations typically disqualifyindividuals with criminal records or a history of drug use.Many responding organizations indicate it can be dif cult toidentify and attract candidates that are able to successfullycomplete the entire battery of tests. Further, it seems thatapplicants that do meet the requirements and pass theassociated tests are often in a position to entertain offersfrom other organizations and use this as leverage to obtainincreased compensation and bene ts.

It is common for jurisdictions in one region to compete forthe same limited number of applicants for public safetypositions, and in turn, drive up compensation rates forthese jobs. This situation puts smaller organizations at a


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great disadvantage. Faced with a limited applicant pooland increased competition, these smaller organizations,oftentimes the ones with the greatest need, are left with

few qualied applicants. It is important to note that a few ofthe organizations responding to this survey indicate they donot have issues lling public safety positions. Many of theseorganizations are located in densely populated regions andhave better access to potential applicants. In addition, manyof these organizations have the ability to attract individualsthrough higher compensation or better bene ts.

The requirements and screenings for public safety employeeswere developed for a good reason. These individualsare tasked with ensuring the safety and security of the

community or jurisdiction. Relaxing these regulations in orderto accept more applicants is not the preferred approach.Instead, many organizations are reengineering theirrecruitment efforts with promising results. Campus recruitingand even high school recruiting were listed as the mosteffective methods for identifying public safety applicants.High school recruiting was cited as particularly effective dueto the stringent requirements for public safety applicants.By reaching individuals in high school, organizations cancommunicate both the bene ts and requirements of publicsafety positions to potential applicants. Understanding what

is required for a future career in public safety may encouragesome young people to stay out of trouble and to avoid drugs.

Other successful strategies included informal, word-of-mouthnetworking and utilizing current employees as recruiters.Both types of outreach engage current employees in therecruiting process with the idea that individuals doing thejob on a daily basis are the most quali ed to market thesepositions to others. Further, these current employees areclearly invested in the organization and would likewise beinvested in the recruiting process since the new hires wouldeventually become their colleagues.

Diversity is another area where organizations frequently citechallenges in recruiting and staf ng. For many organizations,improved diversity within the workforce is a well-articulatedgoal and a priority within all recruiting and staf ng strategies.When asked to rank the importance of diversity in recruitingand staf ng, using a one-to- ve scale, with one being low/notimportant and ve being highly important the overall rank

was 4.0. A diverse workforce re ecting the community orjurisdiction the organization serves is an admirable, albeitsometimes challenging, goal.

Organizations also were asked to describe what methodsor strategies work well in terms of achieving diversity goals.The most common response was targeted outreach andadvertising, especially in terms of expanding marketingefforts outside of traditional tools, such as daily newspapersor employment Websites. Organizations were able to reachadditional potential applicants by advertising throughspecialty publications, local newspapers or magazines andradio. Relationships with local and cultural organizations alsohelped to diversify applicant pools since applicants were able

to get to know the organization, and recruiters were able toshare information on job openings in a more timely fashion.Many organizations reported that efforts around improvingworkforce diversity led them to examine workforce data andjurisdiction demographics. Better information led to a morefocused and strategic approach to recruitment, which in turn,resulted in a more diverse applicant pool. Organizations alsoindicated that an aggressive recruiting policy and the elevationof diversity as a priority helped in their recruiting efforts.

Conclusion

Public sector organizations face signi cant staf ngchallenges. Many report that they are only adequatelystaffed. And an increasing number report that they aregrossly understaffed in critical areas. HR professionals trainingand expertise must be utilized to the fullest extent in orderto address these challenges. HRs importance to the overallsuccess of an organization should not be underestimated.Furthermore, the constant push to do more with less meansthat many employees are now wearing more hats in takingon responsibilities outside their core area or scope. All ofthese issues contribute to the mounting pressure on HR to

identify and attract the right person for the right position asquickly as possible. Necessity is the mother of invention, or inthis context, the mother of innovation as many respondingorganizations aptly exemplify in their varied approaches torecruiting. At the same time, the study ndings indicatethere are things HR could be doing as an organization to seeimprovements in all HR functions.


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Many public sector organizations continue to work withoutany type of strategic plan for HR, let alone a thoughtful,proactive approach to recruiting and staf ng. Much can

be inferred from the lack of a guiding plan. Clearly, manyorganizations are struggling to simply deliver regularservices and complete daily transactional activities to keepthe organization going. If management does not see HR asproviding value or being an asset to the organization, theremay be little impetus to take time away from critical activitiesto complete a formal plan. However, a systematic internalreview as part of a planning process is essential to identifywhats working and whats not in terms of current processes,procedures and services. Business process improvementdepends on rst understanding the current state and locatingareas with potential for improvement.

An effective strategic plan and the priorities andimprovements this plan details can drive the collection ofmore accurate and reliable information. Better informationand data will allow HR to act more strategically and have theevidence to justify decisions or new directions. Without astrategic plan, HR may not be collecting the right informationor the data necessary to evaluate programs and strategiesproperly. Numerous organizations cited the strategies orprograms that are working well for recruiting and staf ng.

Further exploration would likely demonstrate that manyorganizations have only anecdotal evidence on the successof these solutions rather than hard data. Accurate and timelyinformation is essential for organizations looking to moveaway from certain transactional tasks to more strategicactivities.

