When 2011 dawned, some onlookers anticipated a vigorous debate on the nature and size of government. The Federalist papers, which discussed the issues pertinent to the ratification of the Constitution, would come alive again. In the spirit of the Founding Fathers, who agreed to disagree, America would tackle the daunting problems of budget deficits and the rightful role of government. Those who expected such civil discourse, however, instead discovered a pigskin classic, in which Federal employees were often the football. It wasn’t merely the material toll, such as potential shut downs, furloughs and pay freezes, that discouraged the workforce. Employees found themselves frequently maligned from Capitol Hill and the brunt of increasing distrust by the American people. Not surprisingly, only 31 percent of agencies saw improvement in their annual Partnership for Public Service’s Best Places to Work scores. In 2010, almost 70 percent had topped their 2009 score.
As the calendar year ends, the wick of optimism burns low. But TMP Government suggests that there are some good lessons to be learned from the year of crises.
- Change before you’re changed. Change is always difficult, but perhaps less so if taken proactively. Seeing the proverbial handwriting on the wall, a number of agencies decided to take action themselves before being forced into cuts. By doing so, they have had more power in shaping the future. Both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force have acted ahead of expected defense cuts to ease the impact on their workforce. Through reforms at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Federal hiring also saw welcome strides towards reducing the time to hire and getting beyond the cumbersome Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) essays.
- Streamline your Web presence … and realize more impact. In June a freeze came that seemed helpful to government workers: a cessation of new websites and a careful look at ones that may have outgrown their usefulness (e.g. a site dedicated to foresters who play the fiddle). While many sites may have followings and a place in the cybersphere, government must be selective in the kinds of sites that are of best use for citizenry. Instead of many small, specialized sites, a government strapped for cash can best communicate with citizenry through large, well-organized, carefully designed portals. TMP has been fortunate to work on several of these major destination sites, such as www.recovery.gov and www.treasury.gov. Both sites are not only popular, but they have actually shown that government can create sites as compelling as the private sector.
- Remember that for job candidates "out of sight means out of mind." In 2009, the President proclaimed that he wanted to make working for government "cool again." That encouragement, abetted by a slow and weak recovery, led resumes to pour into USAJOBS and agencies. With that situation currently in reverse, agency HR professionals may think that employer branding and recruitment are no longer valuable. The problem with this thinking is that in the world of marketplace communications, brand salience has become extremely important. Salience asks a straight forward question: When a prospective job candidate decides where to apply, do they think of you? Unless you’re running a somewhat rigorous schedule of advertising, a careers website and job fairs, the chances are that their memories will not dip back that far. With routine replacements as well as impending retirements, you need to be "in sight" and "in mind."
- Value government and those who make it possible. Perhaps the image of government workers and government suffers from a framework of "unfair encroachment." Most people inside or outside government concur that deficits endanger the well-being of generations to come. Similarly, who would not agree that government should become as efficient and effective as possible, adopting appropriate best practices from the private sector? After all, most government HR leaders have the experience of prime candidates, who would greatly improve their agency, unable to wait out an interminable hiring process. But neither of these criteria relate to the fundamental purpose of civil service, which is implied in the preamble to the Constitution.
The Constitution grew out of a very somber reality: With human nature being imperfect, America could not survive as nation without a strong enough central government. Yet too strong of a central government could stifle the very freedoms that enable human beings to improve themselves and their lot. The dialogue between these two poles has persisted since the very beginnings of our government, which uniquely reports not to a potentate, king or even president, but to the Constitution itself. Thus all Federal workers take an oath to defend the Constitution.
As OPM’s Constitution Initiative points out, "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.’" Because Federal workers carry out this charge, we have the laws, infrastructure and services that make social and economic life possible.
The noble purpose of civil servants is not dependent on business cycles or budget crises. In one way or another, from the soldier helping Afghanistan have an orderly democratic society to the Federal Trade Commission protecting people from scams to the VA helping veterans make the most of life to the FAA and TSA, ensuring safe flights this holiday season to NIH scientists turning the corner on infectious diseases, government employees perform necessary roles.
Doesn’t that seem worthy of continuing respect?
For more information on how TMP Government can help your agency communicate your value in 2012, please contact John Bersentes at john.bersentes@TMPGovernment.com or call him at 703-269-0092.
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