Public sector organizations are confronted with the intensifying competition for talent and suffer from a chronic shortage of talented people. We need to note that serving the Public Sector covers a wide range and it is paramount for HR personnel to recruit and develop the right talent to ensure the overall productivity and efficiency of the organization. In this article, we will dive into the nooks and crannies of recruitment and talent development in the public sector.
The Challenges Faced By Public Sectors in Recruiting The Right Talent:
Finding the right person for the right job is no easy task. One issue with which the public sector must contend is that these recruitment demands come in the areas of AI, data science, cloud, and DevOps, all of which are niche and emerging technologies and are thus globally candidate short. With that, the public sector faces intense competition from domestic tech giants, MNCs, and start-ups looking to capture the best individuals to build their platforms. In a country where private companies have historically been perceived as advantageous over the public sector, this could be the sternest challenge.
What has been done?
Currently, there has been notable improvements to employees’ salaries and benefits which include healthcare, generous vacation allowance, maternal and paternal leave, all of which are intended to not only attract but retain ambitious talent. However, this is only the first step to attaining the talent pool in the organization. More needs to be done in nurturing and sustaining the current talent pool which will be addressed in this article.
Identifying And Nurturing Talent:
Nurturing talent can have a positive impact on company culture, growth, and commercial success through creating an engaged and committed workforce. Here are some of the proactive steps taken by public sectors to nurture their talent pool:
1. Pre-Service Scholarship (PSC Scholarship): The PSC awards fully funded scholarships to outstanding young men and women who are committed to serving Singapore through a career in the Public Service.)
2. Management Associate Programmes: A career development program for scholars from 2002, which would give scholars a management track career in the Civil Service upon their graduation. The higher-tier PSC administered scholarship holders will automatically join the MAP and in-service officers, with less than two years of experience, could also be nominated for the program. MAS, Enterprise SG, Singapore Tourism Board, CPFB offer such a program.
3. Administrative Service: AOs are responsible for developing and implementing national policies in consultation with the political leadership. Apart from formal training, AOs are also exposed to a wide variety of jobs to maximize their experience and expertise, including working in private sector companies. Milestone programs are planned for AOs at every stage of their careers and are pushed to take leadership roles very early.
COMPENSATION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: HOW DO BONUSES WORK?
Grading of civil services
Every public service officer (civil servant) is accorded a grade that is determined through their credentials and the job scope, with the established grade determining their salary range.
How are bonuses measured in the public service?
All public officers receive at least one of the following three bonuses:
13th-month bonus: Rewarded in recognition of the 52 working weeks within a calendar year.
Annual variable component (AVC), mid-year and end-year: The AVC is a multiplier of the officer’s salary (e.g. 0.5x), and it is determined by the Public Service Division. The bonus is weighted and derived through the country’s economic performance for the year, key performance indices as meted out by the respective ministries and statutory boards, as well as in close consultations with unions.
Performance bonuses & merit increments: Measured through the individual officer’s performance relative to peers of the corresponding grade.
Past year bonuses
As seen below, there has been a tangible increase in the bonuses provided for the employees through the years. This is a progressive step to ensure a fair reward-to-performance ratio for civil servants.
The government continues to promote this by encouraging firms in the private sectors to issue fair bonuses, by taking alignment with the public sector on bonus quantum through the AVC.
HOW HR FACILITATES TALENT DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL
Overall, the strategic steps taken by the public sectors to recruit and develop talents can also be applied to HR departments in general. Here are some of the courses of action that can be taken by general HR departments throughout their talent management processes:
1. Attracting Talent
Skill-based hiring: Having assessments that can measure the skills necessary rather than evaluating only based on qualifications and past work history.
Setting up scholarship and development programs to grow future talents in specific industries.
2. Recruiting Talent
Evaluating talents in the company based on objective performance and clear target for development:
Some companies, one such being Freshening Industries, have two-way review systems, with employees conducting self-evaluations and identifying areas they would like to further improve, as well as training programs that could help them.
Identifying employees with “further potential”:
Having a structured system and mapping out skills that the companies would require employees to attain
Reskilling employees to prepare for future disruptions
3. Developing Talent
Talent development through allowing employees to work on challenging tasks/participate in cross-functional projects to develop other areas that employees may be able to further develop
Allowing employees to learn within the job community and from peers:
Management Associate Programmes: Where employees would be exposed to different sectors and have coaching from mentorship as well as development programs. The role of HR would be to select candidates with potential, liaise with the various sectors as well as keep track of progress.
Overall, given the onset of Covid-19, effective talent recruitment and management processes are central to how companies, especially in public sectors, are reimagining their personnel practices to build organizational resilience and drive value.
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