A branding strategy is another tool that can positively impactrecruiting, staf ng and other HR functions. Organizations witha branding strategy already in place clearly recognize thepower of a brand in recruiting and retaining skilled personnel.Branding is a relatively new concept in the public sector andwithout visible success stories, public sector organizationsmay be discounting or completely dismissing the potential

bene t of this type of approach. A branding strategy dependson an organization knowing itself and understanding whatmakes it different from other organizations again, the

focus on better information. A clear majority of respondingorganizations indicated that they offer potential employeesa great place to work. Why is the organization such agreat place to work? Why is it a better place to work thanother organizations, public or private? These are the typesof questions a branding strategy should answer throughconsistent messages about the organization.

The people who make up todays workforce how they lookfor opportunities, what issues are important in deciding toaccept a position are constantly changing. To succeed in

attracting the right people and matching them with the rightposition, HR must adapt to these changes. Before examiningrecruiting methods and staf ng strategies, HR may want tolook at its own operation and infrastructure. Improvementsthere will likely result in broader bene ts across theorganization.

Report Scope and Research Methodology

EquaTerra conducted this research in spring 2007 utilizingan online survey instrument that was distributed toexecutive and senior-level HR professionals from IPMA-HR

member organizations. Over 150 public sector professionalsresponded to the survey. Seventy-seven percent of allrespondents were local government, municipality, city,county or town/township type organizations that servebetween one and 499,999 constituents in their jurisdictionsor communities. For further information on the demographicbreakdown of survey respondents, please see the Appendixsection of this report.


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Appendix

Figure 4

Responding Organizations

12% State

22% County

4% Other2% Federal

54% Municipality

FederalOtherStateCountyLocal Municipality / City

N=162

Figure 5

Size of Organizations by Constituents Receiving Service

1%

28%

20%24%

7%

11%

9%

Under 10,000 individuals10,000-49,999 individuals50,000-99,999 individuals100,000-499,999 individuals500,000-999,999 individuals1 M-3 M individuals3 M+ individuals

N=160


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About the Organizations Responsible for this Report

About International Public Management Association

for HRThe International Public Management Association for HumanResources (IPMA-HR) is a non-prot organization representingthe interests of over 7,500 human resource professionals, whowork primarily in the public sector. IPMA-HR members areemployed at all levels of government within the United Statesand other countries and international organizations. Themission of IPMA-HR is to provide human resource leadershipand advocacy, professional development, informationand services to enhance organizational and individualperformance in the public sector. To further this mission,

IPMA-HR provides a wide range of resources, includingpublications, research, assessment, professional developmentprograms, and certi cation. IPMA-HR is recognized forproviding human resource leadership that makes a differencein the public sector. To learn more about IPMA-HR go to:http://www.ipma-hr.org.

About Adecco

Adecco Government Solutions SM (AGS) is the premierpartner for comprehensive workforce solutions togovernment agencies and federal contractors. We specialize

in delivering value-added results across integral HR functions,including:

Temporary and contract staf ng

Permanent recruitment

Training

Consulting

HRO/RPO

Outplacement and career services

Managed services

For more than half a century, AGS has been buildingcustomized solutions to effectively manage the uniqueworkforce requirements of the Federal marketplace.Our experienced team brings unparalleled expertise andunderstanding of the HR environment within the U.S.

Government and federal contractors. Working closely withyour management team, AGS will develop and implementscalable HR programs tailored to your organizational focus.

ADGs best practices and advanced technology are world-class and unsurpassed in the government business.

AGS is committed to attracting and retaining the bestpossible resources to meet your critical workforce needs anddeliver positive results for your bottom-line bene t.

For more information on AGS service offerings, pleasecontact Debora L. Weste at [email protected] or+1 202 742 6635.

About EquaTerra

EquaTerra sourcing advisors help clients achieve sustainablevalue in their IT and business processes. With an averageof more than 20 years of experience in over 600 globaltransformation and outsourcing projects, our advisors offerunmatched industry expertise. EquaTerra has in-depthfunctional knowledge in Finance and Accounting, HR, IT,Procurement and other critical business processes. EquaTerraalso has a Public Sector practice focused solely on helpingpublic entities become higher performing organizations. Wehave advisors throughout North America, Europe and AsiaPacic. Our people are passionate about providing objective,conict-free advice to our clients, which has fueled ourexponential growth over the past three years. We help clientsachieve signi cant cost savings and process improvementswith outsourcing, internal transformation and shared servicessolutions. It is all we do.

For more information on EquaTerras public sectorcapabilities, please contact Glenn Davidson at:[email protected] or +1 202 904 2311;or go to: www.EquaTerra.com.

For additional information on EquaTerra, please contactLee Ann Moore at [email protected] or+1 713 669 9292.

For more information on EquaTerras research and knowledgeservices, please contact Stan Lepeak, [email protected] or + 1 203 458 0677.

Copyright EquaTerra 2007. All rights reserved. The prior written permission of EquaTerra is required to reproduce all or any part of this document, in any formwhether physical or electronic, for any purpose. 3006_082007

Recruitment in Public Sector

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