Can the Public Sector Manage Talent?

If the old saying is correct, in that companies are only as good as their staff, when it comes to Governments and Public Service Organizations, excellence can only be achieved when organizational priorities are met. Talent management is defined as ensuring that people are matched to the right job for their skills, competencies, career plans and the anticipation of required HCM for an organization. For HR, this means ensuring assertive recruitment, planned onboarding, continuous learning and development, performance management, and finally, career support from hire to retire.

Complex Talent Management in Today`s Public Sector.

Federal governments, for instance, represent the largest employers in the country, impacting everyone under its jurisdiction. Just to function, over ten thousand employees need to be hired, onboarded and ready to respond in the name of the nation. They are not just regular employees; they are symbolic of the needs of a nation.

Human Resources is no joke: it can be complex, time consuming and inefficient if not dealt with carefully, and with the right tools. Who would’ve thought that dealing with employees was such a complex matter? If a company that outgrew its strategic plan within 24 months is going through growing and recruitment pains, just imagine handling the HR objectives that directly involve the primary functionalities of the public sector. From International multistate entities or partnerships, independent states, regional provinces to local municipal bodies, the struggle is real. The principle may be the same when it comes to the employee life cycle, but what about the work load? How are thousands upon thousands of employees with specific profiles, appointed to perform specific tasks tracked and managed effectively? Most importantly, how does the Public-Sector counter challenges such as low unemployment rates, shortages of qualified personnel, institutional pressure to follow specific organizational structures, policies, updating credentials, budgets, cutbacks culture, employee retention, readily available learning and development programsthrough Talent Management?Is there some kind of magic wand to keep the orchestra playing in sync?

Well, its not magic, but the answer is “Yes:” there are systems in place and smart processesout there to serve the Public Sector for better administration.

Having the right people in the right positions.

Serving the Public Sector covers a wide range. It goes from agricultural departments, to heritage; from social development for our children, to finance, fisheries and oceans, global affairs, and health. We are indeed referring as well to those subdivisions of people ensuring food safety is carried out effectively, so you’re not hospitalized by your morning coffee. We’re referring to people who are promoting trade agreements at a global scale, people who wear badges, embodying the true meaning of serve and protect. All of them employees; just like the rest of us.So, when the question is asked – and it will be asked –how important is it to have the right people in these positions? To be more precise: how big and qualified is the talent pool when in need for readily available alternative candidates, whilst maintaining employee mirth, without sacrificing your size?Talent Management Solutions Exist. Technology can help.

A niche market

As we know, there are multiple automobile brands, cereals, gas stations, banks and hotels. Simply put, if you don’t like something, you always have the choice to replace, return or try something new elsewhere. Yet, there isn’t another Food Inspection Agency you can go to, and certainly, there is no other place that manages the State’s finances effectively to make sure that citizens are only paying what they need, while having the best quality of life they can. Suffice to say, that if these positions are this crucial, then they must be acquired, managed, and trained effectively to be able to serve at its full potential.

If you don’t have the tools required to source candidates, track applications and manage the interview process internally, a talent acquisition solution (aka Recruitment Solution) or Applicant Tracking System (ATS)should be on your priority list. But how do you make the right choice when you’re not exactly certain what option suits you best? Here`s how.

Even when you are still not convinced you are using the right processes, gauging how these smart processes can save you time can result in great benefit for your organization!

Siloed vs. horizontal approaches while maintaining internal recruitment

Though there are implications in siloed approaches to talent management with a horizontal government approach, it is strongly recommended (regardless of the size of your organization) to always look at your internal pool when hunting for new talent, as governments do have very specific roles they need to fill within their organizations.

Talent management is not as generic as sometimes people may think: doctors will not become business experts in global summits, and rarely will social workers be transferred to manage the economy. For instance, it is expected that within the financial ladder, officers and other functions have an appropriate history of promotion, understanding (and in some cases implementing) the proper systems designed to categorize, sort and track internal employees on a government-wide basis is crucial.

The problem? Talent is poorly managed all too often and this issue stems from a lack of support and a failure to identify needs.

It’s obvious that focusing on internal talent and favouring mobility can reduce the need – and the cost – of recruitment. But how can you fully benefit from it without a way to know about your internal pool’s ambitions? Are new training sessions needed? Is an internal movement possible without creating a gap in other departments? In an organization of hundreds or thousands of employees, the managers’ intuition and informal collaboration are no longer enough to organize internal mobility. A modern HR management platformis a major advantage and a necessity to take away the guesswork out of the equation.

By now, public entities have spent a lot of time figuring out their needs when it comes to immediate onboarding, productivity and individual development. At this level, employees are expected to be ready to take on the challenges expected of them while being responsive. In today’s time, with new generations moving more toward a digital arena, recruitment and onboarding is a lot more than what it used to be: It is all about creating a great candidate experience that will motivate the candidate to engage. Its about finding talent across thousands of platforms that will have a global and specific reach, and about being able to communicate throughout the process.

Remove the guesswork through digital transformation

Public Service organizations must rely on experienced and trusted partners that can drive strategic performance and be ready for change, with better insight into human potential while gaining efficiency and simplifying the already complex administrative work with streamlined HR processes. What is entrusted to Public Service by citizens is something that has a profound impact on countries and ultimately, societies.

At Cegid,we understand that public service entities work towards ensuring citizens’ expectations are met (and exceeded) by their public officials. And that means finding the right people for the right positions, attracting talent with precision, driving performance with insight and saving time with smart processes.

Having a solution with proven track record with other public organismsin mastering the complexity of large organisations, properly addressing new business challenges and enabling the HR team to truly take back control while focusing on the value-add aspects for these large projects, is our area of expertise.

Find out more about how to better manage your workforce from hire to retire, with a modern Talent Management Suite designed to fit your industry best practices.