The first two articles in this series addressed an issue raised by Harper’s Magazine
on the eve of Super Bowl XLV. With the image of the Federal government
at a low, how could a TV commercial at the Super Bowl uplift the
government’s brand? The article also spoke to a paradox: Americans tend
to like specific agencies and the services they provide. However, they
do not confer this approval and even enthusiasm on the “parent
company” that makes it all happen.
The "solution" that Harper's proposed was, of course, highly
unlikely. Capitol Hill is waging battles over discretionary spending
in existing programs. Meanwhile, according to the trade journal Ad Age,
NBC is already musing about raising the cost of a 30-second spot for
next year’s Super Bowl to $3.5 million. At the moment, that money might
seem better spent or even saved.
So any top-down branding of the Federal government is unlikely
except for the "Why Work for the Federal Government?" section of
USAJOBS. That site, of course, serves people who have already decided to
explore Federal employment. Indeed, TMP Government suggests that the
more advantageous path seems to involve branding the Federal government
from the bottom up, i.e., as part of an agency's employer brand. Then,
as we brand an individual agency, we can look to the "overall brand"
of the United States government.
But first let us go down to the agency level, where the day-to-day
work happens. TMP Government believes that an agency's employer brand
has two parts: The first is what it shares with all other government
employers and the second revolves around its own mission.
Our aim is to strike a balance between the two. Emphasizing
commonalities runs the risk of not matching the right job seekers to
specific agency positions. On the other hand, not acknowledging the
broader context of the United States government does not leverage the
full opportunities government employees have in moving from agency to
agency. In fact, the "foot in the door" and the transparency of job
seeking within the government are important selling points.
Branding Your Agency and the Federal Career Path
When job candidates outside government choose your agency, they are
opting not only for your advantages but also for a unique career path.
Rather than narrowing future options, the Federal government, even more
so than the private sector, offers multiple opportunities that resonate
with a generation intent on meaningful work:
- They can move upward or laterally within your agency.
- They can move to other agencies.
- With your training as a foundation, they can move into the private sector and then back into the Federal government.
- They can enhance their value with any combination of the above.
Most important, wherever they go, they are contributing to a
meaningful life in public service. A new Harris Interactive survey, done
in cooperation with DeVry University, shows that even in difficult
economic times, meaning remains a principal motivator:
"The survey of young professionals, ages 21 to 31, and hiring
managers, indicates Millennials believe doing work that is personally
meaningful to them and achieving a sense of accomplishment are just as
important as earning a high salary for a successful career. In fact, 30
percent of Millennials identify meaningful work as the single most
important measure of a successful career." (For more, see http://www.harrisinteractive.com/vault/Career-Advisory-Board-Young-Professionals-03-31-2011.pdf)
Our work has furthermore shown that psychological factors like
"meaning" generally link a person more strongly to your mission and
thus encourage higher performance. Job candidates, motivated by typical
economic concerns alone, e.g., salary, benefits and relative job
security, are frequently seeking a short-term job or resume builder
rather than a longer-term commitment. Thus, when other prospects open
up, they are more likely to leave.
Psychological benefits, on the other hand, can progressively lead to
what we call the "self-expressive" aspect of a value proposition: the
employee aligns their personal goals with your mission. They take an
ownership stake in activities that is comparable to top management. In
short, they identify with the organization and its’ aims rather than
merely accomplishing personal self-seeking behaviors. Who does not want
an employee like that?
The Meaningfulness of Federal Work: Back to the Beginning
The Harper's article was in a sense misleading; not just
because it blended an off-the-charts media event with a more serious
topic, but because it did not go far enough. The Federal government,
however maligned or praised, was created by a generation, who, while
not agreeing about everything, concurred that they were entering into a
"great experiment." The concepts of trusteeship and public service are
closely connected to the Constitution and the creation of a central
government. Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management Federal
Executive Institute hosts a program for senior leadership at its
Charlottesville, VA campus entitled “Constitution and Contemporary Public Sector Leadership: Connecting Day-to-Day Work With Our Governmental Framework."
Such a program indicates the deep roots of every Federal program and
position at every level. In the organization chart of the United
States, the Constitution rests at the top under which the three
branches of government follow.
We would submit that the Federal government already has a "brand"
and a "value proposition," engraved in the preamble to the Constitution
and supported by the words that follow. Through developing an Employer
Value Proposition, TMP Government helps articulate the specific
essence (the DNA) of one aspect of the central government. All of the
parts remain connected to the whole.
This thought has implications for everyone who, joining the Federal
government, takes the Federal Employee Oath. As the OPM Constitution
Project notes, "As Federal civil servants, we take an oath of office by
which we swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United
States of America. The Constitution not only establishes our system of
government, it actually defines the work role for Federal employees –
'to establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings
of liberty'"
If, as TMP Government believes, the best brand is the one that is
"lived," then the Oath itself shows the ultimate direction that Federal
branding can go. When these values are internalized and inform
day-to-day action, we have the realization of the self-expressive
benefit for public service and the employees of your agency.
For more information on how TMP can help brand your career opportunities, please contact John Bersentes at John.Bersentes@TMPgovernment.com or give him a call at 703-269-0092.
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