The private sector has learned the value of engaging its workers. Government needs to take advantage of that.
By Howard Risher | Governing
Too many public employers are missing out on something important and valuable. Government should be a great place to work. Public service should make for very satisfying careers. We know from studies that where that’s true, employees perform at higher levels.
But the practices of too many public employers are stuck in a past era. Reports of low morale among government workers have become common, and public employers are experiencing particular problems attracting and retaining millennial workers. Fully 92 percent of state and local government human-resources managers rank recruiting and retaining qualified personnel as the most important issue they face, according to a recent survey by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence. And Gallup reports that morale problems in the form of low levels of engagement are costing state and local governments $100 billion a year.
