Dive Brief:
- State and local government employees say addressing workforce needs is the most pressing concern for their organization, according to a new nationwide study.
- Conducted by Route Fifty and Government Business Council (GBC), the 2016 Top Management Challenges for State & Local Government survey found that 90% of respondents consider human capital issues to be a challenge for their organization, and only 41% believe their organization is prepared for the coming retirement wave of Baby Boomers.
- Just 40% of respondents indicate their organization is competitive with the private sector in its ability to recruit and hire talent. Among state government employees, this level of confidence drops to only 18%. In addition, more than one in three respondents reports diversity and representation gaps in their organization relative to the demographics of their constituents.
Dive Insight:
Public entities have an even tougher path when it comes to talent management, based on the survey results. Michael Grass, executive editor of Route Fifty, which tracks state, county and municipal government news, said many management challenges facing state and local governments relate to budget problems. Also, some still haven't fully recovered from the 2008 recession, but face demand for services that have actually increased since then.
Limited budgets are constraining organizations across the board, whether it comes to attracting talented employees or investing in the technology to modernize services for citizens, he added.
For example, 57% say their organizations encounter more red tape than in the past regarding funding and grants, and under half (43%) believe their organization has the budget to sufficiently invest in IT modernization.
The study, based on survey data collected from 928 people (over half of whom identify as C-suite or executive level leaders), covered all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
