Talent pipeline at risk of stagnating as existing workers wouldn’t recommend a job in the public sector
Attracting the best talent to the public sector workforce could be in jeopardy for some departments as nearly half (47.4%) of existing workers say they would not recommend a job in the sector to others embarking on their career, warns leading recruitment consultancy, Badenoch & Clark.
Its regular quarterly survey of over 1,000 public sector workers finds the trend to be particularly true for central and local government workers, with nearly two thirds and over a half respectively (63.3% and 53.9%) feeling this way given the current agenda of cost cutting and job losses.
This revelation comes as job satisfaction is dwindling one year on since the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review – only one in twenty workers (4.3%) believe morale in their department has become better over the past 12 months, while a fifth (19.5%) do not feel motivated in their job at all.
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Nicola Linkleter, Managing Director at Badenoch & Clark said:
“It is quite alarming that nearly half of all public workers harbour such negative sentiment about the sector at the moment and this could make recruiting the future pipeline of talent a growing challenge for public sector employers.
“Graduates and those considering a career change who seek insight on working in the public sector will likely turn to existing employees as their first port of reference. And with motivation and morale so low, it is unsurprising that existing employees are currently unlikely to encourage a move to join them.
“However, this is a problem that must be tackled imminently, or the future of the talent pipeline for some public sector employers could be at risk of stagnating.
“With lack of opportunities for promotion and more job and pay cuts anticipated for the future, it is essential that public sector managers develop a strategy for keeping their staff engaged.
“Showing employees that their hard work is valued and their career progression is taken into account are two methods of generating a more positive working environment. If employees feel valued they are more likely to recommend the sector to aspirational employees; ultimately boosting the reputation of the public sector brand.”
