As more and more top-class professionals are laid off, and better candidates compete for fewer jobs, council bosses should see the economic downturn as an opportunity to attract the next generation of talent. Petra Barnby reports
The downturn could be the best thing that has happened to local government recruitment for a long time, according to a workforce expert at the IDeA.
As more people are made redundant and the job market becomes buoyant, here is a rare chance for councils to get hold of some fresh talent.
Now could also be a good time for council bosses to tackle some deep-seated problems, such as doing away with superfluous roles, bringing in younger blood from within the private sector, attacking diversity issues, encouraging promotion within the workforce, and creating apprenticeships to help with unemployment locally.
And council bosses who haven’t realised the potential being presented to them need to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’, warns Joan Munro, national adviser on workforce strategy at the IDeA.
As private sector stars get laid off, Ms Munro believes councils are becoming increasingly attractive places to work. The promise of better job security, a good pension, and a new kind of challenge will be irresistible to up-and-coming talent looking for work.
Ms Munro says: ‘The recession is a really big opportunity for local government. People who might not have thought of working in the public sector before may now be looking at our jobs in a different way. We need to be innovative as a sector. Lots of councils which are inventive say it is because they brought in new people with new ideas.’
Council bosses who have ordered a recruitment freeze may be missing a golden opportunity to lure the best of the job-seekers.
By the same token, bosses who consider experience in local government as a pre-requisite for their applicants may be doing themselves as disservice now, too.
‘Councils should not be blocking people by asking if they have 10 years’ experience in local government before applying. They need to be asking, “Could we open things up?” Should we be looking at someone’s ability rather than experience?’ advises Ms Munro.
Also, those bosses currently cutting jobs to save money need to be careful they do not make the wrong people redundant.
Ms Munro warns: ‘If a council is offering voluntary redundancies, it risks losing some good staff with skills it needs to move forward. It might seem easier to let those go who want to go, but councils have to bring about their redundancies with an eye on the future.’
More councils need to follow the lead at Birmingham City Council, where managers are working out where jobs are expanding and where they are reducing.
‘They have an extensive scheme in place to help people move into new jobs within the council when their jobs are being phased out. They also offer shadowing and placements to give current employees an idea of which roles they would like to move up to.
Now could also be the time to tackle the ‘age’ problem. Local government has the most mature workforce in the UK, with 34% of staff aged over 50. Less than 7% of staff in councils are under 25, as opposed to 16% in the general workforce.
And, with no disrespect, let’s recognise that local government often attracts a particular kind of person, warns Ms Munro, so making sure a wide variety of types are recruited is essential to progress.
She says: ‘In some planning departments there are people who have been around a long time who are clinging on to new ways of doing things. There are a lot of people in local government who spend their entire careers in the sector. We need fresh people coming in.’
As jobs come and go, council leaders may also be able to tackle long-standing diversity issues, especially making sure women move into top management roles. According to the Local Government Workforce Survey 2008, there is still a ‘serious lack’ of diversity in management roles.
So, the slump may have it downs sides but it is also creating movement and competition in the workforce, something every forward-thinking and innovation council will be cashing in on.
As more people are made redundant and the job market becomes buoyant, here is a rare chance for councils to get hold of some fresh talent.
Now could also be a good time for council bosses to tackle some deep-seated problems, such as doing away with superfluous roles, bringing in younger blood from within the private sector, attacking diversity issues, encouraging promotion within the workforce, and creating apprenticeships to help with unemployment locally.
And council bosses who haven’t realised the potential being presented to them need to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’, warns Joan Munro, national adviser on workforce strategy at the IDeA.
As private sector stars get laid off, Ms Munro believes councils are becoming increasingly attractive places to work. The promise of better job security, a good pension, and a new kind of challenge will be irresistible to up-and-coming talent looking for work.
Ms Munro says: ‘The recession is a really big opportunity for local government. People who might not have thought of working in the public sector before may now be looking at our jobs in a different way. We need to be innovative as a sector. Lots of councils which are inventive say it is because they brought in new people with new ideas.’
Council bosses who have ordered a recruitment freeze may be missing a golden opportunity to lure the best of the job-seekers.
By the same token, bosses who consider experience in local government as a pre-requisite for their applicants may be doing themselves as disservice now, too.
‘Councils should not be blocking people by asking if they have 10 years’ experience in local government before applying. They need to be asking, “Could we open things up?” Should we be looking at someone’s ability rather than experience?’ advises Ms Munro.
Also, those bosses currently cutting jobs to save money need to be careful they do not make the wrong people redundant.
Ms Munro warns: ‘If a council is offering voluntary redundancies, it risks losing some good staff with skills it needs to move forward. It might seem easier to let those go who want to go, but councils have to bring about their redundancies with an eye on the future.’
More councils need to follow the lead at Birmingham City Council, where managers are working out where jobs are expanding and where they are reducing.
‘They have an extensive scheme in place to help people move into new jobs within the council when their jobs are being phased out. They also offer shadowing and placements to give current employees an idea of which roles they would like to move up to.
Now could also be the time to tackle the ‘age’ problem. Local government has the most mature workforce in the UK, with 34% of staff aged over 50. Less than 7% of staff in councils are under 25, as opposed to 16% in the general workforce.
And, with no disrespect, let’s recognise that local government often attracts a particular kind of person, warns Ms Munro, so making sure a wide variety of types are recruited is essential to progress.
She says: ‘In some planning departments there are people who have been around a long time who are clinging on to new ways of doing things. There are a lot of people in local government who spend their entire careers in the sector. We need fresh people coming in.’
As jobs come and go, council leaders may also be able to tackle long-standing diversity issues, especially making sure women move into top management roles. According to the Local Government Workforce Survey 2008, there is still a ‘serious lack’ of diversity in management roles.
So, the slump may have it downs sides but it is also creating movement and competition in the workforce, something every forward-thinking and innovation council will be cashing in on.
